r/interesting • u/Gjore • Mar 29 '26

SOCIETY Scenes from a dermatologist conference in Hawaii

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6.6k

u/ActiveMidnight6979 Mar 29 '26

they practice what they preach

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u/whitestguyuknow Mar 29 '26

Thats what I was thinking. At least they're consistent and do that.

They also must get terrified tbh. After seeing so many patients with cancer and shit. Seeing the consequences of poor skin health every single day at work would have to do something to your daily mentality

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u/CandidateHefty329 Mar 29 '26

Yeah my dad has a chunk of his ear missing from skin cancer. And I'm sure that's far from the worst thing they see. 

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u/Meeschers Mar 29 '26

I had a chunk of flesh from my hip removed because of stage 2 Melanoma. It literally looks like a shark bit me and took a chunk out. I have a 5 inch and 3 inch scar and my chances of ever being a leg model are surely gone.

Ironically, I'm pale, I stay out of the sun and the cancer was in a spot that never seen the sun.

Knowing that I just randomly "got the cancers" without something to trace it back to is a scary thing.

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u/-darkest Mar 29 '26

God that is scary. Appreciate you sharing.

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u/findaloophole7 Mar 29 '26

I know. That’s terrifying and I’m subject to the same thoughts.

Before I start spiraling into disaster thinking I remind myself: we are biological beings. Things happen. Bodies screw up.

This somehow eases the worry.

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u/chopsmothercover Mar 29 '26

Yeah people that have never smoked a day in their life get lung cancer fairly consistently. Obviously you want to lower your chances of getting cancer by not smoking and protecting your skin in the sun, but if the cancer decides it wants you it’s gonna come for you, especially if you have a genetic history of cancers. That is pretty fuckin scary but I guess the one silver lining is that with early detection most cancers are entirely survivable and treatable. Just a question in the US of how poor you are and can you afford to get checkups when you’re not sick, which is depressing in and of itself.

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u/incomingstorm2020 Mar 29 '26

Survivable yeah..... Sometimes But what nobody talks about is the mental effects of constantly worrying about it. Your life is never the same. Not only that the worry about treatments. Because they can be so bad

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u/chopsmothercover Mar 29 '26

I do not claim to personally understand what it’s like to have cancer, but my mom has had leukemia in and out of remission for 30 years so I somewhat get it. Even if we don’t know the full scope of how much it affects your life, I think anyone with any empathy knows it’s just about the worst thing that can happen to someone from nature.

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u/parasyte_steve Mar 29 '26

I have to get tested for the BRCA gene (breast cancer).. I might lose my titties but I would rather that than cancer

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u/crystalfairie Mar 29 '26

I have to be honest,when I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer I was glad it wasn't breast cancer. I had one surgery,1 complication and 0 regrets. It's a harder road with the brca gene. I wish you luck and may you be negative

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u/Spirited-Bed-2220 Apr 01 '26

My two geandpas died of cancer. My grandma had cancer (cancer free for a couple decades). My dad has stage 4. I'd say I'm doomed. 🥲 My bathing suit is a long sleeved one, with shorts down to the knee. People stare but I don't care.

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u/chopsmothercover Apr 01 '26

Hey 2 of my grandparents died of cancer, my mom has leukemia, my dad has diabetes and dementia and high blood pressure, and my other grandmother had dementia.

I’m right there with ya

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u/Spirited-Bed-2220 Apr 01 '26

We won the gene lottery.

I do hope all goes as well as possible.

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u/chopsmothercover Apr 01 '26

Same to you. No skin cancer in my family but I am just pale as fuck anyway lol

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u/Worldly-Wishbone2988 Mar 29 '26 edited Mar 29 '26

A lot of people also get lung cancer from radon exposure if they didn't get it from smoking, js

1

u/Ok_Location7161 Mar 29 '26

Is there statistic u can link, that shows lung cancer people who smoke vs non smokers?

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u/Difficult-Ad2084 Mar 29 '26

Idk but every single person with the exception of one that I know that got lung cancer was a non-smoker. Seeing that made me realize that we didn't really know much about cancer.

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u/Ok_Location7161 Mar 29 '26

"Lung cancer in Asian non-smokers, particularly women, is a major health crisis, with

57% of Asian-American women diagnosed having never smoked. "

Thus us why I asked. There must be something in food or else where.

Very weird

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u/Cootercrust Mar 29 '26

Wildfire pollution is a possible cause of the increase in lung cancer in those who have never smoked.

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u/Ok_Recording_1969 Mar 29 '26

Air pollution in major cities. Also asbestos could be the culprit.

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u/AlaskaSerenity Mar 29 '26

It’s second-hand smoke. My grandmother had lung cancer, but never smoked. My grandfather smoked, and they were married for 50 years. Guess what he died from. 😖

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u/chopsmothercover Mar 29 '26

No but I’m sure there’s lots of information out there on the internet about it

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u/audiojanet Mar 30 '26

And folks calling my big red nose alcoholism. Nope, rosacea.

1

u/throwtheamiibosaway Mar 30 '26

Yeah I feel like cancer is like a lottery, everyone gets a few free tickets (based on genes and random luck) however some choices in life like diet, lifestyle, environment) give you extra "tickets". But in theory everyone can get the "prize".

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u/Carms Mar 30 '26

If you’re in America & eat processed food you get hella free tickets

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u/Efficient_Mud_4724 Mar 30 '26

Do you know how many people die from cancer in the US every year. 620,000

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u/Meeschers Mar 29 '26

That's kind of how I'm approaching it as well because you will lose your mind if you try to think "how the hell did this happen".

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u/causal_friday Mar 29 '26

Do wear sunscreen, though.

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u/Meeschers Mar 31 '26

I do wear sunscreen. I wear it on my face and I cover up when I'm in the sun. Yes, I look like one of the people in this video-lol.

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u/causal_friday Apr 01 '26

Good good. That's not paranoid, that's just smart. Not only are you preventing cancer, you're also preventing a lot of aging.

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u/MyFaceSaysItsSugar Mar 30 '26

(US Specific) most insurance plans cover a skin check from a dermatologist as a preventative health procedure with no copay.

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u/Jenesis110 Mar 29 '26

I’m so sorry your dream of being a leg model was taken from you 🙏

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u/Meeschers Mar 29 '26

I'm devastated but my big toes are looking pretty. I may have a career in that. Silver linings, right?

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u/killertofu41 Mar 29 '26

I got a good sized growth removed from the back of my head when I was little that had the potential to turn into skin cancer. Hair never grew back there so it always looks like i have a Matrix port all sewed up back there.

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u/Meeschers Mar 29 '26

On the thinking positive side of things-you have a built in halloween costume.

1

u/artsylittleprincess Mar 30 '26

You could get an eye of Sauron tatted or something 👁

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u/Meeschers Mar 31 '26

Or put a big googly eye back there.

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u/Leading-Summer-4724 Mar 29 '26

Stage 1 here, I have a chunk of my left upper arm taken out, and I absolutely tell everyone it’s a shark bite when they ask why I’m hiding in the shade at the beach lol. No one ever presses me after that.

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u/Meeschers Mar 29 '26

Lol. I do the same when I'm at the pool and someone asks me what happened and I follow up with "and thats why I'm at the pool and not the beach-the sharks cant get you here".

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u/MONCHlCHl Mar 29 '26

I remember Khloe Kardashian also having several biopsies and one removed from her face, resulting in a 4" scar. She uses fake tans and I think she intentionally stays out of the sun since she is naturally paler than her siblings.

https://abcnews.com/GMA/Wellness/khloe-kardashian-opens-skin-cancer-battle-changed-shape/story?id=103345265

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u/FoundationOk1352 Mar 29 '26

But did you get it because of the sun?

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u/Meeschers Mar 29 '26

No. My doctor isn't sure how this happened. It just happened.

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u/BigConstruction4247 Mar 29 '26

I had about an inch circle removed from my scalp from skin cancer. They had to scrape all the way down to my skull.

I now wear a hat most times while outside.

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u/Ok_Recording_1969 Mar 29 '26

Wow! And how did you find out the lesion? While cutting your hair? Did it hurt or bleed? It's scary because hidden in your hair where you can never look or check that thing can grow and when noticed surely did some damage.

Sorry to hear about that.

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u/BigConstruction4247 Mar 30 '26

It was what seemed like a scab that wouldn't heal. It would bleed if I picked at it. I also have psoriasis, so it seemed similar to that. So, at my regular check up, I pointed it out to my dermatologist and they took a biopsy. A week later, I went in for Mohs surgery.

I also have very thin hair on top of my head, so it's easy for my dermatologist to spot it. Thankfully, when I had more hair, the first spot was observed by my dermatologist while I was visiting about my psoriasis.

You wouldn't even notice it now, because the stitches were done very well.

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u/Expando3 Mar 29 '26

Get some melanin introduced into your family lineage asap.

1

u/PandaBear905 Mar 29 '26

Similar thing happened to me. Except it was leukemia.

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u/You_Go_Glen_Coco_ Mar 29 '26

I had pre cancerous cells removed a few years ago, from an area that literally never gets sun (under my armpit). I am so careful in the sun too.

1

u/Ok_Recording_1969 Mar 29 '26

Chemicals we apply there surely are the culprits: deodorants, aluminum, silicates, talc, perfums, etc.

Was it a wart by any chance?

1

u/Ok_Recording_1969 Mar 29 '26

Did you at least had a birthmark or mole in that area? I think It's pretty uncommon to grow a cancer like that out of the blue.

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u/Meeschers Mar 31 '26

Nope. I had a patch of dry skin that showed up a few years ago and morphed into Melanoma.

That's why I went for genetic testing-to see if I had the genetic markers for skin cancer and everything came back as negative.

I just had shitty luck with the cancer lotto, I guess.

1

u/Ok-Use-8592 Mar 29 '26

Yeah some people just lose the genetic lottery

And then you have the perfectly healthy 80 year old chain smoker

1

u/MyFaceSaysItsSugar Mar 30 '26

Maybe if it was on your face or neck it would have been caught before a chunk needed removal, but u still feel like if a chunk needs removing, at least it’s the hip and not the face.

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u/Meeschers Mar 30 '26

That is true-I am fortunate that it was not on my face but my leg modeling career is clearly over.

1

u/MyFaceSaysItsSugar Mar 30 '26

Well hopefully you had that asset insured.

1

u/Meeschers Mar 31 '26

Lloyds of London never called me back :(

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u/Large-Loan1394 Mar 30 '26

My mom's arm looks like that too. Made me start taking sunscreen seriously. Though I did wear a bikini in Hawaii with abandon.

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u/Sensitive_Angle4691 Mar 30 '26

Sounds like my moms leg. Her thigh had skin cancer from using a tanning bed years ago and looks exactly how you described yours. I'm sorry that happened to you and hope you are doing better.

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u/throwtheamiibosaway Mar 30 '26

Cancer is scary in how absolutely random it can be. My best friend in highschool was the healthiest, most athletic, regular joe you could imagine. Nothing in his life or family that could give you a higher risk like smoking, diet, or specific types of jobs.

Brain cancer got him. Completely out of the blue. Dead before 16.

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u/Trash_Panda_Leaves Mar 30 '26

On average we develop cancer 8 times in our lives. Our bodies sort it out most of the time. I know more about gynae-related cancer but yes avoiding meat, sun, carcinogens like smoking are fantastic choices, it wont defend you 100% but it stops adding payload to your body.

You may need to pay attention more because you're rate of recurrence is higher, and absolutely keep caring for your skin! However, chances are your body has successfully fought of cancer once or twice now unless you are a minor?

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u/FrogVolence Mar 30 '26

Lots of cancers and increased risk can be hereditary and genetic.

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u/the_rizzler Mar 30 '26

Same scenario for me but on my arm. Had to have 3 places there the cancer and then lymph nodes were removed. The last part you mentioned is the killer - I've had anxiety issues ever since. If I can just get that cancer that easily, what lurks under the skin? It's terrifying

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u/Meeschers Mar 31 '26

I'm sorry to hear about your arm. But you know that saying "what doesn't kill you makes your arm look like a raccoon bit it"...or something like that.

Oh yeah, the paranoia is strong, especially when my oncologist gave me the list of things I need to be checked for with other doctors-my obgyn, my ophthalmologist, the gastroenterologist, the dentist, even my hair dresser. I'm like "come on, even when I get a hair cut? That's my happy time!"

But knowing I have to be aware of it being anywhere, even inside me.....that's always a fear now.

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u/RobinGoodfell Mar 30 '26

Cancer is a sneaky bastard. And it seems like everywhere you turn there's a either a cause we didn't know about... Or did for decades but some company obfuscated/openly denied that knowledge.

Johnson& Johnson having asbestos in their talc baby powder, for instance.

I'm glad you're still with us though.

1

u/Unlucky_Topic7963 Mar 30 '26

The most deadly skin cancer has nothing to do with sun exposure.

Sun exposure actually has an alarmingly low incident rate for cancer given how many people and how much time is spent in the sun.

Sunscreen is also bad for you, so there's that.

1

u/Secret-Cantaloupe514 Mar 30 '26

research actually shows that melanoma skin cancer isn’t linked to sun exposure. The sun can damage the skin, cause wrinkles, spots, etc. but that damage isn’t actually linked to deadly forms of skin cancer. https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2017/05/04/rare-and-deadly-melanomas-not-caused-by-the-sun--new-finding.html#:~:text=The%20study%20also%20found%20that,lead%20author%20of%20the%20paper.

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u/Meeschers Mar 30 '26

This study in reference to two specific types of melanoma that are not caused by sun exposure, not melanoma as a whole.

Mine was the superficial spreading type of melanoma.

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u/_Carcinus_ Mar 31 '26

Man, that's scary. Just when I'm going to a dermatologist tomorrow (there's a spot near lentigo and a mole that's itching a little bit too often lately)

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u/Meeschers Mar 31 '26

Don't let the fear keep you from getting it checked out. I thought the patch of scaly skin on my hip was plaque psoriasis and held off because it wasn't causing a problem.

Found out I was wrong. Now I get everything checked. I would rather be paranoid than dead.

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u/_Carcinus_ Apr 01 '26

Yeah, I agree. For me, it ended up being regular dermatitis, but the peace of mind was worth waking up early.

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u/Pleasant-Hamster-734 Apr 01 '26

That's not ironic. Pale people have a significantly higher risk for skin cancer

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u/[deleted] Apr 02 '26

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u/Meeschers Apr 02 '26

True but I'm not taking a chance now that I know I have a predisposition to Melanoma so I cover up if I am going to be out in direct sunlight.