Tell us about your symptoms and treatment experience. Take our survey here.

A woman in a tank top is sad. She has lots of red spots and one is bleeding

Jinx! Buy Me Some Sunscreen!

“Jinx” is such a fun word. We normally associate it with silly times with siblings or friends, and it almost always brings a smile to our faces. If you do a little digging, you’ll find out that “jinx” dates all the way back to the 17th century and originally involved spells and bad luck. See? Fun stuff, am I right? My all-time favorite “jinx” moment is the one between Jim and Pam on The Office when Jim is not allowed to speak until he buys Pam a soda and then finds the drink machine is sold out. My absolute least favorite “jinx” moment? I brought that one upon myself just last week.

Great news...while it lasts

My last visit to the dermatologist brought great news - no Efudex the rest of the year and no biopsies. It’s been a long time since I had a report that positive. In fact, I can’t remember when my six-month checkup yielded such encouraging news. I told everyone. I was not shy about it in the least. My Facebook status was touting the joyous news within minutes of leaving my doctor’s office. I don’t know if what happened next was Murphy’s Law or a good, old-fashioned jinx, but whatever it was, it happened.

Spotting the new spots: actinic keratosis

Early last week, I was stepping out of the shower and noticed a little spot of blood on the towel. When I did a quick skin check, I noticed a thin stream of blood snaking its way down my left shin. Even as I typed those words I shook my head and my face contorted into a little snarl. I am no stranger to actinic keratosis, but having these precancerous spots on my legs is new. These little devils are a battle that never ends and the bane of my existence.

My previous experience with actinic keratosis

I have no doubt in my mind that the tiny stream of blood was from a precancerous spot. They can present as tiny flecks on the skin about the size of a grain of sand and break loose from the surface easily. It’s normal for me to find them on my back and chest. Generally, I don’t notice them until I shower. It’s at this time they are wiped from the skin, sting, and bleed just a little. The minuscule specks appear again and again until I treat the area. Even after treating with a topical chemotherapy, I may experience a new crop.

Actinic keratosis: the gift that keeps on giving

Typically, I use Efudex at least once a year to treat actinic keratoses that reoccur on my face, chest, and shoulders. I am never surprised to hear I have new spots in those areas, but my dermatologist has never found similar spots of concern on my legs. It won’t surprise me at all if I am told at my next visit to spot treat my legs. Sun damage, which is actinic keratosis’s more user-friendly name, is the gift that keeps on giving. Even though I have been a faithful sunscreen user since my melanoma diagnosis in 2007, I’ve accumulated enough sun damage over the course of about 20 years to, quite literally, last a lifetime.

Dang it. I was so proud of that all-clear from the dermatologist, too. I can’t help but believe I jinxed myself with my boasting. Eh...maybe it’s not a true jinx, and maybe bragging had nothing to do with it. The real jinx didn’t happen this week or last week; it happened decades ago, when I shunned the sunscreen and worshipped the sun from March to October every year.

By providing your email address, you are agreeing to our privacy policy.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The SkinCancer.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

Join the conversation

Please read our rules before commenting.

Community Poll

When was your last skin check?