I get / have / had skin cancers from time to time, possibly as a result of prolonged exposure to the outdoors. Anyway I developed cancer on my ear and initially attemped to get rid of the dry flaky skin by applying sun cream and at times put vix over it. Didn't know then it was cancer. Anyhow I left it too late and it got out of hand. Hospital had to cut it out. Luckily didnt spread too deep but it did become a category1 cancer, urgent removal. So I get small bits of cancer here and there, nose, forehead, back of hands etc. Doctor prescribed an ointment called fluorouracil 5% and that sure works to get rid of it. If you have dry flaky skin which wont go away, ie keeps coming back, it could well be skin cancer. If you get skin cancer, make sure not to apply anything with petroleum, this includes Vix and some suncreams. Just my experience, I'm not a doctor.
How much time per day, you would spend on average in bright daylight ? Did you smoke ? Do you exercise? (If not) Overweight ? Anyone in family tree had it ? Im curious, just to hear out directly.
When I was a kid, we would have competitions who could get the brownest over summer, I would walk around in a pair of shorts, that's all, after school and mom always booted me out the house, I kinda grew up a street kid. Always lived near the beach. I'm skinny, always active, don't smoke, don't drink (anymore) never drunk much when I did. Eat healthy food, plenty fruit & veges, not into junk food, never eaten trashy food as a lifestyle. Smoked lightly for about 15 years, last smoke was about 30 odd years ago. No one in family has skin cancer. I'm still fit as a buck rabbit, walk and bike alot, swim every now and again. Very much into outdoors, bush, beach, hunting, snorkeling lifestyle blah blah. Up until very recently never ever went to doctor, straight up healthy. Always been very health conscious.
The ear cancer started as a mole on my neck, then spread to my ear when I self treateded it with 35% hydrogen peroxide. I think it would not have got out of hand had I not covered it in a ointment containing petroleum and also if I had gone to doc earlier. Covid scare campaign at the time plus my vehicle off the road for a few weeks didnt help me get to doc earlier.
I've had things removed from me so many times I've lost count. Two of them, one on my forehead and one behind my ear were basal cell, which is slow growing, but needs to be removed. The rest were benign. I've never smoked and always exercised, but I don't think that has much to do with it. Instead, when I was in my late teens and an idiot playing volleyball on the beach bathed in OIL like a jackass (Top Gun had just come out, so cut me some slack) is probably more the culprit. I burned and peeled so many times it just caught up with me. Its more about your complexion than anything else, and what you did to your skin.
You're scaring me. I spent way too much time in the sun in my youth, as well as when I knew better. Nothing yet, but I imagine it's only a matter of time before something pops up. And so, I go regularly to my dermatologist for checkups, although it was less regular during these last couple of years. As for dry, flaky skin, do you also have it elsewhere, and might it be seborrheic dermatitis?
Dunno what seborrheic is, had enough tests done so that word never popped up. Nothing to be alarmed about, they develop slowly, as long as you go see doc if it won't go away and before they turn into a growing wound. The one on my ear turned into a growing lump, started rapidly growing in the end, no pain though. I'm very lucky it didn't travel into inner ear. Also I began to lose weight.
The ear had two sorts. It's 3:00am here atm, I'll look thru the medical notes later for the correct names.
You need to do photographic mole checks really. For some reason an older brother of mine is covered in moles and freckles though I have just one mole and two freckles, he also was extremely fond of the sun as a kid. He has a full body scan/survey every three months now. Younger kids and apparently something to live for is his excuse for being so careful