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<\/a>Hugh Jackman, always willing to share his skin cancer woes, to help others.<\/p><\/div>\n
Well, let me remind you all\u2014skin cancer is definitely \u201ca biggie!!!\u201d If you don\u2019t believe me<\/em>, just ask Hugh Jackman. Or Ewan McGregor. Or Bob Marley\u2014oh that\u2019s right\u2014you can\u2019t\u2014because…he died<\/em> from it! At just thirty-six-years-old! (His started-out under a toenail.)<\/p>\n And it always looks to me like Jennifer Lopez had a cancer on her nose, as well, although that\u2019s just conjecture on my part. Even though she\u2019s had a few obvious nose jobs, the way the top of the bridge is so flat looks to me like that area on people who\u2019ve been known to have at least one skin cancer removed from that spot.<\/p>\n To me, the face is the worst place to get skin cancer, *for obvious reasons, but everywhere<\/em> is bad. Everyone really needs to have annual full-body cancer checks. (*When I got the first one, right on the side of my nose, I was still doing my television show. I waited a very long week to hear back from my doctor after my biopsy, and I finally called him early one morning, so he couldn\u2019t avoid me any longer. When I asked why he had waited so long to break the news to me, he replied, \u201cYou\u2019re on TV, and the cancer is on your face. It\u2019s not like it\u2019s on your back or some other hidden area. I didn\u2019t want to upset you.\u201d Was he kidding me?! I was going to be upset no matter when<\/em> I found-out, and the sooner would have definitely been the better!)<\/p>\n I\u2019ll tell you more of my own horror stories in a second, but first, lets\u2019s discuss all aspects of this important day.<\/p>\n Always use sunscreen!<\/p><\/div>\n First of all, it\u2019s National Sunscreen Day. And let me admonish\u2014you are a moron<\/em> if you do not wear sunscreen every day!!! It\u2019s so easy to do. Yes, it does<\/em> take an extra minute out of your day, but it\u2019s to prevent skin cancer taking every future<\/em> minute out of your life<\/em>! That\u2019s a no-brainer, in my book.<\/p>\n I do<\/em> know that some of the sunscreens on offer are pretty thick. Or too white. So just experiment (with samples, of course,) until you find one you can live with. Emphasis on live<\/em> (because it just may be keeping you alive!)<\/p>\n Doctors and facialists recommend wearing sunscreen even indoors<\/em>; the sun comes through windows and even door cracks. You can never be too safe. For all the sunscreen rules, courtesy of Prevention Magazine, just click here: www.prevention.com\/beauty\/a20499299\/5-new-sunscreen-rules-you-should-be-following<\/a>. (You don\u2019t need to read the entire long article; just scroll down till you see the heading, The new sunscreen rules<\/em>.)<\/p>\n That\u2019s the aspect of the day<\/em>; now let\u2019s talk about the components of this national month<\/em>.<\/p>\n What my forehead looked like before the surgery. That tiny red spot in the lower middle was the cancer! Wow. Photo by Mr. X.<\/p><\/div>\n First up is detection<\/em> of skin cancer. You should always be aware of what\u2019s happening with your skin, (and your entire body. And mind! But maybe we\u2019ll discuss that in a day or week or month dedicated to mental<\/em> health.) If you get a new spot, or one darkens, enlarges, or gets raised, it\u2019s time to see a doctor. You really never know what tiny spot is dangerous. (My<\/em> story in a sec.) Don\u2019t think you can wait, or that he or she will think you\u2019re being overcautious if it turns-out to be nothing. If that\u2019s the case, the doc will celebrate right along with you. Some facialists are able to spot trouble, as well. Listen to those people!<\/p>\n But the absolute most important thing you can do in the skin cancer arena is prevention<\/em>. And take it from a two-time survivor\u2014you want to prevent it at all costs!<\/p>\n Which brings us full circle to the sunscreen that we celebrate today<\/em>. Use it!<\/p>\n Now, the quick tales of my two skin cancers, in case they help motivate you to get checked.<\/p>\n First is that one on my nose I mentioned a few paragraphs ago. It was a tiny spot that bled from time to time. My dermatologist finally decided to biopsy it. (And, of course, I met Adam Lambert the day I found-out I had skin cancer, and with the bandage on my nose! But it did not phase him at all, even though we wound-up talking for about a half hour. This was years before he was on\u00a0American Idol<\/em>, but that\u2019s all another story, for my book.)<\/p>\n Doesn’t that middle-to-upper part of JLo’s nose look like she’s had some not-fun surgery on it?<\/p><\/div>\n When I was scheduling the Mohs surgery to remove the cancer, I was even smart enough to suggest that I should have a plastic surgeon in the room with me, to make sure the scar wouldn\u2019t be too bad. Here\u2019s a majorly important note to all of you who are having a cancer removed anywhere the scar will be seen<\/em>: If a plastic surgeon is not doing your surgery, make sure you have one there<\/em>!!! I made the mistake of letting my derm tell me it was unnecessary, and then his partner, who did the surgery, absolutely butchered me! I\u2019ve been living with a horrible, big, bright white scar, and major indentation, on my nose since then! And there\u2019s not much any other surgeon can do at this point to correct the matter. It\u2019s so annoying, but I always remind myself that I have the boyfriend and life I want, and I looked great in my heyday; two major victories. So I just deal with the bad visual.<\/p>\n Which brings us to my second<\/em> skin cancer. I received a gift certificate from Marc Edwards Skincare in West Hollywood two years ago, and went to see him for just a basic facial. Right away, he noticed the tiniest dot on my forehead, and a little bit bigger one on my collarbone, and asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s up with these?\u201d I told him they were nothing, and to not worry about them. I could barely even see the one on my forehead. But he made me promise to see my dermatologist that week, and since I try to never lie, (unless someone asks me if she\u2019s fat!,) I had to do it. And, lo and behold, that tiny upper dot was, indeed, a skin caner.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>