The Downside of Sunshine

I’ve had some troublesome red patches of skin on my face for a while. At first I thought these were related to the psoriasis I have on my scalp, inherited from my father. I stopped shaving and began to use aloe vera. Some of the patches improved a little. Then I tried pine tar soap, as recommended by the American Psoriasis Association. This helped the red patches under my beard, but didn’t seem to make much difference to the patches on the rest of my face. I went to the GP. She looked at my array of red patches and gave me steroid cream. It didn’t help, so I went back to see her. She gave me a much stronger steroid cream. But that didn’t help either. There was one large red patch on my forehead, about a centimeter across, that I was particularly worried about. I began to look at websites with photos of skin cancers. My large red patch did look suspicious. Then a friend told me about a new skin clinic that had opened near Newry. It was run by a GP who had worked in Australia and had since specialized in skin cancer. I booked an appointment. Dr Finbar examined me, checking the red patches on my face with a magnifier. Then came the verdict.

Actinic Keratosis he said, otherwise known as sun damage. Your skin cells have mutated in exposure to UV radiation. But I always wear sunscreen, I told him. Do you wear a hat too, he asked? Only recently, I said, pointing to my thinning hair. He explained that skin damage accumulated with age, and people who spent a lot of time outdoors for work or leisure were more at risk. I reflected on my five decades of mountaineering, running and cycling, and all my trips to tropical destinations. I suppose that had done it.

You have six patches of actinic keratosis on your face, he said. They are pre-cancerous and need to be removed. Do you want me to treat them now? Of course, I said. He picked up a small instrument, about the size of a mini torch, and froze the patches with liquid CO2. It did feel cold, but it wasn’t painful. He gave me a mirror. My red patches had become considerably larger. Then my face began to sting. He explained that the pre-cancerous skin would die off and healthy skin would grow underneath. I had to keep the areas clean and treat them with Vaseline twice a day. So now I have six scabs on my face. But the bad skin should be gone in a couple of weeks. He encouraged me to return in six months for a review. I’d certainly recommend Dr Finbar’s Skin Cinic. He also has a website with useful information about different skin conditions.