The Joys of Efudix

I am sure that most Aussies would have heard of the skin cancer cream called Efudix if they have sun damaged skin and have been referred to skin cancer specialist. I had the joy of using the cream on my face a number of years ago and it is quite the experience I can tell you.

I actually didn't leave the house for three weeks of the six week process and certainly didn't document the skin changes like the young girl in this story Efudix - My Journey/Experience. 
I would have been too embarrassed to do that online and am amazed that people using the treatment carry on with going out to work, shopping etc. as per usual. Good on them though as they are made of tougher stuff than me :-) I preferred to hide.

 

I have been intending to use the cream on my hands and arms for a couple of years now. It is best to do it in winter when not wearing short sleeved shirts so I decided that it was time to bite the bullet this year.  I am in week two of the procedure and I am surprised that my skin is nowhere near as red as my face was so obviously I had more sun damage there. I have found that in week one there is no change at all but in week two the skin starts becoming red in places and gets itchy with a few sores developing. It isn't painful at all and I think a couple of years ago my face was rather tender to the touch but not painful like it was for the girl I mentioned previously. By week 6 the healing is almost complete.

 

On the Homemakers Forum one of the members mentioned some arm covers she was buying which can be pulled on if one is driving or playing an outdoor game, etc. and aren't keen on wearing a long sleeved shirt like nobody wants to in the middle of our summers.

I had never heard of them before and checked out the link she gave and thought I would give them a try. They came in a pack of three and you just slip them on your arms a bit like the sleeve protectors we used to wear back in the 1960s when working in an office except those were made from plastic. I can't even remember what we used the sleeve protectors for....perhaps to keep our cardigans clean when changing the old typewriter ribbons.

They aren't a tight fit like in the photo on the packet and there wasn't an option to pick a size but I noticed on Amazon that you can pick the size you think will fit. Mine are okay as they fit at the top of my arm so will stay on alright even though they are a tad loose around the lower arm. I think I would rather they weren't tight when wearing in summer anyway. As it is possible to get sunburnt in the Aussie summers just hanging out the washing in the morning, I think they will come in handy and  can just be slipped on then taken off when back inside.

Unfortunately those of us who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s weren't aware of the dangers of being out in the sun and the only skin protection I ever used was zinc cream on my nose. My brother used to cover himself with coconut oil and then bake in the sun for hours.  There were no warnings about skin cancer on the radio or TV (when we finally did get it) nor from the local GP so those of us who are older are now paying for the folly of our youth.

So remember to Slip! Slop!Slap!