[Leica] Wear that sunscreen!

[lrzeitlin at aol.com (lrzeitlin at aol.com)]

I've been a photographer as long as I can remember but I also spent every 
summer messing around in boats and a lot of time in the winter XC skiing. 
Indeed, many of my pictures in the Leica Gallery show both activities. I 
ignored all that good advice about wearing sunscreen. Of course I had an 
excuse. When I started sailing back in the 40s a suntan was considered 
healthy. Remember that Coppertone ad showing a nicely tanned little girl 
with a dog pulling down her bathing suit and showing a white butt? All my 
girl friends spent hours by the pool rotating every 15 minutes to get an 
even tan.


Recently I made a casual visit to a dermatologist to get some skin blotches 
on my forehead diagnosed. My forehead is OK. All it needed was a little 
steroid cream. But the dermatologist took biopsies of two suspicious areas, 
one on the ear and one on the leg. The results of the biopsies revealed that 
I have melanoma skin cancers from too much sun exposure. I go under the 
knife next week to give my pound of flesh.


According to the dermatologist, a sailor himself, skin cancer is prevalent 
among boaters, bikers, and lovers of the outdoors at rates far higher than 
the general population. If you are exposed to hours of sunlight, and don't 
use adequate protection, you are at risk. If you spend much of your time in 
the open from childhood to social security, you will almost certainly get it.


WEAR THAT SUNSCREEN!!!


Larry Z