Drum Corps and Skin Cancer

[ekleve]

It depends what type of hat they're wearing. If it's a wide-brimmed hat with a 3-inch brim going all the way around, then they're probably OK, but if it's only a baseball cap or visor, then that offers only limited protection, and they're still at risk.

Sorry, but I think it's an irresponsible policy because it prevents members from taking action which may be best for them to protect their eyes from sun damage . . . in an activity which, if they choose to participate, forces them to be out in the sun for prolonged periods of time.

In 2002 the staff was really focusing on what we were supposed to be doing with our eyes. They didn't want us staring at the ground and they wanted to make sure we were dressing the form when necessary. So finally the visual caption head said no more sunglasses during rehearsal. One guy (red hair and pale skin) spoke up and said he gets a splitting headache if he doesn't wear sunglasses, so he was allowed to continue wearing them. I don't think any staff is going to be unreasonable about it if somebody is hyper sensitive to the sun or has a medical condition. Then again I didn't march Cadets, so what do I know!

[ekleve]

One last thing. My dermatologist told me that the behind your ears is one of the most succeptable places for cancer because of the exposure it gets from baseball hats and what not, and it is also the hardest place to remove cancer. So don't forget to put sunscreen there. Plus that's always a painful spot to be peeling off.

That's why I always wear a hat with a brim that goes all the way around! Having my ears exposed to direct sunlight is a very bad thing....

[ekleve]

yeah, wear sunglasses. I have glasses now because my eyes have been damaged by the sun. so yeah, get on that.

Could you elaborate on the damage that has been done to your eyes? Are you absolutely sure it was from the sun? I'm just curious because I've never worn sunglasses during rehearsal. Maybe I should start.

[byline]

In 2002 the staff was really focusing on what we were supposed to be doing with our eyes. They didn't want us staring at the ground and they wanted to make sure we were dressing the form when necessary. So finally the visual caption head said no more sunglasses during rehearsal. One guy (red hair and pale skin) spoke up and said he gets a splitting headache if he doesn't wear sunglasses, so he was allowed to continue wearing them. I don't think any staff is going to be unreasonable about it if somebody is hyper sensitive to the sun or has a medical condition. Then again I didn't march Cadets, so what do I know!

If this is still being done as a policy four years later, then I think some consideration needs to be given to why it's being done, and its effects. People usually don't know that sun damage is being done to their eyes (or, for that matter, to their skin) until many, many years after the fact, so most folks don't consider doing anything until it's too late. Having a policy that actually exacerbates that situation is, IMO, not in the best interests of the corps members.

If there are concerns about where corps members' eyes are, then that's a temporary thing and should be addressed temporarily. You don't have to have a permanent policy forbidding sunglasses in order to take care of that temporary problem. Address it when there's the concern, make it habitual for the corps members to have their eyes where they're supposed to be, and then that won't change once they put on protective eyewear. If it does, then there's a whole different problem going on with members not being willing to do what they're supposed to do. But they shouldn't have to sacrifice the long-term health of their eyes in order to learn a short-term lesson.

Edited April 15, 2006 by byline

[LegalEagle50]

One last thing. My dermatologist told me that the behind your ears is one of the most succeptable places for cancer because of the exposure it gets from baseball hats and what not, and it is also the hardest place to remove cancer. So don't forget to put sunscreen there. Plus that's always a painful spot to be peeling off.

THANK YOU!!!!

my father has had skin cancer removed from both his ears multiple times. one time even with lidocaine to dull the pain, it was so bad he had a minor heart attack brought on from the stress of it all.

it's an area we don't naturally think of protecting for some reason.

[byline]

Could you elaborate on the damage that has been done to your eyes? Are you absolutely sure it was from the sun? I'm just curious because I've never worn sunglasses during rehearsal. Maybe I should start.

I can't speak for the other poster, but it's a well-known fact that sun damage increases your risk for cataracts and other eye conditions: Health Effects of Overexposure to the Sun

Cataracts and Other Eye Damage

Cataracts are a form of eye damage in which a loss of transparency in the lens of the eye clouds vision. If left untreated, cataracts can lead to blindness. Research has shown that UV radiation increases the likelihood of certain cataracts. Although curable with modern eye surgery, cataracts diminish the eyesight of millions of Americans and cost billions of dollars in medical care each year. Other kinds of eye damage include pterygium (i.e., tissue growth that can block vision), skin cancer around the eyes, and degeneration of the macula (i.e., the part of the retina where visual perception is most acute). All of these problems can be lessened with proper eye protection from UV radiation.

As this other EPA article points out, the damage is cumulative and may not be obvious right away: Prevent Eye Damage: Protect Yourself from UV Radiation

Interesting what it says about wearing hats and that they give only "some degree of eye protection," but evidently not nearly as good as what sunglasses offer:

Wrap-around sunglasses are preferable because they keep UV rays from reaching the eyes. Additionally, a wide-brimmed hat offers some degree of eye protection, blocking UV rays from entering the eyes from the sides or above the sunglasses.

Edited April 15, 2006 by byline

[Scerpella]

When I marched I had an army issue Aussie hate I wore. Of course after one camp where one side of my face was burned I snapped the brim down and it became a floppy hat. The organizers of the Madison Alumni Reunion Corps have made an official floppy hat available for members.

Edited April 15, 2006 by dans24103

[Pit_Girl_77]

Our staff and other corps members remind each other all the time to put on sunscreen and hats and such during rehersals. Also, we try to do sectionals inside from 1-3 or so, and take an extended lunch around 4 to keep us out of the sun at least part of the time in the afternoon. Some breaks are mandatory "Shade" breaks, where everyone is supposed to get out of the sun and find some water. We set up a few of the pop-up shade thingies on the sidelines for breaks, several members bring them so it is no cost to the corps.

My first corp burn in the last 2 years came a few weeks ago during a car wash. I am a fanatic about sunscreen for practices, but sometimes forget for shorter events. I was miserable for a week---make sure you apply sunscreen for all events, even if they are not a 12 hour camp.

I know a few DCA corps wear sunglasses as part of their uniform-maybe this is a trend we should all get into?

[LegalEagle50]

re: sunglasses and marching, i know someone who never wore sunglasses due to corps rules and regs back in the 70's. she finally started wearing sunglasses after moving to Texas last year. she's having cataract surgery this spring/summer at 45. she was in complete shock when the eye doctor told her 1) she had cataracts and 2) that it was from sun damage.

even after the surgery she'll most likely have to wear glasses for the remainder of her life because of the damage that has been done over the years. :(

i've known good sunglasses are important, but up until recently i never realized HOW important they really are.

[HornlineDiva]

I am sure The Cadets policy of "no sun glasses" is to emulate performance conditions. You wear glasses all day, then take them off for the show you have a different perspective.

Too me, this policy sucks. You are risking health for points, never a good idea. Maybe The Cadets should let members wear sunglasses all day, and have them take the glasses of for run-throughs or several times a day during visual feid rehearsal. You know....."get water, sunscreen and set up for a NO GLASSES run of section k-p".

When I marched we had to wear hats with brims outside at all times...no exceptions, even on cloudy days. Sunglasses were allowed for parades but not shows.

It's so they can watch your eyes to make sure you're using "crazy eyes".... looking from DM, to form, to front sideline, and back. Your eyes should be constanly moving, not fixed on the DM, or the box, or something. I was taught by an all-Cadets staff, and they used to say that if we didn't start using our eyes more, they'd make us stop wearing shades.

I can't imagine not wearing shades. But I have sensitive eyes. If I lost mine for a day, I was miserable, even though hats were mandatory. I wear them all the time here at home as well. But I guess the Cadets get used to not having them.

Honestly.... outlawing shades isn't really the worst thing for your health in corps, compared to so much else - lack of sleep, damage to joints, sun damage to skin, excessive exercise without sufficient water, etc. I'm not saying this all happens all the time, in every corps, but before I go on a rampage about sunglasses, I'd go on a rampage about the lack of proper sports medicine and lack of sunblock breaks. That's not to say that damage to the eyes isn't a serious problem.... but there's a lot that could be fixed.

Edited April 16, 2006 by HornlineDiva