Oh and I should mention that he took a GIANT CHUNK OF FLESH out of my ankle (see picture below) - which was not very fun. Yet another reason to write this article, to warn you all, so that you do not have the same experience.
As my dermatologist mentioned during my visit, scientists have warned for millennia and that being out in the sun is not super awesome for mankind. That is, without sun protection. Being outside under the UV rays of the sun for long periods of time without any sun protection is very bad for you and your skin. Your skin, despite what you may think, is an organ, just like any of your other organs. We protect all of our other organs by eating right, exercising, drinking water, etc. So why wouldn't we want to protect our skin as an organ? We can do this by limiting our sun exposure and wearing sunscreen. You can also do this by wearing clothing with sun protection in it, and by wearing hats to protect your upper body from the sun. There are many brands that can provide this protection. My dermatologist recommended a brand called Coolibar which can be found at coolibar.com.
As a transplant patient, there are other things to consider. For example, there are many medications that we transplant patients take that can make us more sensitive to the sun. Some of these medications are antirejection medication such as Prograf and CellCept. Other medications to consider that make you more sensitive to the sun are antifungal medication such as VFend and Cresemba. Even seemingly benign medication such as Lasix can make youat higher risk for sun related illnesses.
During my visit to the dermatologist, since I'm on all of these medications, I found out that I was showing signs of phototoxicity. Evidence of this was showing up in my nails, rashes on my skin, and hair loss. This is a very serious condition, and needs to be treated by limiting exposure to the sun and high SPF sunscreen when exposure to the sun cannot be avoided. Of course, getting off medications that can cause phototoxicity or photosensitivity would be the best course, but this is not an option for most transplant patients. So, sunscreen and hats are the way to go!
The big thing that I learned at my visit to the dermatologist was about sunscreen. I had been using sunscreen, knowing that I was more sensitive to the sun. But I was buying the cheap, store brand sunscreen. The dermatologist explained to me that these brands of sunscreen have chemicals in them that interact with the medications that I was taking after my transplant. This in turn was basically rendering them ineffective, at the same time putting these chemicals into my body at a higher rate. I was very shocked to learn this! I had no idea that there was a difference in sunscreens. This was probably the most valuable piece of information that he gave me. And I was glad that he could give me recommendations on things to use that would be safer on my skin and for my body.
My dermatologist recommended several different brands of products to use for transplant patients. I would like to share them with you so that you can be prepared for this as well. These brands are also good for people who have sensitive skin, and skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. I have eczema as well, and the dermatologist said that these would be good to be using on my skin for that as well.
Vanicream Sunscreen SPF 50
CeraVe Face Wash / Hyrdrating cream
Aveeno fragrance free soap
Aveeno Skin Relief Body wash / Lotions
Free and Clear Shampoos and conditioners
Well, that big giant hole in my ankle used to be a mole that I've had my whole life. It turned into bad, nasty, dysplastic cells. They're all gone now. And I'm free and clear. I plan to stay that way by following my dermatologist recommendations by limiting my time in the sun when I can, and when I can't, using my sunscreen and hats! I look good in hats anyway.
