Men are almost twice as likely as women to die from melanoma!

Last month I was approached by the good folks at Cancer Council Australia, asking if I’d like to be involved in a publicity campaign promoting awareness of the risks of skin cancer, especially amongst men aged over 40. I didn’t hesitate in saying ‘yes’, as I know how important this cause is. However, what I hadn’t realised is just how over-represented men in this age group are among the victims of melanoma: the most dangerous of the various skin cancers. According to the Cancer Council’s sobering figures, it seems that men are almost twice as likely as women to die from melanoma!

There are several reasons for this alarming statistical anomaly. For starters, men tend to spend longer periods of time outdoors, both while working and while playing. Sadly, it seems that blokes are also less likely to cover up properly against the sun than women, and possibly also less keen to have regular skin checks, or to promptly seek out a medical opinion concerning any unusual spots, lumps and bumps on their skin. The results of these behaviours can be devastating: not only for men themselves, but also for their families and friends. We simply lose far too many wonderful fathers, grandfathers, sons, brothers and uncles too soon in their lives to skin cancers.

C’mon Starlo… Much as you love it, that cap really has to go!

Touch wood, I’ve been pretty damn lucky over the years. Despite having spent tens of thousands of hours in the great outdoors, I’ve never been diagnosed with any serious skin issues. But I do front up for semi-regular skin checks. As a result, I recently had a couple of suspiciously crusty areas frozen off the tops of my ears by a rightly cautious doctor. He made the point that my habit of wearing baseball caps left my ears and the back of my neck unprotected, and that even the regular application of sunscreen (something I try to stick to) wasn’t enough to circumvent potential issues in this area… It was time to change my ways.

I talked about this important change — and publicly made the necessary hat swap — in a YouTube video episode I produced recently in partnership with the Cancer Council. You can watch that episode here. Don’t worry, it’s not all “boring” skin safe messaging, either! There are some very handy beach fishing tips in there as well. I reckon it’s worth a look.

Better… Better get a bucket! Starlo embraces the full brim.

Much as I love my disreputable collection of beat-up, sweat-stained, camouflage Shimano baseball caps, I’m going to try a lot harder to wear a broad-brimmed, bucket-style hat in future, especially during the middle of the day, and on those occasions when my exposure to the sun exceeds a few hours and there’s little or no shade on offer. I freely admit that I won’t be throwing away my baseball caps completely. I’ll most likely continue wearing them when I’m in and out of shade or a vehicle, as well as at night, early and late in the day, or when I’m only spending a relatively short amount of time outdoors, especially under overcast conditions or through the cooler months. But for those serious, middle-of-the-day beach, rock, boat or kayak sessions, I’ll try to remember to reach for the “bucket” instead of the cap. Apart from anything else, as someone in the public eye, I reckon I have a responsibility to set a better example for others.

Steve’s slowly getting used to that new hat, although he admits to a degree of separation anxiety concerning his trusty old cammo caps!

Most of us who are serious anglers are pretty good at protecting our fishing gear, boats and cars. Sadly, a lot of us are much less careful with our own skins. As a result, at least a few will pay the ultimate price, while many more will be forced to undergo painful and often disfiguring surgeries or other treatments resulting from run-ins with the various forms of skin cancer.

The good news is, it doesn’t take a lot of effort to dramatically reduce these risks. It’s as simple as slipping on long-sleeved shirts and long pants, slopping on some UPF 50+ sunscreen (and re-applying it a couple of times a day), slapping on a broad-brimmed hat, seeking out some shade wherever and whenever possible (especially through the middle part of the day), and sliding on a decent pair of polarised sunnies to save our eyes. Think of it as the “Five-S Routine”: Slip. Slop. Slap. Seek. Slide.

Will you join me right now in committing to this simple Five-S Routine, and to sharing the message with others? It could literally save your own skin, or the life of someone you care about.

For more information, go to: saveyourskin.org.au

Tight Lines.