I went to the dermatologist today to have myself screened for skin cancer. I spent $35 and about 5 minutes with the doctor who glanced over my body and said, "These are fine! These are normal! They're all brown, look at that speckled one! These are just fine, nothing to worry about." I pointed out the one on my stomach that worries me, and he said that a smaller one on my ankle is more worrisome than that one. And I remembered to show him the one on my scalp that freaked me out the first time I saw it. Again, I was reassured that everything is normal. I didn't even get a lecture about wearing sunscreen! At least then I could have told him that I've been diligently spraying any areas that could be exposed to the sun through the course of the day, as in, always my face and neck and usually my arms that aren't covered by sleeves. Plus I got to drive 45 minutes there and back.
But it was all worth it. While I waited, I imagined him saying that all of the moles I was suspicious about would need to be removed (that would be 5 total), and then tried to remember what it was like when I had the two removed in middle school. I was afraid of the needles and there was a nasty grinding sound from the metal tool cutting through my skin. I spent the time and money for peace of mind. And for Donna- I'm going to do something extra to protect my health every year in her memory. Since skin cancer is my biggest risk, I tackled that one first. The doctor said, "You go worry about paint, and let me worry about your moles."
I got to thinking on the way home: What if everyone followed all of the advice that beauty magazines give them? Would we all be super beautiful? Or just wasting our time?
I grew up reading mom's Cosmopolitans and Glamours. They suggested things like only putting conditioner on the ends of your hair so that your roots don't get oily. Or shaving your legs at the end of your shower so the hair is easier to remove. Or putting lemon juice in your hair for natural highlights. Or using mayonnaise as a conditioner. Or putting whipped egg whites on your face as a mask. Or putting on sunscreen every single day. Or aiming the blowdryer down so that you don't get frizzy, rough hair. Or exfoliating with sugar mixed with olive oil. How many women actually read those magazines and try most of the tips they give?
I did. All of the above. The conditioner thing works. The shaving last works. Lemon juice turned my hair hard, crispy, and orangey. The mayo wouldn't wash out and stunk up my hair. I didn't notice any difference from the whipped egg whites. And the last three also work. In fact, it bothers me if I see someone aiming their blowdryer upwards because I imagine all of the damage they are doing to their fragile hair- I want to yell at them: Hey! You're permanantly damaging your hair cuticle! You are making the scales of your hair stand out instead of laying smooth and your hair won't be silky or shiny from your poor blow drying technique!
But I digress...everyone just has to find what works for them. And what works for me is being pale and wearing sunscreen. No matter how good I looked 2 summers ago when I was the most tan I've ever been in my life.
0 comments:
Post a Comment