Zinc, Oil and My Skin Cancer

I vividly remember my childhood being brought up in Queensland. The very hot and humid days and the sun burning your skin.

I also vividly remember our family outings to the beach to try and get some relief from the heat. It took what seemed like hours to finally arrive. (The beach was only a few kilometers from our home). I was ready to hit the water, but no, Wait! Mum would yell… not until you have your Zinc Cream on. You need to protect your skin from the sun.

For those who remember Zinc Cream. You will know how it felt to apply this very thick, sticky white cream to your face. (The coloured varieties had not yet been invented). My mother would squeeze some onto her hand and scrap my face with it, like a bricklayer applying mud to a brick. You could almost hear your skin tear as this cream was so thick when applied.

So now with Zinc applied to my face and lips. I could never understand why the rest of the exposed skin on my body didn’t need protection but was very glad not to endure Zinc cream being applied everywhere else. I could swim for hours. And I will tell you now that Zinc never came off; days later, it could still be seen in the creases of your nose.

My life in Queensland was good with my family moving to an island to live. Long days at the beach being part of the local SLSC but now as a typical teenager, I thought I knew it all and was not going to apply the dreaded Zinc Cream. Instead, I used to apply “Baby Oil” not only to my face but to my entire body. Then just like a chicken basting in the oven I lay in the sun and roasted my body in the tropical heat. I had the golden-brown tan I wanted so much, after all, it was an essential fashion statement at the time.

I never knew or wanted to see the damage that beautiful warm Queensland sun was doing to me.

…Fast forward to last week; I am in the hospital having plastic surgery to remove skin cancer from my nose. Regrettably, I wished I had listened to my mother when she said you need to protect your skin from the sun.