Five on Friday - Love Your Skin {Link Up # 4}

Happy Friday, lovelies!

It has been a week since I've posted on the ole blog. There has been so much going on this week. Let me fill you in before I get to the Friday Five.

Two weeks ago I had a dermatologist appointment and it was recommended that I have three moles removed. So, I went back the next week for the simple little procedure. Two days later, the office called regarding my pathology report. One spot was mild and will be monitored. Another spot, one on my foot, came back as having 'severe abnomalities'. The dreaded 'C' word was brought up and I was told I'd have to go back yet again- this time to have more tissue removed. On Tuesday I had a fairly large amount of the surrounding tissues removed. Once the margins were clear they stitched me up and I was on my way. I have been on the couch since Tuesday. Due to swelling and the immense pain when I walk, I've been confined to the couch. I go back to have the stitches removed in two weeks, but I'm praying that I'll be back on my feet again soon.

My lab reports came back and showed I am cancer free! The remaining tissue was 'severe cells' and not the ugly cells they were afraid of.

Having said all of that, you can rest assured my attitude towards the sun and tanning has changed. Being completely honest, I was in the tanning bed as recent as 3 weeks ago.

Never. Ever. Ever. Again. 

Although my tissue was not cancerous, the shear scare that I had those few days was enough to open my eyes. I have been putting my health at risk for what.... a tan that lasts only a couple of weeks at the most.

Society views a tan as being attractive. Living in the South, everyone has a tan. Tanning may be attractive, but the effects of it on your body {like the ugly inch long scar I will have on my foot} are not so pretty.

Skin cancer, brown spots on your face, red facial veins and blotchiness, wrinkles and premature aging are just a few of the ugly effects caused by tanning.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I've been one of the biggest sun goddesses you'll find. My love of tanning started when I was still in middle school. We had a tanning bed and I would visit it sometimes twice a day.

Thinking on the effects- I cannot walk, my foot is in pain, I'll have an ugly scar, and I now have to visit the dermatologist regularly for checks- I can clearly see it was not worth it just to have a nice tan.

So, with this on my mind coupled with today being the first official day of Summer- the time when tanning is at its peak- here is today's five.

5 Ways to Help Prevent Skin Cancer

{and have younger, beautiful skin longer}

Uno.   Avoid sun exposure from at least 11 am to 2 pm, when the sun's UV rays are the strongest. If you can, I would avoid the rays from 10 am to 3 pm. If you are out during this time, wear a little bit stronger sunscreen, such as SPF 50 or higher.

Dos.   Wear sunscreen when you go outside - even if it's cloudy or cold out. Getting a sunburn is not only painful, but a person's risk for skin cancer doubles if he or she has had 5 or more sunburns. It's easy to incorporate safe skin practices into your daily life. For instance, many make-ups offer SPF 15. One of my favorite go-to products for light summer makeup is Clinique's Moisture Surge Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 15.

Tres.   Create you own shade with an umbrella or fashionable sun hat.

Cuatro.   Do I even need to tell you to avoid tanning beds? Use a self tanner instead. The benefits are far better than those of a tanning bed. Jergens Natural Glow is endorsed by Rachel Bilson- who was once a self proclaimed tanorexic until she decided to live a healthier lifestyle.

Cinco.   Check your moles regularly. If one seems like it's changing shape or color - get it checked out by a dermatologist ASAP. Visit this link for more information.

Happy Summer!