1. < Transplants

Anyone have tips on sun protection?

Posted by jolinda @jolinda, Sep 11, 2018

I've known that for a long time that transplant patients need to be especially careful when it comes to sun protection because we are more susceptible to skin cancer. In just the last month I have learned about two tips that were new to me:
1. At my annual Dermatologist appointment I learned that I should be reapplying sunscreen every few hours throughout the day. Yikes, I didn't realize this!
2. A fellow kidney transplant patient told me he purchased specialty sun protection clothing for wearing outside. Who knew?
I am wondering if any of you have other tips or tricks for sun protection that are just as valuable. Please share!

MODERATOR'S NOTE
The knowledge exchange shared in this discussion helped to create this article written for the Mayo Clinic app. Knowledge for patients by patients and beyond Mayo Clinic Connect.
– Transplant recipients share their best sun safety tips https://www.mayoclinic.org/CPT-20514169

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Transplants Support Group.

Mentor
Dana, Volunteer Mentor | @danab | Feb 12, 2019
In reply to @estrada53 "After my heart transplant, I was told by a Phoenix Mayo dermatologist that I had 45-260%..." + (show)
@estrada53

After my heart transplant, I was told by a Phoenix Mayo dermatologist that I had 45-260% more chance of getting skin cancer than other folks. That certainly made me consider everything I was doing. I have become a "hat" woman and rarely wear sleeveless shirts unless I'm outside very early in the morning. I check the UV index during the day if I plan to be out of the house and dress appropriately. I also use a facial foundation/moisturizer that contains a 40 SPF. Neutrogena makes a sheer sunscreen 55 SPF that is very lightweight and not smeary on the skin. You can pick it up at Costco. I think most brand name sunscreens are safe to use. I remember my mother smattering us with zinc oxide during summer because we spent the entire time outside for three months while growing up. You can always use that. I live in Tucson and exercise in my pool usually after 4 or 5 pm. I do use a rash guard shirt. I think it has that name to protect against any abrasion that could cause a rash, including sun rash. I am so grateful to have this time to live life and I promised my surgeon I would take care of this new heart.

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Nice to hear your advice. I too am a heart transplant at Mayo in Phoenix. Ive been wearing sunscreen most of the time but am more diligent now since i just had my first cancer removal on my face last week. Im going to check into the shirts you mentioned

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2 replies
jolinda | @jolinda | Feb 13, 2019

Lips have no sun protection, YIKES! Because lips have no melanin it is important to wear SPF lip balm (and apply it often), I found a few at Target that are higher SPF but haven't honed in on one I like very much. I would love to know if anyone has found something that they really like in an SPF chap stick or lip balm. Thanks.

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Feb 13, 2019
In reply to @jolinda "Lips have no sun protection, YIKES! Because lips have no melanin it is important to wear..." + (show)
@jolinda

Lips have no sun protection, YIKES! Because lips have no melanin it is important to wear SPF lip balm (and apply it often), I found a few at Target that are higher SPF but haven't honed in on one I like very much. I would love to know if anyone has found something that they really like in an SPF chap stick or lip balm. Thanks.

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@jolinda Goop has one with an SPF of 50. It's good both in the summer and hydrating in the winter. I bought it on Amazon. I also use any others that have a good SPF protection though.
JK

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2 replies
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Feb 13, 2019
In reply to @danab "Nice to hear your advice. I too am a heart transplant at Mayo in Phoenix. Ive..." + (show)
@danab

Nice to hear your advice. I too am a heart transplant at Mayo in Phoenix. Ive been wearing sunscreen most of the time but am more diligent now since i just had my first cancer removal on my face last week. Im going to check into the shirts you mentioned

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@danab, Was the cancer spotted during one of your follow-up visits to transplant dept, or another dermatologist or you first dicvover it?
Have you always lived in Arizona?

@estrada53, @coquifoife, @tucsonguy - I want to introduce you to Danab because all of you have received your organ transplants in Arizona. What sun protection has worked particularly well for you in the Arizona sun? Your expert experience is welcome!

REPLY
jolinda | @jolinda | Feb 13, 2019
In reply to @contentandwell "@jolinda Goop has one with an SPF of 50. It's good both in the summer and..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@jolinda Goop has one with an SPF of 50. It's good both in the summer and hydrating in the winter. I bought it on Amazon. I also use any others that have a good SPF protection though.
JK

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JK, great info. I'll check out Amazon. Thanks.

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1 reply
JK | @contentandwell | Feb 14, 2019
In reply to @jolinda "JK, great info. I'll check out Amazon. Thanks." + (show)
@jolinda

JK, great info. I'll check out Amazon. Thanks.

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@jolinda Do you have a hearing impairment also? I scanned back through your posts and I saw no mention of one.

You had quite a journey with PKD though. Is it more important for people who need kidney transplants due to PKD to have a living donor than it is for people who need a kidney transplant due to something else?
JK

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Mentor
Teresa, Volunteer Mentor | @hopeful33250 | Feb 14, 2019
In reply to @contentandwell "@jolinda Goop has one with an SPF of 50. It's good both in the summer and..." + (show)
@contentandwell

@jolinda Goop has one with an SPF of 50. It's good both in the summer and hydrating in the winter. I bought it on Amazon. I also use any others that have a good SPF protection though.
JK

Jump to this post

@contentandwell Thanks for sharing about "Goop" sounds great!

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morty | @morty | Mar 1, 2019

@jolinda I do wear a hat, but also use eltaMD UV sport Broad Spectrum SPF 50. In contains zinc but doesn’t leave you “white”. It’s light and you do not get any color. You do not feel like you have to take a shower for the way it feels. They have a tinted one for the face too.

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1 reply
Mentor
Rosemary, Volunteer Mentor | @rosemarya | Mar 1, 2019
In reply to @morty "@jolinda I do wear a hat, but also use eltaMD UV sport Broad Spectrum SPF 50...." + (show)
@morty

@jolinda I do wear a hat, but also use eltaMD UV sport Broad Spectrum SPF 50. In contains zinc but doesn’t leave you “white”. It’s light and you do not get any color. You do not feel like you have to take a shower for the way it feels. They have a tinted one for the face too.

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@morty, that sounds interesting! I am unfamiliar with this brand. Where do you find it? or is it online? I think the tinted one might be worth looking on to for myself.

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4 replies
estrada53 | @estrada53 | Mar 1, 2019
In reply to @rosemarya "@morty, that sounds interesting! I am unfamiliar with this brand. Where do you find it? or..." + (show)
@rosemarya

@morty, that sounds interesting! I am unfamiliar with this brand. Where do you find it? or is it online? I think the tinted one might be worth looking on to for myself.

Jump to this post

Hi Rosemary, I purchased my tinted eltaMD at my dermatologists office.

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