I found myself thinking back to my teenage years, when the first rays of sunshine would come out and friends would compare our skin tones to see who was the tanniest... or the palest.
I remember, like an unhealthy competition, how it affected me internally. I was the ghost of the gang. The blacklight at the beach. The one who stood out with her white legs in the spring when it was time to get out the skirts and shorts.
I realize all the harm I did to my skin at that time and all the repercussions that resulted from it and that I have to deal with today. For me, but also for those close to me.
The fear when you get the diagnosis, the uncertainty, wondering if the cancer has reached other organs, if it has spread. Did I catch it in time? The treatments, the year off work…
Skin cancer really exists. It affects more and more Quebecers and younger and younger people.
90% of cancers are caused by UV rays. That's saying something. If we don't protect ourselves, the risks increase. Especially for those with pale skin.
What I would like to name are the comments on skin tone.
Being pale is not a defect. It does not mean that you are sick, locked inside all day in the dark or even a ghost.
These comments are often said without much bad intentions for those who say them, but resonate for the person who receives them, especially during adolescence when the paleness complex sets in.
Conversely, it is important to know that being red after exposure to the sun is a sign that the skin has suffered damage. That it and wanted to protect itself from UV rays.
Today I celebrate my paleness with you.
I stopped wanting to change the color of my skin/self tanners included! Why would we want to change what we were given? My health is too important to adhere to a devastating tanning fad.
And you?
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