Oh sure. We had zinc oxide. A wonderful product so thick you had to apply it with a spatula.
Which is why I had to have a pre-cancerous spot frozen off my nose last week.Lovely.
I truly don't consider myself a very vain woman but rocking the leprosy look? That was not something I had anticipated. A few days later when I was finally down to what looked like a nickel sized blister on my nose, I was thrilled. It was such an improvement. I didn't even mind to go out in public when one of my youngest son's friends called to invite him over.As I was driving him to his buddy's house and catching a glimpse of myself in the rear view mirror, I remarked to him how happy I was that my nose was healing and it didn't look repulsive anymore.
"It still looks bad", was the encouraging reply I heard from the backseat.
And you wonder why I'm not vain. Nothing like a kid to take the wind right out of your sails.
Posts
127 comments:
Am I the first commenter today? Excuse me while I do a little happy dance, people.
-Francesca
OK. Now that I have cemented that moment in time, I will leave a comment.
Such a fun, fun post, Debbie. I am right along with you re tanning and toasting. My dream of becoming the Ban de Soleil woman will never be realized. Sigh.
Oh, and comments from your kids? In a word...yes.
xoxo
Oh, ditto, ditto. I grew up with lathering coconut oil or baby oil all over for that deep, dark tanned look. So popular here in Australia. Now, sunspots abound and I won;t let anyone leave home without a hat.
But, I am ashamed to say - I still love the look of tanned skin :(
We are the same age and I am relating big time. Except I had this done at age 32. Except it ended up being down to the cartilage (a plastic surgeon had to be called in, but darn I was too young for any other work at the time!). I should have written an article, I was so ahead of the trend!
P.S. Don't you go bonkers seeing people use tanning beds?
Baby oil mixed with a bottle of Iodine! Fry in the sun and turn and burn, that was ME!! And now I am paying dearly for it! I stopped getting in the sun about ten years ago. I have had so many things taken off my face and chest. I am now using Aldara, a Prescription skin cancer cream. Fortunatly I only have one small place on the side of my cheek to treat for the next 6 weeks. I've spent a lot of money trying to just stay ahead of all the damage I caused in my youth. So, been there and done that too. Ugh... Hope you heal fast.
This exact thing happened to me!!! It was awful. http://honeypiehorse.blogspot.com/2009/01/wont-you-guide-my-sleigh-tonight.html
Always great to hear the unabashed honest opinion of your kids, isn't it?
You got that right. My son keeps me level-headed just about every day.
I used to be the biggest sun worshipper and I tan. But now, freckles galore and perhaps even some age spots that I call freckles. Kids. They tell it like it is, good and bad.
Oh, yes. The kids are good for vanity.
Princess: Mommy, what's wrong with your face?
Mommy: I just put on my makeup.
Princess: You look like an orange. You should start over.
Have I mentioned she's 3?
I totally agree my ego has taken a backseat for sure. I have regular and fancy t SHIRTS. That is as fancy as I get around here.
Oh yes - I can relate to the pale skin and freckles. My sister and I were just saying yesterday that our freckles are growing and turning into age spots!
Love your sons comment!
Yah, kids are great aren't they? They sure know how to deflate the ego.
I shudder when I think of the ways we got tan. Actually, I shudder when I look at my skin, and the result of all those ways we got tan.....
And now, because I am 45, I wear 45.
Ellie
Umm, you are probably right about the song! But yay that you were able to take care of yourself and get the spot removed!
I'm probly right behind you with the whole precancerous-spot-removal. Despite my use of sunscreen...it's never enough! I bet your nose is now down to dime size, yes?
If you look that bad, why did he hitch a ride from you?
Kids!!!!!
Hope it heals quickly! Yes, kids can deflate an ego quickly!
Yeah, they're the best for laying it all out there. Hope the nose heals fast.
LOL Leave it to our kids to keep us humble!
The great thing about kids is that they know that a boob job doesn't make a better mom.
Also, "it still looks bad" is a compliment in kid-speak.
Burn, freckle, peel. And
"Mom, why are you wearing a long dress to the beach?"
There isn't a sun hat big enough for my head...
Yesterday, my ten year old found it funny to "play with the flab" on they back of my arms. Lovely.
I still tan during the summer. I know it's bad and my husband lectures me about using a higher SPF, but I figure at this point, it's too late. At 42, I have had many years, like you, without sunscreen.
I still like a tan. I am tan right now. A tan makes wearing shorts (almost) palatable.
How can something as wonderful as the sun that gives us essential vitamins and such be so BAD?
*pouts*
No fair.
I'm a charter member of the B&P (Burn & Peel) Club too. Fun stuff, hunh?
Yeah......kids are good for so many many ego deflating activities and comments. "Hey, Mom, your mustache is bigger than mine."
Oh, no. At least you don't look like Michael Jackson.
Too soon?
LMAO.. I can't believe he said that!
Kids are the ultimate ego-busters. What happened to children are to be seen and not heard? I think it needs to make a comeback. Anyone want to help me start a movement?
Leave it to kids to speak the truth
Oh, kids will deflate your ego for sure. One night at dinner my son said, "I don't like dinner, but I'm eating it because I'm hungry." It just made me so happy that I had put so much time and effort into preparing our meal.
Ha! Boo for pre-cancerous spots. Yay for getting them taken care of early!
And I just had an ever so truthful conversation with my daughter yesterday too. Stings, doesn't it??
Guess we have to keep our mommy sized egos at bay. :)
ACK. I am glad you go that taken care of! I keep expecting to hear from the dermatologist that I have to have something scraped off because I spent summers covered in baby oil. :-X
i'm a burner too. my mother and grandmother have both had places taken off their nose.
so why don't i apply spf 50 like a good like girl??
Yeah, I am with you on the non-ego thing. My son was looking at my hair last night and commented that I have so many gray strangs everywhere. Um, I just got it highlighted yesterday. Those are not gray, they are paid-for blonde strips. Kids.
Yes, they do have a way of keeping you humble!
I hope it heals soon! :)
These are the days to be glad you only have four. I hear it all day long! "what are you wearing?" "Did you choose to look like that today?" and my all time favorite, "you look like a french prostitute." WTH? How does he know what a french prostitute looks like?
My sister tells of the time that her younger son reached across the front seat of the car to twiddle the flesh hanging from her upper arm.
This is why I never had children.
P.S. That very same sister was justifiably proud of her creamy white skin and gorgeous red hair, so she completely avoided the whole suntanning thing. In her 60's, her skin is still beautiful.
I am NOT the same age as you.....almost....6 years older and there was nosuchthing as sunblock until I was about 15. So I swam in t-shirts and sunburns a lot as a kid. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I'm a blue-eyed redhead who also had enough freckles for a town as a kid. And NO I don't tan, even if I try gradually....I just get pinker and don't care for the texture my skin takes on. I'm jealous of people who tan, always have been always will be but what can I do? The only consolation is that I don't have many wrinkles....but I'd trade a couple lines for a nice glow occasionally.
Isn't it great to have kids to remind us how uncool/stupid/ugly we are? I'm thankful that they don't ever let me get prideful in any way.
You're so vain....you prob'bly think this song, I mean, blog is about you. You're so vain...
LOL.
Merrick said to me today, "Mommy, put your belly away. I don't want to see it, its ugly."
oh honey, i am so glad everything is healing but DARN KIDS!
I could have written this same post. I was in for my regular 6 month precancerous burnfest last week.
I had 7 spots to burn off and two spots that required a biopsy.
I feel compelled to tell people what the scabs on my face are from (even though everyone says they didn't even notice them). I love it when I'm asked if having the flesh burned off your face hurts!!!
I burn easily and am so fed up of it that I've been known to slap the baby's factor 50 block on, it's nearly as bad as the zinc look and makes me look like a toddler.
Ugh! I'm glad you had it taken care of, though! The other day my daughter informed me that "Daddy has boobies" and I said, "No, Daddy's just fat." Even he thought it was funny!
Perspective is such a funny thing. Before you had the spot frozen, I'll bet you would rather die than go out with a nickel sized spot on your nose (okay, not die, but you know what I mean). One reason why I love having had all sorts of traumatic things happen to us. . . perspective is a wonderful thing.
Ha! You said it sister. If I have cranked up the music in my car and start singing (its usually Christian music, so I can't even claim to be 'rockin') my kids start sreaming,
"NOOOOO Mommy!! Stop!!!"
Never fails.
Blessings-
Amanda
ha! I bet you're so envious of me coz I have a such a great NATURAL tan!!
You crack me up! Seriously. I can't ever get a tan. I burn, peel, and then go right back to pale.
My 13 year old daughter always points out when I have gone too long between waxing. But not just that, my kids now cancel plans with me for friends. I will beg them to go to the mall or Dicks Sporting Goods, bribing them with what I will buy while we are there, and I still am second choice. Being om is a thankless job. And then they leave you.
Oh no! Well, I am fairly vain too and would have hid in my house until it was completely gone. So there's that... ;)
But I am so glad you got it taken care of!
:) Robin
cinnamon & honey
I can't say have have the fair skin problem but I do have the children with the unfiltered thoughts and opinions : )
Oh, I'm so sorry you had that spot on your nose - that stinks. Hope it's healing well and disappears sooner than later!
Yah. I had a few taken off my legs. I used to burn every summer as a kid too. And then high school was all about tropicana NO SPF coconut oil and tanning salons. Well, that tan went SO WELL with all the neon.
Ah, aren't kids grand!? My oldest keeps asking me when my belly will go back down. (three kids, ya think she could cut me a break?)
Yerday my husband took one look at me and asked me why I was tired.
Rrrr.
Yeah I feel your pain. I now have to have yearly body scans from the old dermatoligist? skin Dr. whatever. I don't like it.
A couple of years ago I had a cancer spot dug out of my upper upper inner theigh. I didn't even know the sun could get there.
Be glad it was your nose.
oh no!! i love the post! i looove being tan, thank goodness i'm hispanic or else i'd be tanning non stop!
Kids always tell it like it is. Which is good, and bad, I suppose.
We didn't use much sunscreen either, and I remember getting a blistery sun poisonous burn on my face/nose when I was about 12. I'm sure I'll be having the same procedure that you had one day soon...
I have a funny thing to the left of my left eyebrow. I better go get it looked at. The comment from the backseat, how familiar. Kids, they tell it like it is.
Wow... I know people who used the oils. I burn so I use the sun screen.
I remember laying in the sun for hours trying to tan my scandinavian skin. Burnt to a crisp usually.
Kids keep us grounded. Yeah.
With melanoma running in my family, I've had so many moles removed, it's not even funny.
So I feel your pain.
XOXO
Ahhh Reminds me of the day my 5 year old tell me the sun dress I was considering buying really showed off my tummy! (bulging that is) Boo. No filter on those little things:)
I was the queen of baby oil during the summer, when I wasn't playing softball. Now, I still get a little sun every now and then but I so hate these freckles and my boys get lathered up like there is no tomorrow with sunscreen.
I wonder what my guys will say to me as they get older.
Glad you got it taken care of and you are almost back to normal.
You're right.
Recently I got a "you're not that fat" from the backseat. Maybe we should got those windows the cops have so we don't have to hear it?
Kids sure don't help in that department...my daughter told me I should go on "What NOT to Wear"!
You and I must be having a similar week. I blogged about how my children all climbed on my lap and told me how brown my teeth are. Serious ego deflation.
Yeah, sometimes that all those kids are good for, husbands too. Glad you're healing.
Oh yeah, I went through a bottle of baby oil a week in my teens-- and then I'd come in the house and watch Art Linkletter's "Kids Say The Darndest Things" show :-)
Sorry you had to see the doc. Hope it all turns out perfect and heals fast. xo
yep, those kids have a way of putting things into perspective, don't they? glad you are healing up!
somewhat similar thing happened with me... i had all of my metal fillings taken out at once. not how i would have chosen to do it, but a friend was doing it for me at little cost and that was the offer. within weeks, i broke out ALL over my face and neck till my poor body had a good detox. going out in public was... painful. ;)
Yeah. I had one of my dudes tell me, "Wow, mom! Your bum is big!"
Leggo of my eggo -- those prescient waffle people.
Glad to hear you're healing nicely.
that made me laugh. "still looks bad" hah. c'mere you little snot and I'll show you looks bad!
traveling (re: your comment) I was a military brat. what the government lacked in things like pay check, benefits for dependents and depending on where you were housing and schooling, it made up for in opportunity to travel. my dad thought the whole ride was one crazy adventure - so we skipped school a lot to check out the places we lived.
You said it, man, you said it! Don't EVER take a kid bathing suit shopping with you...
oh gosh thats what i fear, I am also pale and am in dire need of going to the dermatologist and having a skin check, but am just terrified of it. So what do they do besides freeze these things off? Is that the whole treatment? How are you feeling?
Kids say the most terrible things, my daughter said to me "you dont have as much cellulite as OTHER FAT PEOPLE mom" LOL and then she immediately said, "I didnt mean it like that" so sometimes they say stuff that just comes out wrong.
At least this is what I tell myself. ha ha
(((hugs)))
Back when I was 34 I had a mole removed. The biopsy came back with a diagnosis of Melanoma...the deadly skin cancer. I had to go back for a second surgery to have more layers of flesh removed to make sure they got all of it with the first surgery. My daughter is a fair skinned redhead, so she was never allowed to be in the sun for long periods of time. When she did go out in the sun, I drowned her in sun block. Now she is 20 and everyone is telling her she needs some color. She got a bad sun burn a few weeks ago. I've been preaching at her ever since.I hope your ego will be left intact once the spot is completely healed. ;-)
In my youth, that was what everybody did when it first got hot. Laid out in the sun until we were beet red and in pain. Then it would go away to a nice tan. We'll probably all have skin cancer today. I know I have a back full of large freckles because of it. We were idiots, but had the best tans in town.
Ugh, welcome to my world. I got my hair done last week and my daughter told me I looked like an old lady.
That shit is scary. Nothing to mess around with. Good for you for catching it. I grew up with the baby oil too. In Arizona. I only HOPE I don't come up with skin cancer. I don't get out in the sun much anymore, by design. I just don't want to mess with something that powerful. I'm sure your "spot" will look better and better as time goes by. Kids are cruel sometimes to adults too.
Kids say the darndest things!
Hope you're feeling better! I keep hoping pale will circle back into fashion. Let me tell you, an entire Wisconsin winter (9 months) of, "are you sure you're feeling ok?" Um, YES, I'm just pale - Gets old real quick. My sister thinks I'm a dork for sending all of my children to daycare with hats but I don't care. Maybe they're "trendsetters."
Blessings,
C~
Hi Debbie!
Thank you for the comment on my blog. This is my first visit to yours!
Have a great day!
Fran
In my family skin cancer is like going out for pizza -- very common. My dad's had half of his face microwaved/frozen/thawed/whatever the heck else they do to cancerous growths from the sun on the face. Not pretty. But at least he's still alive. My gram has bladder cancer. After hearing her complain about her catheter, I think that may be worse.
You are brave, girl. You can do it!!
Doncha know the reason God gives us kids is to keep us humble. Put a bandaid on your nose and no one will even notice. Be sure to come back and tell us how that works for ya!
My mother, bless her heart, got a new 'do after every one of her four pregnancies. (After twins, she rewarded herself with a boy cut and dyed it Plum. She liked to wear it spiked.) Anyhow, after my youngest sister was born, she got a bob and a perm.
When she came home from the salon, my youngest brother looked at her and announced, "You look yucky."
Thus my mother's perms and vanity came to an end.
(In his defense, it looked like the stylist had stuck my mother's finger in a light socket. He was just the only one stupid enough to say anything. He was three.)
I have an appointment with a dermatologist next month because I am convinced that I have skin cancer from all of my years of baby oil sun bathing.
My mother taught me....
Hope you look real purty soon!
Nothing like a teenager to make you feel like crap. They are good at that.
Oh I totally remember those days of baby oil and laying on the black asphalt with a piece of cardboard covered in tin foil, aimed directly at my face. And now I'm so paranoid about skin cancer that I'm constantly checking myself and running off to the doctor over every little spot.
It's so funny how we're always encouraging our kids to be honest but when it comes to those kinds of comments, you're like "how about a little sensitivity?"
zinc! I forgot about that stuff! I remember wearing neon pink zinc on my nose to go and swim. It was "cool" back then. Do they even still make it in anymore?
LOL! You crack me up! And I'm so with you on the burning thing--it's my favorite thing to do, burn. It must be since I do it all the time. My hubby, who is a redhead however, only TANS that's right. He has the awesome olive complexion while I have the fair-whiter than white-blind you complexion. Not fair. Jenni
Oh no...but I guess that kind of honesty makes you a lot more confident that they really mean the compliments too!
I have three kids.
And no ego ...... !!!!
Visiting from SITS...Tan? What is a Tan? Sunscreen 75 and my almost albino white skin stay out of the sun as much as possible. Pathetic! I am TOTALLY green with envy for any kind of tan showing on someone's body. JEALOUS! Oh yeah, I look like those paintings of naked women long time ago who were soooooooooooooo pale. YUCK...LOL. So peel away happily and know that no matter how much you might peel or how yucky your nose might be now, you won't ever be ALBINO WHITE like this poor freckled redhead.
Indeed!
I soo did the baby oil thing in my teen years.--
Gotta love our kids, eh?? They definitely know the right thing to say.-- and their timing is impeccable.
I've noticed that untanned skin seems to be growing more popular. My eyes are still trained to think that tanned skin looks healthier, even though the opposite is true.
Glad you got that taken care of!
Mine was from my shin. So I am vain still. Ho ho har har ROFL!!!
Baylee and I are going to the dermatologist next Saturday... I couldn't believe they were open on Saturday's, but I was excited! She has eczema and I have some moles I want removed! Sucks to get old!
Hugs - Tiff
Oh - the bad ole days of using coconut oil and aluminium foil!
Glad to hear the nose is healing.. even if that hissing sound is your ego deflating...
I just wrote a post on this exact theme. Only yours is funny and mine is, well...
Oh yes, this reminds me of when my son, Kyle pointed to a photo and asked me if it was taken when "I used to be prettier!"
Oh yay the comments are very great coming from sons...very incouraging! I hope your nose heals soon and everything is okay!
Ego, along with dignity, leaves the moment you find out you're pregnant.
I grew up in Austin in the 90s, so I was slatered with sunscreen the second the sun hit me.
Which is why I'm so pale.
I grew up not far from the beach and can remember staying there all day long, just lying in the sun trying to look cool. I was so dark, someone asked my mom if I was adopted. I've never been to a dermatologist to have anything looked at, guess I am afraid of what they might find.
I still don't use sunscreen...bad bad, I know.
Yeah, leave it to kids to make ya feel like crap! Thanks for stopping by my blog!!
Well, glad to hear it was "pre"cancerous and not without the "pre". And, you gotta love kids for telling you like it is.
Ah, the days of baby oil. With the added drops up iodine to amp up the intensity. And all in the name of vanity!
Now I remember to tell my patients that tanning ages your skin and causes wrinkles (in addition to causing cancer) -- because sometimes appealing to vanity is more effective!
Just like kids to bring you back down to reality.
Ah kids :) I love the things they say to brighten our days! Whenever I'm out in the sun anymore it just feels like my skin is aging before my eyes - even with sunscreen! And the newly discovered spots on my hands make me less than happy. Hope that spot heals quickly!
Kids always know how to put you in your place! The other day mine told me she thought I was more like a stick than a ball when I was younger......hmmmm does that make me round now?
I'm convinced God gave us kids to keep us humble.
visiting from SITS.
thanks for visiting my blog :)
That is so a comment one of my people would make, especially my son. The three girls would think it and text it to each other WHILE I was driving, but my son would say it. LOL.
Ahhh a good post and great reminder! my license plate refers that I love the sun! Only in moderation right?! It does truly make me so happy to feel the warm rays....Why does it feel so good and then do so much harm?! :) ugh!
Still love a good tan though!!
Even though I am a Mom, I am still vain----its my burden to bear. I have been known to sit in the car finishing my makeup before a parent teacher conference, so I end up being late.
Yeah---I'm THAT vain.
ugh! I know, you read my wrinkle cream post, they just are so good at keeping it real!
I think I am quickly becoming your fan.
I'm glad it wasn't more serious. I'm sure it will be healed in no time.
Love the way boys sugar coat things! I get responses like that all the time, just have to laugh.
I just bought some of that self tanning lotion. Looks pretty good right now but in the past I've noticed it turns kind of orangy, not a good look!
I was sunburned all through childhood...my best friend would slather real butter all over her fine self to get a tan!
As an adult? I am a pale...almost like a vampire! lol! My kids make fun of me all the time!
Yeah, my kids rip the wind out of my sails daily....
Yep, there is nothing like an honest kid to keep us grounded. LOL
I am a fellow sunburner. Several weeks ago I got sunburned on my scalp so badly that I had blisters. The day was sunny, but I was wearing a sweater b/c the temp had only gotten up to 68*. Who sunburns in 68* weather?! Apparently me, and um me.
I remember those baby oil days and just laying in the sun baking myself! Now I don't let my kids out of the house in the summer with out sun lotion on!
Nothing like kids to tell us exactly what they are thinking!! no censoring them!!
Hope it heals quickly for you!! I just had a mole removed and it sure felt like forever until it healed, not that it stopped me from venturing out either!!
The Toddler Crafts Huge Art Contest and Giveaway is going great!! Can't wait to see all the entries. If you haven't entered yet, stop by!
It's shocking when you think of how we would slather baby oil on our bodies and then bake in the blazing sun until we reached lobster red status. If we did use sunscreen - Coppertone #4 was as good as it got.
Oh - and I know exactly what it means to be told by my teenaged daughter that "you look fine for an older lady -- but maybe you should exercise more so you won't jiggle so much". Nuff said!
Oh man. You lived one of my horrible fears. Skin cancer. May I ask what it looked like?
I wasn't much of a tanner, much. And I've been blessed with olive tone skin, back in the day. The older I get, the whiter I get. Probably because I limit my sun exposure.
I'm glad all is well with you and your nose is healing nicely! Children. Never have anything nice to say unless they want something! ;)
Gotta love kids...they will always keep you straight, eh?
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