worrying about skin cancer

[louise0501]

Hi there, I was out all day today in the sun and i completely forgot to wear sun block and now im completely stressing about skin cancer. I burn easily so im very sunburn on my face and neck as the rest of me was covered up. Im freaking out that tomorrow ill wake up and have mole on my skin. Im such an idiot coz i have health anxiety and at the moment its one thing after another. I know im going to get skin cancer now as i just keep getting burnt. I need to get a sun block and keep it in my hand bag coz i just forget and cause all this anxiety. Anyone else have a problem with this? Anyone else get burnt and worry about skin cancer?

Please reply as im freaking out and some reassurance would be nice.

love Louise xx xx

[nomorepanic]

It is highly unlikely you would get cancer from one day in the sun without protection to be honest.

Moles don't just come up like that either.

You are going to be fine - just cover up in the future

[Worried 24/7]

I'm scared right now of a mole I have because I've been notorious for not wearing sunblock ever and I've burnt badly in years past

[hanshan]

You need repeated sun exposure over several years to increase your risk of skin cancer. Even then, there are several kinds, with most being non-life-threatening.

Melanoma is the dangerous one, but is treatable if caught early on. If you think you may be at risk, have someone (partner, doctor) check your skin for any changes in moles on a regular basis. New moles aren't necessarily cancer - they can be due to a harmless skin virus.

[TheHusband]

Going for one day without suncream will make NO difference whatsoever.

Temporary solution:
If possible, get your partner to read up on the general guidelines about which moles are normal and which moles mean a trip to the doctor. (Do not read this information yourself as it will not help.) Your partner can then take a 5 second look (yes, that quick) if you ever spot a new mole that wasn't there before, or a mole that grows. You MUST trust your partner. They are not going to lie to you to shut you up.

Full solution:
Get help with your anxiety condition; it does not need to be specific to this particular fear. Worry over imagined illnesses that goes on for longer than 1 minute will eat into your life and make it a misery.

[Mogwog]

Hi Louise

I agree with what everyone else has said and I can totally sympathise with you as skin cancer is my big fear at the mo. It's soul destroying. I think it's due to seeing more of my skin as the weather is getting better and I've found a few things I'm worrying about. I'm doing a CBT course at the moment and something the therapist said really helped me " A thought is not fact"

Hope your feeling better.xxxxxx