Columnist Peter Benton: Do yourself a favor, and protect your skin

Peter Benton

Wednesday, June 22, 2005 | 9:11 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

It was just a couple of years ago this space was dedicated to the trials, tribulations and trauma of a person afflicted with skin cancer -- and it was all about yours truly.

With the incessant sun-filled days we experience here in Las Vegas, it seems time to revisit this topic with the hope that it will strike a nerve and spur not only golfers, but also other outdoors enthusiasts and workers, to become more aware of the damage the sun's rays do to the skin.

My own personal problems began after a very small (but recurring) pimple-like protrusion appeared on my face, prompting my first visit to a dermatologist.

Unfortunately, since then I have undergone many skin cancer surgeries on my face, particularly the nose, and I want to stress just how important it is for one to take every possible precaution to prevent the damage this insidious disease causes.

It was on my first visit to a specialist that I finally realized how serious skin cancer can be, and how foolish so many of us are by not taking some simple preventative measures to ward off the consequences that may result by being too cavalier, macho, vain or simply ignorant of the facts.

That so many people don't relate to the seriousness of this problem explains why more than half a million Americans are afflicted with this disease annually.

Ignorance, I know, they say is bliss; but stupidity, no matter how you slice it, spell it, or pronounce it, is stupidity.

It must be understood that all skin lesions are not necessarily cancerous tumors, but whether they are or not can only be diagnosed and treated by a dermatologist.

It is no coincidence that the majority of skin cancer patients are older. The sun's rays have a cumulative effect which makes it imperative that ongoing precautions be started at an early age.

The irony of all this is that although I now wear a hat when outside and am very conscientious about using sun screen, I still have to have various spots on my legs, arms and face removed frequently via cryotherapy (a liquid nitrogen treatment.) The more serious ones are biopsied, and if cancerous -- surgery follows.

All of this is due to a combination of ignorance, apathy and a couldn't-care-less attitude as a younger man. However, it is never too late to start caring for you skin, and thus for yourself.

Whether it is sunny or cloudy, daily use of a sun screen (minimum SPF 30,) will help protect you against both UVB and UVA rays. Also, wearing a hat, even if just going to the mailbox or store -- but particularly if you are going to be outdoors for any lengthy period of time -- will aid tremendously in preventing skin damage and/or cancer.