Skin Cancer Awareness
- Bret Michaels, lead singer of the ’80s glam band ‘Poison,’ announced he’s enjoying more of a “simple” life these days, showcasing a Christmas video of himself zipping around his kitchen and living room on his scooter.
- The skin cancer survivor and father of two, 60, has been vocal about skin protection after suffering from multiple scares due to not covering up enough outdoors over the years.
- Besides staying out of the sun, the top five ways to protect yourself from the dangers of the sun is by vigorously applying sunscreen of at least SPF 30, covering up with clothing, hats and sunglasses, avoiding the sun during peak hours, avoiding tanning beds always and by getting annual skin checks from your dermatologist, who may even suggest coming in twice a year, depending on your risk.
The “Every Rose Has Its Thorn” crooner, 60, who is a skin cancer survivor, shared a post Tuesday on Instagram, announcing he’s enjoying more of a “simple” life these days.
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The musician’s rescue dog — the Husky he famously adopted in October when he heard he had been named after him — sauntered by as Michaels zoomed past a lit-up Christmas tree.
“Boys and their toys! 😂🛴,” one fan wrote in the comments, while another follower teased, “Lol, living on the edge!”
Despite the jokes, Michaels has still been doing mega-tours with his band — billed alongside other legendary acts like Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe — and is just taking a break for the holidays before announcing more shows next year.
Plus, he is still wearing his signature bandana, which peaked out from under a black baseball cap with his long blonde hair still flowing, so there’s that!
Furthermore, Michaels is still doing some travel on a private jet, though these days it appears to be with his family, as shown on his official Christmas post with his daughters Jorja, 18, and Raine, 23, along with their mom, his on-and-off partner Kristi Gibson.
In 2020, Michaels announced he was undergoing treatment for skin cancer. He didn’t disclose what type of skin cancer he had or how serious his diagnosis was, but assured fans that he was being treated by “incredible specialists who are both positive for great results.”
Since that occurrence, the outdoors-lover has had multiple other scares. In an October interview with Elliot in the Morning, Michaels shared why he’s become an advocate for skin cancer protection.
“I’m a believer that if you applied [the sunscreen] once, this is old-school thinking, if I cover this once in the morning, I’m sure after 12 hours in the sun, it’s still working,” he said. “And it turns out I was wrong. It turns out that my information was incorrect.”
Learning About Skin Cancer
The Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that over 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States every year, making it the most common cancer in the United States.
One of the best ways to protect yourself from the sun, and skin cancer, is to regularly apply sunscreen. Many people commit to using sunscreen every day, but it’s important to note that choosing the right product can be just as important as consistency.
Dr. Cecilia Larocca, a dermatologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, recommends you use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 and reapply it every two hours. Your sunscreen should also be broad spectrum, says Dr. Larocca, meaning it covers both UVB and UVA rays.
Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer
In a previous interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Dendy Engelman from MDCS Dermatology in New York echoed one of the same guidelines in a list of the top five things you can do to avoid skin cancer:
- Avoid sun during peak hours: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the tops of your head, the tops of your ears and the delicate area around the eye.
- Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen and make sure to reapply every two hours or after excessive sweating or swimming.
- Get annual skin checks with a dermatologist who can closely evaluate all areas of the body.
- Avoid tanning beds, which can significantly increase your risk of melanoma.
Manhattan dermatologist Dr. Snehal Amin added to SurvivorNet that while brand name is not very important, consider the activities you’ll be doing while wearing the sunscreen and pay attention to the ingredients and feel of the sunscreen, which can make a difference.
“My recommendation is really focus on the ingredients rather than the brands,” Dr. Amin said. “If you like the way the brand feels on your skin, if you like the purpose of the brand for instance, sport versus daily use or daytime use versus a short burst of activity use I think those are more important factors than actual brands.”
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