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Never Wore Sunscreen

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(@deborahwatersiectskin-com)
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I never wore sunscreen — now I look like an ‘acid attack victim’

Here’s more good reason not to skimp on SPF.

A Canadian mother resembled an “acid attack victim” after taking chemotherapy cream for her skin cancer — which she developed after neglecting to use sunscreen for years.

“It looks like I’ve had an acid attack,” Honoure Stark told SWNS of the topical treatment, which she’s forced to wear six hours a day. The 53-year-old Toronto resident added, “[Using chemotherapy cream] is like pouring acid on your skin and your skin bubbling up. That’s exactly what it feels like and that’s exactly what it looks like.”

Stark uses the cream to treat her basal cell carcinoma, one of the most common forms of skin cancer with 3.6 million people getting diagnosed annually in the US alone. While generally not fatal, the condition often recurs even after successful treatment, and can increase the risk of developing other types of skin cancer.

 
 
 
 
The mother of four’s epidermal ordeal began in 2008, when she noticed a colorless, “dime-sized indentation” with a scaly texture on her forehead.

Stark initially dismissed the blemish as eczema as she was prone to the condition and “had very dry skin,” SWNS reported.

However, the woman reportedly grew concerned after her “forehead became indented with that lesion” several months later. So, she decided to seek an expert.

“It was eating my skin and tissue and getting extremely close to the bone on my forehead and that scared me into seeing my doctor,” Stark recalled.

"It was eating my skin and tissue and getting extremely close to the bone on my forehead and that scared me into seeing my doctor," lamented Stark.
“It was eating my skin and tissue and getting extremely close to the bone on my forehead and that scared me into seeing my doctor,” lamented Stark.
Kennedy News and Media

That’s when she received the devastating diagnosis.

Said the patient, “I went into her office, I was quite nervous and didn’t know anything about skin cancer, and when she immediately looked at my forehead and said ‘You have cancer. We need to set up a date for surgery to remove that.'”

“It was very scary because I didn’t know what type of cancer I had,” exclaimed Stark, adding that she was so upset by the doc’s “lack of empathy” that she “started to cry.”

Hoping to land someone with more insight — and perhaps better bedside manner — Stark changed doctors in 2009. The following year, she underwent a procedure to have the lesion removed.

Unfortunately, that didn’t alleviate the issue: The cancer has since metastasized all over the surface of Stark’s body, including her neck, arm and chest.

“I’ve had many, many lesions over the years, I couldn’t count the amount,” she said. “I have the skin of a 70 or 80-year-old woman.”

Since 2010, Stark has undergone a staggering 30 skin surgeries — like a game of whack-a-mole.

"I've had many many lesions over the years, I couldn't count the amount," rued the cancer-ravaged patient. "I have the skin of a 70 or 80-year-old woman."
“I’ve had many, many lesions over the years, I couldn’t count the amount,” rued the cancer-ravaged patient. “I have the skin of a 70 or 80-year-old woman.”
Kennedy News and Media

The unfortunate gal attributes her plight to the fact that “I never protected my skin.”

“I put sunscreen on my children, however I didn’t wear sunscreen at all,” she explained. “I had sunscreen in my home but it wasn’t something that I thought about every morning before I went outside.”

Stark added, “I didn’t wear a hat or stand under an umbrella, and that’s exactly why I have this much cancer.”

In order to safeguard her sensitive skin, the mother must now wear sunscreen no matter what the weather, and can never expose herself to direct sunlight again.

Stark was also prescribed the aforementioned chemotherapy cream in 2012, which she analogized to “a poison for cancerous cells.”

“You apply it and it only picks up the cancerous or precancerous cells and there will be red, ugly scabbing skin,” she explained.

Unfortunately, one of the side effects was that it made her “skin very hot and incredibly itchy” as if there were “red, burning ants running on your skin,” she said.

And the pain wasn’t just physical: “It makes my skin look like I’ve had a very bad accident,” explained Stark. “I have had people walk away from me. It used to hurt my feelings and I used to feel shunned.”

She added, “People would point at me and just not understand if I had a disease that was contagious, or someone had violently hurt me or I’d been in a car accident.”

Stark now hopes to use her ordeal as a cautionary tale highlighting the perils of shunning sunscreen.

“I want people to understand that small behaviors that they can incorporate into their routine can stop this from happening,” said Stark, who frequently posts sunscreen PSAs on TikTok. “So you wear a hat. I see babies outside in the bright sun without a hat on and I think to myself, ‘that frightens me,’ because of what their future may look like.”

She added, “I really enjoy spreading awareness because this type of cancer you can protect yourself and your children at any time and any age from getting it.”

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(@keyonnastarksiectskin-com)
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Always always always wear sunscreen. It is VERY important to wear sunscreen everyday to avoid any complications like this woman experienced. Skin cancer is one of the most common cancer in the United States and should be taken more serious. 


   
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(@cameranriddleiectskin-com)
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Always wear sunscreen even if its winter and cold the sun can still burn you and your skin can end up looking like hers.


   
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(@cameranriddleiectskin-com)
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@keyonnastarksiectskin-com I couldnt agree more and thats crazy skin cancer is one of the most common cancers.


   
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(@abigailcochraneiectskin-com)
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I have never been able to not wear sunscreen. I am very fair skin and it takes little to no time in the sun for me to burn. When i was in elementary school i went to the pool with one of my close friends and their mom, they were very accustomed to going out in the sun for very long periods of time and they had olive skin. Needless to say i got sun poisoning so bad i was physically skin, couldnt hold down food , and i had giant blisters all over my body , in severe pain i couldnt even sleep. I will never go in the sun again without sunscreen. 


   
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(@camiryndavisiectskin-com)
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This article scared me I cant believe that she never wore sunscreen in her 65 years of life. I just thought to all those times during her childhood where she spent countless hours in the sun. I believe that the importance of sunscreen should be spoken about in health classes starting at 2nd or 3rd grade.


   
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(@camiryndavisiectskin-com)
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@cameranriddleiectskin-com i agree, people think just because the season has changed it isnt need which is absoulutly wrong.


   
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(@camiryndavisiectskin-com)
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@keyonnastarksiectskin-com In 2020, there were 99,780 cases of some form of skin cancer. This shows that the population still isnt properly educated on the importance of sunscreen


   
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(@student)
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I'll admit, before starting school here, I didn't know very much about skin cancer. I had no idea that chemotherapy could be done with a topical cream, and I'm really surprised by that. I can't imagine what it must be like for her, putting on the cream knowing it's going to burn her skin like acid. She is a very strong woman. 


   
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(@student)
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@abigailcochraneiectskin-com Oh wow! I'm sorry you had to go through that. There really is nothing like a traumatic experience to make you do something for the rest of your life. Always remembering to apply sunscreen is the best thing that could've come out of your situation.


   
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(@student)
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@camiryndavisiectskin-com I completely agree, the importance of sunscreen should be taught early on. In elementary school, my art teacher was a skin cancer survivor and he gave a presentation every year on field day about how important it is to use sunscreen. Our school was very lucky to have him.


   
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(@student)
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As someone who is allergic to aloe vera, I have always been diligent in putting on sunscreen after I developed my allergy. But, I should've been more careful in the beginning. I think that skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US because there isn't enough education about wearing sunscreen, and before going to school here, I still didn't understand the actual importance of sunscreen besides avoiding the pain of a burn.


   
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(@student)
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@camiryndavisiectskin-com The importance of sunscreen should be better taught in schools, but it should definitely be taught to parents and other adults as well. Hopefully with better education we can lessen the amount of people getting skin cancer every year.


   
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(@student)
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@abigailcochraneiectskin-com Getting sun poisoning must have been extremely painful, I remember one of my friends getting it on her face while camping and she definitely did not have a great time on our trip after that. The importance of sunscreen needs to be taught to everyone not just those with paler skin that is more prone to burning.


   
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(@student)
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@camiryndavisiectskin-com I completely agree, children should be taught the importance of sunscreen because of the serious harmful effects not wearing it can have later in life.


   
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(@student)
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@lanajacksoniectskin-com I also had no idea that chemotherapy could be done through a topical cream. I thought that it could only be done through injections. I have no doubt in my mind that she is an incredibly strong woman for putting up with the pain that those creams must cause.


   
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(@michaelagrayiectskin-com)
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Ever since I was young my mom always told me to wear sunscreen, and I never listened because I didn't understand the benefits until I was an adult. It's crazy to think about the sun damage I probably have underneath and I am only 20. She was in her 60's before she started wearing it and the consequences can be so extreme. You don't think when you are young that it can have such a big effect on your skin, but it definitely can. 


   
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(@michaelagrayiectskin-com)
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It's crazy to think that something so good can have so many bad reactions. We need the sun and the vitamin D from it, however too much can give us cancer, blemishes, sagging skin and wrinkles. I am glad that I have educated myself on the importance of sunscreen though because even after reading this article it is motivation to continue with a good skin care routine and maintain putting sunscreen on actively. As well as taking the right precautions to protect myself from the sun. 


   
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(@michaelagrayiectskin-com)
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@camiryndavisiectskin-com I agree, it should definitely be something talked about in health class. Kids are not taught about the dangers of being in the sun for an extended period of time without sunscreen. I can only think about all the times I got so tan playing outside or at recess. It should be mandatory in schools.


   
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(@michaelagrayiectskin-com)
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@lanajacksoniectskin-com This is amazing, it's extremely sad to learn about his condition but it's amazing that he took that experience and chose to educate his students. I agree that people should definitely be educating the kids young, and making it mandatory for kids to wear sunscreen before they go outside for a long period of time. I will definitely be making sure my children wear it before going in the sun in the future.


   
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(@deborahwatersiectskin-com)
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Topic starter  

@lanajacksoniectskin-com 

That medication works well. While using it the skin looks red, raw, and extremely irritated. If the person can get through that period then they will be looking much better and the cancer will be gone hopefully. They will have to have checks of any current lesions and new lesions. I have seen a patient that used this medication topically. He looks very good now.


   
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(@deborahwatersiectskin-com)
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@michaelagrayiectskin-com 

We did not intentionally lay out in the sun very much.  We were playing or doing chores. I really did not hear about sunscreen. I thin I was a teen before I heard of Coppertone SPf 4. I never wanted to use it but it smelled so good I di. I did not reapply though. I only wore it when we went in our pool. I really learned about the damage the sun caused when I started in the Esthetics Program. I had moved to VA in 1980 and went to the beach and tanning beds all the time still not using SPF. I burnt and got very dark. I have a lot of sun damage which I regret. I do not lay out or use tanning beds anymore but the sun damage is still there


   
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(@deborahwatersiectskin-com)
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@nicoleweberiectskin-com 

I had sun poisoning on a trip to Florida to have fun in the sun. I was miserable and disapointed as I had to wear long sleeves buttoned up. It was hot and the rest of my family was at the beach or pool. What a trip. I still did not learn my lesson and spent years at he beach and tanning beds once I moved to VA.

No sunscreen used either. I look back and wish I had been careful as I have a lot of sun damage. Its good these drugs are utilized and they help. I am a big proponent of sunscreen and try to educate my students in the dangers of wearing sunscreen and taking precautions


   
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(@madisonmauldiniectskin-com)
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It was not until recently that I had actually started incorporating sunscreen into my daily routine. I used to only wear it when I went tanning in the sun but even then I was terrible at reapplying which led me to getting sun poisoning multiple times. Since then I make sure to take extra precautions when it comes to the sun.  


   
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(@madisonmauldiniectskin-com)
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@michaelagrayiectskin-com I agree, i'm glad that I realized the importance of sunscreen sooner than later.


   
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(@madisonmauldiniectskin-com)
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@abigailcochraneiectskin-com Me as well! I got so sick from sun poisoning and it was probably the worst pain I've ever been in, I was constantly uncomfortable. I learned my lesson and will not go out into the sun without sunscreen.


   
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(@camrynauxtiectskin-com)
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This sucked to read and know that this woman is in so much pain due to such simple carelessness. It is so easy to prevent these skin conditions if you take good care of your skin and apply moisturizer and SPF daily, no matter the weather conditions or whether you will be inside or outside. You can never be too careful!


   
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(@camrynauxtiectskin-com)
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@madisonmauldiniectskin-com YES! I had horrible sunburn after I had reconstructive leg surgery to the point where I couldn't sit, lay, or sleep comfortably. My clothes even hurt touching my skin! I definitely learned my lesson although my mom constantly reminds me to reapply if we go out on our boat or anything of the sort.


   
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(@camrynauxtiectskin-com)
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@michaelagrayiectskin-com I've always been thankful that my mom drilled into my head to reapply sunscreen, but I hadn't always incorporated SPF into my daily skin routine. Ever since I have, I can see that my skin stays hydrated better than it did before since it isn't unprotected from UVA/UVB rays


   
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(@paigebrickhouseiectskin-com)
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Before I started working at the dermatologist  I never knew how common skin cancers were. In a week with one provider seeing 20 patients per day I would say at least half are getting a skin cancer treated or getting a boipsy that is most likely a skin cancer. Sunscreen is so important. When I was in high school everyone just wanted to get as tan as they could and wouldn't wear sunscreen. 


   
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