Sun damage...

[mynthdd2]

Sounds a bit bizarre really (with ref to Scotland) but 40+ years hillwalking and being exposed to the elements has, apparently, led to some serious UV damage to my head/nose/ears.....take care folks and have each lumpy bit checked - I am on a two week skin cancer referral so fingers crossed

[Mal Grey]

Hoping for the right results.

All the best.

[Sunset tripper]

If you are an outdoors person it is really difficult to always avoid sun damage even when trying your best with sunscreen, and yes even in Scotland, you are going to get burnt somewhere at some point.

Wishing you all the best.

[Caberfeidh]

I've had some vicious sun burn from around the world, in some of the hottest, sunniest places: Australia, Africa, Far East and South America, but some of the worst of malignant sunburn was in Scotland. Maybe we just assume it wont be so bad, as it is so often cloudy; but the sun can burn you through light cloud cover, and the reflection of sunlight will burn you from snow and water. I even got ulcerated corneas from watching an otter fishing on the Isle of Raasay on a sunny day.
The Aussies have a slogan: "Slip, Slop, Slap" - slip on a shirt, slop on some sunbloc, slap on a hat. We should do the same. Good luck with the prognosis and treatment. Of course, should you require anything amputated, you know who to come to.

[simon-b]

Best wishes, mynthdd. It is very easy to underestimate the sun in mountain regions, especially when it doesn't feel warm, or even under cloud as already mentioned. I see from your avatar you do wear a hat, and you've probably learned as I have it's worth wearing even under cloud.

I remember being in a Lake District car park and asking a couple about to set off on a walk if they were OK for suncream. The man asked, "Do you think it will get that warm?" But of course, it's neither the ambient nor the 'feels like' temperature that causes sun skin damage, it's the UV. Levels of UV can be deceptive in the mountains.

[weaselmaster]

I found that the skin on the tops of my ears was getting burnt to a crisp a couple years ago - presumably as it's thinning now I am old. Wearing a brimmed (Tilley) hat has stopped that, fortunately.
I was up at the hospital myself yesterday getting a biopsy taken from what's most likely a skin cancer on my thumb, so I empathise with your situation. But I reckon if I wasn't walking the hills I'd be as fat as a pug now, probably due an MI. I'll take the outdoors risks (though maybe use more sunblock in future)

[WalkWithWallace]

Best wishes, I hope everything turns out fine in the end.

Admittedly I can be a bit slack in winter, sun bouncing off the snow onto your unprotected face.

[rockhopper]

Best wishes - fingers crossed for you

[cruachan06]

Hope the news is good.

I've been lax myself in the past, worst sunburn I ever had was watching BSB at Knockhill, which is in it's own little micro climate at the nest of times.

[mynthdd2]

Thanks for the best wishes people.... Ironic that the chances of catching Covid in the hills is virtually zero!

[RocksRock]

"Ironic that the chances of catching Covid in the hills is virtually zero!"

Given the rate this new variant is spreading down here, (R is said to be between 3 and 5, ie one person is infecting between 3 and 5 others), I wouldn't count on not catching it on a hill, certainly in still air.......

[RocksRock]

"Ironic that the chances of catching Covid in the hills is virtually zero!"

Given the rate this new variant is spreading down in London, (R is said to be between 3 and 5, ie one person is infecting between 3 and 5 others), I wouldn't count on not catching it on a hill, certainly in still air.......

[GreyhoundofRydal]

Hope it isn't malignant. I have had quite a few of these things on my back, head and tops of ears. Fortunately all have been BCC's (Basal Cell Carcinomas) which were taken off and are benign. Comes with the 'territory' I guess! I too have invested in a Tilley hat.

[al78]

"Ironic that the chances of catching Covid in the hills is virtually zero!"

Given the rate this new variant is spreading down in London, (R is said to be between 3 and 5, ie one person is infecting between 3 and 5 others), I wouldn't count on not catching it on a hill, certainly in still air.......

There is a world of difference in risk between a densely populated city with a large wealth gap between rich and poor, where a fair subset of the population is unvaccinated, and people are regularly socialising and in close proximity, and hiking up a hill on your own in the open air where social distancing is trivially easy and almost unavoidable on all but the most touristy summits.

It is wise to be cautious, but living in fear is a step too far I feel.

[Giant Stoneater]

"Ironic that the chances of catching Covid in the hills is virtually zero!"

Given the rate this new variant is spreading down in London, (R is said to be between 3 and 5, ie one person is infecting between 3 and 5 others), I wouldn't count on not catching it on a hill, certainly in still air.......

There is a world of difference in risk between a densely populated city with a large wealth gap between rich and poor, where a fair subset of the population is unvaccinated, and people are regularly socialising and in close proximity, and hiking up a hill on your own in the open air where social distancing is trivially easy and almost unavoidable on all but the most touristy summits.

It is wise to be cautious, but living in fear is a step too far I feel.

On the busier mountains Nevis, Lomond etc there would be a risk of catching covid and it does not matter if your vaccinated or not you can still be a carrier showing no symptoms and it certainly does not matter whither you are rich or poor.