My dermatologist surprised me today

(Bill Pletke) #1

I have a discoloration on my 69 year old bald head that my VA primary care physician wanted a dermatologist to look at. It turned out to be nothing more than a normal age spot. However, during our small talk, the Dr noticed on my chart that I had lost 50 since last October and asked how I managed that. I explained that I was a Keto guy. I expected some push back, but; to my surprise, he thought it was a good idea. It turns out his wife is a dietary nutritionist and she has recently come around to be an LCHF proponent. Whad’ya know!

As I was leaving he gave me an instruction sheet of the do’s and don’t regarding skin cancer. Nothing really new, cover up, use SPF etc. He recommends that his patients take a vitamin D supplement (as most Americans are deficient in that essential vitamin) and get this, “Eat a diet that is low in sugars and high in healthy fat.” Wow!

He also recommended I read Nina Teicholz’s “Big Fat Surprise” Book. Wow!!!

Baby step progress on the medical front, but still progress.

Bill

#2

all sounds great other than the bad advice about SPF and covering up, you need to know when you are getting to much UVA by feeling the UVB, the stuff sun block blocks.

(Bill Pletke) #3

I agree. I didn’t feel like going down that road with him. It seems counter-intuitive to recommend Vitamin D supplements but stay out of the sun. Oh well, one thing at a time.

(Rocky B) #4

Am I to understand you don’t use a sunscreen or other protection when out in the sun for an extended period of time?

#5

that is 100% true, i do not use sunscreen other than clothes, and shade. and I live in the caribbean so lots of sun everyday.

#6

My personal belief is sunscreen causes cancer. There is new science emerging to back that up, surprise one more medical mystery

(Bill Pletke) #7

Nope. I have always been an indoor person. My doc says I’m fine skin wise. Also, I’m 69 and don’t think I’ll get exposed enough in the next few years. Hopefully quite a few years.

Bill

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(Rocky B) #8

I certainly hope you don’t go through what I have with the removal of multiple basil cell carcinomas. I was out in the Southern California sun a lot growing up without any protection. That’s the thing. It doesn’t catch up with you until later in life. This past January at age 68 I had to have 1/4 of my left ear removed and go through reconstructive surgery. Not fun. The needle to inject the anesthesia in my outer ear is something I hope to never experience again. And that was just the beginning of a 3 month process to heal. Other sun worshiping members of my family have experienced similar surgeries. You may want to do more research and reexamine your viewpoint and save yourself the regret I have for ignoring the warnings.

#9

good with my research, I do not over expose and the prolonged exposure to harmful UVA and is not extended by the use of UVB blocking sunscreens. It is our way of telling us to get out of the sun so we are protected. Sunscreen is like condoms with holes in them, reduces sensation but serves no purpose.

Real sorry to hear about your issues wish you the very best in your healing.

#10

the same warnings from the same type of folks the warned me to eat my many servings of whole grains. think I will live or die by my plan.

(Michelle) #11

I’m with the sunscreen/cover up folks. I lost my mom 21 years ago. She was 38. I have outlived her by 5 years now. That feels weird. Melanoma. Floppy hats and sunscreen for me and my babies. :raised_hands:t3:

#12

I at no point said go bake your self in the sun, but if you think sun screen is protecting you I think you best do some research before you hurt yourself.

#13

Not to a dermatologist, his goal is to stop you from getting skin cancer first all other things are secondary. I agree there’s a lot to GAIN from sun exposure but no derm is gonna go down that road when all they do is cut crap off of people that are turning cancerous. I’m not a true “outdoor” worker but I drive a truck and have more crap cut off my left side than I can count. Stuff I’ve watched over the years turn weird colors, shapes, merge with other moles etc, always on my sun side.

(Jon) #14

As a dermatologist sun protection or atleast moderation is important. Especially when young / family history / transplant/ immune suppressed.

You get paid 10-20-30-40 years after high UV exposure. And its not only UVA being linked to skin cancer. Also not mentioning that you will look like an old plum in short time.
Sailors from the 60’s being 20 years in the tropics come in now with cancer clearly linked to the exposure with little exposure since. Classic example.
The NMSC rates among Caucasians in south states US is also another classic example.

There are of course much more to it than just sun. Viruses, medication, immune status, genetics, epigenetics and nutrition are just the top shelf.

Unless you have OCD-like attention to your sunprotection, your dose of sun related goodness will be large enough even with high factor.

Chemical spray on filters are effective, but also contain hormone disrupting chemicals which might in large dosages be significant. Again not everyone will react to this.
If you are prone to a cancer which is sensitive to the hormones being disrupted then it might just be what you do not need
If you are skeptical of it then physical filters like Titanium Dioxide are preferred.
In Europe ( where I practice) we have a wide selection and sunscreens are not under FDA like organs ( for better or worse ).

Hat, thick woven shirt and avoidance when the sun is at its sharpest / check UV forecasts are also to be done.

I see more and more of this anti-vaxxer-like behaviour to sunprotection at the same time as skin cancer rates ( NMSC, Melanoma and the like ) are soaring for especially caucasians.
That said due dilligence on the cosmetic companies is very very very important.

(Jay Patten) #15

It’s amazing how LCHF is becoming a grass roots movement! The science is there. People just need to wake up to it. My own doctor was pretty impressed herself. So I hope she learns from what she has seen with me and starts to take it more seriously.