SunAWARE | The Coolibar Sun Protection Blog

Can You Get Sunburned Through a Window?

March 31, 2022
By Team Coolibar

It’s no secret that exposure to the sun when outdoors for an extended period of time can cause damage to and sunburn your skin. But can you get sun damage through windows? The answer may surprise you.

Practicing sun safety is essential for avoiding sunburn and minimizing your risk of developing wrinkles and, more seriously, skin cancer. There are many myths surrounding whether or not you can get sunburned through windows or if you can tan through a window. While it may feel like you are protected from the sun when behind windows indoors or in a car, this is not the whole story.

Can You Get Sun Damage Through Windows?

The answer to this question comes down to whether or not UV light can go through glass. It depends on the type of glass the window is made of, and not all windows are the same when it comes to UV protection. Ultraviolet Rays are light waves from the sun and can reach us in sneaky ways. We need to worry about two types of UV rays: UVA and UVB rays, because they can reach the earth.

UVA Rays: longer wavelength rays that are less intense but penetrate deep into the skin and cause tanning. UVA rays are responsible for skin aging and wrinkles due to the fact that they break down collagen fibers, which help with skin strength and elasticity. UVA rays can contribute to skin cancer.
UVB Rays: shorter wavelength rays that penetrate only the superficial layers of the skin. UVB rays are more intense and harmful to the skin’s DNA and are responsible for sunburn. This type of light ray also stimulates the body to produce vitamin D and is believed to cause a higher percentage of skin cancer.

Visual representation of the question can UV go through glass

Can You Get a Tan Through a Window?

Since ultraviolet rays do pass through glass, most commonly the UVA rays, there is a chance that you can get a suntan through a window. It will, of course, depend on the length of exposure, but since UVA rays are not blocked by most glass, you may get sun damage and a slight tan. However, it is not likely that you can get sunburned through a window due to the UVB protection present in most windows.

Can You Get Sunburned Through a Car Window?

Do car windows block UV? Not all car windows are equally protective, and this is due to legal reasons. Your car’s windshield is required to offer more protection to prevent the glass from shattering in case of an accident.

This extra protection also means better UV filtering. Your car’s windshield is treated against the sun’s UVA and UVB rays, while the rest of your car’s windows only filter against UVB rays.

As we know, UVA rays cause damage to your skin at a deeper level. Since your windshield only filters out UVA rays, you will still get UVA exposure from the other windows in your car. You might not get a sunburn in your car, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t getting skin damage.

UV rays can go through car windows, but not all UV rays can
Your car’s windshield offers the best protection against UV rays (UVA and UVB)
UVA rays can still penetrate the other windows in your car, causing skin damage and aging
Since UVB rays are filtered by all car windows, it is unlikely that you can get burned through a car window

Sun Protective Solutions

While sun protection may not be at the top of your list when preparing for long road trips in the car, there are a few simple steps you can take to mitigate skin damage from the sun

UPF Clothing: arguably the easiest way to reduce skin damage is to wear UPF clothing daily
UVA protective film: extra tints or films can be added to your car windows to block out those UVA ray
Sunscreen: incorporating a daily sunscreen into your routine can go a long way in preventing sun damage, especially those parts of your body that are most often exposed like your face, hands, and arms

sun through window shining on a woman reading

Can You Get Sunburned Through Other Windows?

What about other windows – can you tan through a house window? Can you get sunburned through a window at home? Are you inadvertently getting sun exposure at work?

We know that UV rays can go through glass, but it depends on the type of glass.

Standard construction windows in your home or office will offer good protection against UVB rays, so it’s unlikely that you will get sunburn through a window. Most windows do not offer protection against UVA rays, although if your windows are newer there’s a chance that the UVA protection is better. Solar window screens and treatments are a good option for cutting down harmful UV rays from the sun.

Windows at your home or office may block some, but not all of the sun’s UV rays.
While it’s not likely that you’ll develop a sunburn through a window, you may still be getting sun damage from UVA rays.
Window screens or blinds can help reduce the UV rays getting through.

Sun Protective Solutions

It can seem nearly impossible to avoid sunburn and other types of skin damage from the sun, but a few quick adjustments you can make in your everyday life will significantly impact your overall skin health.

UPF Clothing: the best barrier option for your skin to prevent damage and easy to incorporate into your day-to-day
Sunscreen: reduce UV exposure to your skin by wearing sunscreen daily
Sunglasses: wear polarized sunglasses year-round to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays

Learn More About Coolibar’s UPF 50+ Clothing

Even though there’s only a small chance that you can get a sunburn inside, that doesn’t mean you aren’t still getting sun damage. UVA rays that are most likely to get through your car windows or windows at home are linked to skin damage, aging, and even skin cancers. You may feel a sense of protection from that layer of glass in your car window, but the only way to ensure you are protected is to incorporate sunscreen and UPF clothing into your daily routine.

Sun protection is serious business. At Coolibar, we stop at nothing to develop the most technical and elegant sun protection you wear. The world leader in UPF 50+ fabric technology. Discover more sun tips on our blog, and shop our latest UPF 50+ clothing.

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Skin Care Tips All Golfers Must Hear

December 18, 2017
By Team Coolibar

Wearing Coolibar, Jordan Cassel, golf pro at Torrey Pines Golf Course, site of the 2008 and future 2021 U.S. Open Championship, La Jolla, CA.

With Saturday’s tee-time on the horizon, you may be more than ready to hit the links, but are you ready to beat the UV rays? Today, playing golf without sun protection is like playing a round without golf shoes. It is a necessity to the game. Sunburn not only damages skin cells, it overheats skin, creating discomfort and distraction. In fact, between stretching, practicing and playing an actual round, a golfer can experience at anywhere from four to seven hours of UV exposure in a day. To make matters worse, for every hour of play, recreational golfers can receive up to 5 times the amount of UV radiation exposure needed to cause sunburn. Along with damaging direct UVA and UVB rays, water hazards and sand traps reflect UV rays back at golfers, nearly doubling exposure. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, incidence of melanoma diagnosis is in white men over 50, and this demographic corresponds to golf demographics. So how do you start to take sun protection as seriously as you take the game? Here’s how:

Don’t Forget Broad Spectrum SPF 30+ Sunscreen

While this sounds obvious, studies prove no one applies enough sunscreen. And no one every reapplies as frequently as they should. So, a generous measure of 2 ounces should do it. Carry a travel size in your golf bag. For best results, a strong guideline would be to reapply every nine holes or about every two hours for maximum results. Another important factor is the kind of sunscreen you are applying. Use only a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB) sunscreen that offers SPF 30+ protection and is water resistant. For the safest protection, look for a mineral based sunscreen with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (or a combination of the two).

Take Advantage of Twilight Deals

Avoiding long periods of direct sun exposure is crucial to your skin. In fact, ultraviolet rays are strongest from 10 am to 4 pm, a tricky decision given that’s primetime for golfing. A preventative solution that benefits both skin and your wallet—twilight deals. Many courses offer discounted rates on later tee-times, so save a few bucks, evade UV rays and still get your golf fix.

Don’t Forget SPF Lip Balm

Treat your lips with just as much care as you do any other exposed part of your body. Lips do not have protective melanin like skin. Melanin is the skin’s defense against UV rays. As a result, golfers can experience sunburned lips and this becomes a targeted area for skin cancer. Carry a lip balm with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. You’ll be grateful for this little tube in the future. For the safest protection, look for a mineral based lip balm with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide (or a combination of the two)

Dress for the Round

Don’t depend entirely on sunscreen. In fact, the true first line of defense is long sleeves and long pants. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts – dress to protect. Don’t settle for basic attire, because not all clothing is created equally. Instead UPF 50+ clothing and accessories effectively counter the sun and prevent sunburn. This instantly triggers your skin to feel hotter and sensitive. Coolibar UPF 50+ long sleeve golf apparel, neck gaiters and hats offer UV protection and other performance features like moisture-wicking, Cooltect™ cooling technology and anti-microbial properties, so sunburn and overheating don’t distract you from your game. Look for hats to keep you cool from the top down. The adjustable Matchplay Golf Hat cools with ventilation features and an interior sweatband. Wherever sun protective clothing covers your skin, you do not need to apply sunscreen. To learn more about all our suggested apparel for your next round, visit our new Men’s Golf Collection.

Like golf, skin care is ultimately measured by consistency. Whether it’s lowering your golf handicap or reducing your skin cancer risk, persistence, practice, and, in the case of skin health, prevention – is required to improve.

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SunAWARE

5 Ways Redheads Should Protect their Skin at the Beach

June 15, 2015
By Team Coolibar

This month, Coolibar guest blogger Jillian Murphy from How to be a Redhead shares her top tips on how redheads should protect themselves at the beach. For people with red hair, sun protection is even more important because their skin and hair are more sensitive to the sun’s harmful rays. Here’s to Coolibar’s redheaded fans! Wishing you fun in the sun this summer.

Sunblock
This is something that you have probably been reminded to do since you could walk, but it bears repeating. In my 21 years as a fair skinned redhead, I have learned just how important this is. I’ve found that putting some quality ‘redhead friendly’ UV protective sunblock on right when you get to the beach and after any swimming/physical activity is the best way to go. Although I found it annoying as a kid to keep lathering myself with lotion when I just wanted to play, I am always grateful when I wake up the next day and I’m not in a lot of pain and red as a lobster.

A Cover-Up
I usually bring two different cover-ups to the beach with me. I pack a loose, lightweight, light colored t-shirt for when I plan on playing Frisbee with friends or going for a run. I also pack a cute sundress, one that covers my back (the forgotten and hard to reach place). It’s nice to have something to throw on when you’re lying on the blanket reading a magazine and something for when you plan on being active. And, you have the option of choosing UV Protective Clothing to keep you extra protected. Check out Coolibar’s line of sun-preventative beach wear.

A Big Umbrella
Last summer, a few of my girlfriends and I went to Newport, RI for a weekend getaway. One of them brought a large umbrella and let me tell you, it was the best idea! If you’ve covered up and reapplied sunblock and you just want to lie down without being bothered, hanging out under the cool shade of an umbrella is a great, protective way to go. Coolibar offers some great UPF 50+ umbrellas!

A Hat
I like to run around on the beach and play different sports all day, so I usually bring a baseball hat with me. An alternative to that (and one that covers the back of the neck) is a floppy brimmed sun hat. The nice thing about bringing a hat is that it protects both the sensitive skin on your face and scalp, and gives your eyes a break from squinting. I also like to use a scarf or bandana as they provide protection for my hair, neck and scalp and are versatile pieces!

Sunglasses
Squinting brings me to my next tip: sunglasses! I recently invested in prescription sunglasses because I like to protect my baby blues as often as possible in the summer, but I also like to be able to see. I usually go for a pair with a fairly large lens, so that the sensitive skin around my eyes is protected from the sun, too.

Join me on How to be a Redhead’s 2015 fashion and beauty tour, Rock it like a Redhead! The national tour premiered in Austin on April 30^th, but you still have time to sign up for one of the four remaining tours in Nashville (June 18^th), Seattle (August 13^th), Chicago (September 10^th), or New York City (November 5^th). The events are live, red carpet events focused on the beauty and fashion of redheaded women. The mission is to empower every redhead to feel confident, look amazing, and rock their beauty!

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Summer Is Coming: Be #SkinSmart

May 12, 2015
By Team Coolibar

May is the gateway to summer, and it’s also Skin Cancer Awareness Month. As you spend more time outdoors, it’s important to know how to be SkinSmart. Why you ask? Well, just like drinking lots of water, walking everyday, and eating healthy, it’s smart for you to care about and protect your skin.

You may have seen the U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action about skin cancer as a major public health threat. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. More people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined, and 3.5 million people are diagnosed each year. That’s shocking, right? Luckily, skin cancer is also preventable. Leading medical organizations and dermatologists urge sun protective clothing as a first line of defense, and Coolibar is proud to be the first brand to receive the Skin Cancer Foundation’s Seal of Recommendation.

For the month of May, we are excited to be partnering with the American Cancer Society (ACS) to spread #SkinSmart tips to prevent skin cancer, reduce premature aging, and heighten awareness of sun protective clothing as an easy option. It’s hard to believe many people still don’t know that sun protective clothing exists. Throughout the month of May, Coolibar is also donating $1 to the ACS for every order placed at Coolibar.com, up to $25,000.

You can help spread the #SkinSmart message with your friends and family, and raise money for a great cause! Please visit www.coolibar.com/skinsmart for shareable tips and information.

Here are our top tips to protect your skin and have fun in the sun:

Teach kids that being safe in the sun is as important as wearing a bike helmet! Limiting sun exposure now helps prevent skin cancer in the future.
Make sure to wear lightweight clothing that is tightly woven (t-shirts do NOT block UV rays!), and contains a UV protection factor of 50.
Keep sunscreen and a hat in your gym bag, stroller or diaper bag so it’s always accessible when needed.
Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes BEFORE going out in the sun, and remember to reapply to exposed areas every two hours, and more often after swimming or sweating.
Take regular breaks from the sun especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest, and make sure to drink lots of water. Set your phone’s alarm for reminders.
Wearing a wide-brim hat provides extra coverage to the neck and shoulders. Every inch of hat brim can lower your lifetime risk of skin cancer by 10%.
Wear a swim shirt specifically designed for water activities while at the pool or beach. These provide maximum sun protection, cover a large amount of exposed skin, and dry quickly so they are great for trips.
Wear sunglasses. In addition to protecting eyes from UV exposure, another cancer risk, the right sunglasses offer impact protection, and reduce reflection if you are participating in any rigorous activities.

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After 25 Years with Lupus, Still Going Strong

September 16, 2014
By Team Coolibar

Can there be any disease as grueling and, often, mysterious as lupus?

Certainly not for Jan Jundt, 2014 ambassador for Lupus Foundation of Minnesota, who was diagnosed in 1989. “I thought at the time that it was arthritis,” Jan says. “I was having trouble getting my hands open, and walking stairs. I was really afraid it was arthritis – my family has a long history of arthritis.”

Back then it was very common even for doctors to diagnose lupus as something else, she says, and not just in her home town of Bismarck, North Dakota. “For years lupus was misdiagnosed completely,” says Jan, on the eve of the foundation’s 17th annual Lupus Walk for Hope and 5K Trail Run – Twin Cities.

The Onset

Jan is married; her husband Dave recently retired from the North Dakota National Guard. Last spring the couple moved to Fargo, ND from Bismarck to be closer to their three grown daughters.

Also: 25 years ago, lupus nearly killed her.

“I thought it was arthritis,” Jan relates. “In a visit to my allergist he said: ‘go see a rheumatologist.’ The look on his face was, ‘you do it now.’” She got an appointment the following week – a miracle in itself. After tests were run, her rheumatologist called to say she had lupus and wanted to visit with her and her husband. She scheduled a follow-up at the end of the next week.

“And I didn’t make that appointment,” Jan says. “The night before, I crashed. I had complete renal failure. Basically the only things functioning were my heart and my brain. They gave me 24 hours to live.

I don’t remember the next 10 days, and my husband says well, that’s a blessing. You don’t want to know.”

Another time, much more recently, she had another scare. “I had come down with pneumonia. I just thought it was my allergies, and my asthma. We were driving to Minneapolis and I collapsed. That’s the lupus; if you have a weakness in one spot, it just goes for it.”

What’s most striking about this is her positive, enthusiastic tone, even when the subject turns dark. How can you ensure that these frightening episodes do not happen? “You can’t,” she says.

What is Lupus?

If anything about lupus can be simple, here’s the simplest explanation – lupus causes the immune system to malfunction. It mistakenly starts creating auto-antibodies that normally guard the body against bacteria and viruses. Instead, they attack and destroy healthy tissue. This can result in a very wide range of symptoms – pain at the joints, fever, fatigue, headaches and sensitivity to the sun among them.

Like most other people, Jan knew none of this. Following her first harrowing episode, she started researching the disease.

“I could not get any information about lupus,” she says. “Every place I called, I was finding dead ends.”

The one certainty: there were lots of others suffering from lupus, and they likely had no place to go either.

The Support Group

Jan and her husband started a lupus support group 24 years ago in Bismarck, ND. She found a catalyst for it in the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota, which provided the help needed to start the support group.

The group meets the second Thursday of every month. There are about 15 people in the group, Jan says, with a core of about a half dozen. The group first met at night, but switched to mid-days after fatigue became a problem. There are also frequent transportation issues in a community with lots of rural areas; “the community has been very good to us,” she says. “They help whenever they can.”

Team Coolibar at Lupus Walk — Part of Team Coolibar, Sept. 13

Still, the resource has become irreplaceable. “I have learned the most from those who have lupus,” says Jan. “People come for different reasons. “Some people come when they’re not feeling good, and need some support. Others come when they are feeling good, and just want to be around people.”

Going Strong

Since her move to Fargo, North Dakota last May, Jan can no longer attend the group she started. But it’s still going strong. On Saturday, September 13, she walked along with Coolibar team members as the official ambassador for Lupus Foundation of Minnesota in the Lupus Walk for Hope and 5K Trail Run – Twin Cities.

“Our goal is to help one person,” she says. “If we can do that, we’ve done our job.”

For information on Coolibar sun protective clothing, visit our site!

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July is UV Safety Month!

July 8, 2014
By Team Coolibar

It seems there is a month for everything, but this one comes directly from the US Department of Health and Human Services: it’s UV Safety Month!

This makes sense. July is one of the hottest months in the US, and it’s also right in the middle of prime vacation time. As we know, UV rays from the sun are the main cause of skin cancer, which is the nation’s most common type of cancer. And that’s not to mention the painful sunburns, dry skin and wrinkles that UV rays can cause.

Coolibar supports the efforts of the United States HHS department and the Federal Occupational Health agency to raise awareness about skin cancer and the dangers of UV rays. They include encouraging families to adopt good sun safety habits together, to include wearing sunscreen; we would add don’t forget your UPF 50+ sun protective clothing!

Watch for posts throughout July about UV safety for your skin and even for your eyes!

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Staying Positive, Staying Aggressive

May 29, 2014
By Team Coolibar

Coolibar wraps up our official Melanoma Survivor Series with Tim Fater, a Rhode Island native whose sense of adventure has never wavered (we suspect it’s actually gotten stronger) following his diagnosis and treatment. Melanoma Month is almost over, but we’ll share additional stories throughout the year. Tell us yours!

Tim Fater noticed the first sign of melanoma in December of 2003. It wasn’t ominous; just an unusual freckle on his right forearm. Tim was 19 then, a junior at Fairfield University in Connecticut. He was also preparing for a semester abroad in Australia.

His mother, a nurse, urged him to get the freckle checked out before the trip. A biopsy was performed and a follow-up phone call told him the results were benign.

“I went to Australia,” Tim says now, “and burned for six months.”

The Adventure Begins

Following his graduation in 2005, Tim took off on another adventure. “I was doing the classic backpack trip across Europe,” he says. “While sitting on the train, I noticed the hints of a subtle re-growth emerging from the scar on my forearm where that initial excision had taken place. When I got back to the States, I immediately scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist to have the growth examined.”

Tim noticed that more doctors were involved this time, and that they were talking a lot more than usual. “I could tell by the way this was being treated that this was something serious, although no one wanted to admit it until we knew for certain,” Tim says. Finally the news came back: malignant melanoma. In fact, it had been all along.

Then it was a whirlwind: shock, fear, confusion. “It’s just really hard,” Tim says. “Especially for your parents, to see the fear on their faces.”

Looking back, Tim believes the disease was pretty certainly enabled by sun exposure during his childhood in Newport, Rhode Island; he was “always outside…whether it was sailing, surfing, golfing or working at an outdoor bar on the beach.”

This annual summer routine rarely included sunscreen, or anyone advising sun safety.

He and his family immediately transferred from Newport to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. “I remember one of my first meetings with the dermatologist very clearly,” Tim says. “The dermatologist that day informed me that a patient in my situation, with the recurrence, depth of the disease and the amount of time that had elapsed, had a five- year survival rate of 50 percent.” This was consistent with a Stage IIIB melanoma diagnosis.

The resulting surgery and skin grafting claimed most of Tim’s right forearm, along with the lymph nodes in his right armpit. This was followed by interferon treatments – an initial five weeks of intravenous deliveries and plenty of cold-sweat discomfort – “they call it shake and bake,” Tim says – followed by 11 months of self-administered injections.

Aggressive, Yet Positive

Here is what else Tim remembers: “I committed myself to a positive outlook; I taught myself to disregard such negative news which I knew could be lurking around the corner at any time. At that point everything was one day at a time.”

In considering this battle, though, one shouldn’t confuse being positive with being passive. Tim says that from the start he had decided to be aggressive in treating the disease; at such a young age, he was determined to navigate what is always a significant disturbance in one’s life and live as close to normal as possible.

That has included educating himself, as well as a great deal of educating others about melanoma. People share the initial whirlwind: what is it? Where did it come from? When people ask how he “got” melanoma, Tim says he tells them: it is one-third sun; one-third genes; and one-third “nobody really knows.”

Still, he says, “this might be the most frustrating part of the whole experience – the fact that skin cancer is, for the most part, very preventable.”

Today Tim Fater is a CPA and works as a Senior Staff Accountant at Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is married; he is an avid skier and a photographer. He is active in several melanoma-related causes. He has also spoken about melanoma at schools throughout New England.

Tim has remained aggressive through all of the doctor’s appointments, skin checks, scans and follow-ups that come with a melanoma diagnosis. There has been no sign of the disease since the fall of 2005.

He’s also remained positive.

“People get caught up with all the little things, and now after fighting melanoma you have more to fall back on,” Tim says. “You know: don’t worry about the small stuff.”

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Today is Don’t Fry Day!

May 23, 2014
By Team Coolibar

Dont Fry Day - National Council on Skin Care Prevention

Just before the outdoor summer festivities begin in earnest, a reminder: the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has designated today as Don’t Fry Day. This annual, national campaign takes place every year on the Friday before Memorial Day to help people keep sun safety in mind.

Here are some of the ways the council recommends to keep yourself and your family healthy for the summer and for a lifetime.

Do not burn or tan
Seek shade
Wear sun protective clothing
Generously apply sunscreen
Use extra caution near water, snow and sand
Get vitamin D safely

The council also takes a page from Australia’s effort to prevent skin cancer and reminds you to Slip on a shirt, Slop on a broad spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen, Slap on a wide-brimmed hat and Wrap on sunglasses whenever you’re outdoors.

It’s also important to visit your dermatologist at least once a year, and watch for new or changing moles and skin growths.

Enjoy your summer – and stay sun safe!

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Monopoly Man: A Survivor Lives On

May 15, 2014
By Team Coolibar

Jerry Dalton - Cooibar Melanoma Survivor Series

Note: Throughout May, Coolibar highlights melanoma survivors to call awareness to the dangers of melanoma. This week: the terrifying, ongoing journey of Jerry Dalton.

We thought that we wouldn’t get to meet Jerry Dalton, the certified rescue diver. Or Dalton the outdoorsman, the avid fisherman, or the deceptively tough jokester who worked for the maximum-security George Beto Unit in the Texas prison system, the guy who “could always handle what was going on.”

But really, we did. We met Jerry Dalton: survivor.

And this tough jokester known as Monopoly Man (so named by prison inmates when his mustache grew back white and bushy like the character on the Parker Brothers game) is still very much alive.

In an early communication about his schedule he informed us that “I will be fishing. Or swimming, depends on my balance that day.” That turned out to be a reference to what can happen when you combine the effects of long-term melanoma treatment with the effects of standing in a small, tippy boat.

Nerve damage prevents Jerry from lifting his left arm above his head; “fortunately, I’m right handed,” he says. “It’s just not so fortunate when you fall.” He also reports that he is numb from his face all the way down into his chest. “So…just another thing. It’s a perfect place to get shot I guess.”

A Harrowing Journey

Dalton’s battle with melanoma began in September 1999, shortly after his doctor had removed a mole from his left ear. Jerry was driving to Laredo, Texas with Mary, a medical technologist who would soon be his wife (and who plays no small part in this story; she is still by his side today). “I hit my ear with my finger,” Jerry says. “And it bled and bled and it wouldn’t stop. My wife suggested I switch doctors.”

Day surgery seemed to correct the problem – “you couldn’t even tell (anything had happened) when it healed,” Jerry says – until the biopsy results returned.

“It came back melanoma,” said Dalton.

A doctor in Amarillo did not hesitate to refer Jerry to Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. There was further surgery there. This time, “they had cut from the top of my ear all the way to the bottom of my throat,” Jerry says, “and (they) removed 40 lymph nodes.”

The cancer appeared in three.

“I was scared,” Jerry says. “But I didn’t really understand it at that time.”

Then came the first of what would be 10 years of PET (positron emission tomography) scans, which create images to show the possible spread of cancer cells – “At that point it was like ‘why aren’t I glowing now?’” says Jerry – and one year of grueling interferon treatments.

He remembers places, and events. His first transient ischemic attack (TIA, or mini-stroke. A second, more severe TIA in Amarillo, and the doctors recommending he stop the treatments (“I REFUSED!” Jerry says). The day, during his first three-month PET scan, that doctors discovered an aortic aneurysm.

“I thought: oh, brother,” says Jerry. “I beat cancer, and now I’m gonna die of an aneurysm.” Open heart surgery in 2011, during which he received a mechanical heart valve “and a warranty card to boot.”

There were years of moving around and dealing with dwindling finances. Jerry went on disability in 2007; the couple lived in Clinton, Missouri and Palestine, Texas. Jerry and Mary bought several rental properties, selling all but two before the housing crunch. Mary moved to Lufkin and lived in a travel trailer for a while before they purchased their current home there (which “needs help…more than I do,” Jerry says).

This is an important part of the story: during this long period, Jerry was often stuck indoors. Sometimes, due to either the medical event or the treatment, he was unable to eat or talk. The outdoorsman was now wondering about the most basic activities.

“Who’s gonna mow the lawn?” Jerry remembers asking himself. “If I couldn’t do that, I’d have gone nuts.”

Surviving – and Living, Too

This is Jerry Dalton today: he speaks in a husky tone (one vocal cord is paralyzed). His vision is impaired from the strokes. He has a mechanical heart valve. He used to weigh 240 pounds; now it’s more like 175. He’s accident-prone; the other day a piece of 2×6 lumber “fell out of my hand,” he says. “Now I have half a black eye…even my doctors look forward to seeing new bruises.”

Jerry Dalton is also cancer-free, and has been since 2011. “The best time was when they said, ‘you don’t need any more treatments. You are free to go,’” says Jerry.

What is most amazing is that he tells this story with a lightness of spirit that lets you know you’re speaking with Jerry the melanoma survivor and Jerry the adventurous rescue diver all at once.

“The biggest challenge for me was just doing the things that I want to do,” he says. “I’m still able to drive and do things like that. But it was all so rough on my body that anything strenuous, especially climbing stairs, has gotten crazy. And the hardest part was dealing with all that.”

Talking helps. Jerry has written a book, as yet unpublished, about his experiences. He reaches out to anyone who will listen about the dangers of melanoma and ways he’s discovered to effectively deal with a diagnosis.

For him, that has been a long-term effort to strike a balance. The former highly active life in and around the water must blend into his more recent existence, which for quite a while has included being afraid to step outside.

“I was so worried at the time to go out in the sun…we had to do something,” Jerry says. “After going through all this stuff with melanoma, and me not being able to go outside, I was scared to death. One of our first things was researching (protective) clothing.”

This was several years ago now, but the clothing remains – Jerry is never without a full-featured Coolibar hat, such as the Ultra Sport Hat, and a Coolibar UPF 50+ shirt. But the fear is subsiding. Jerry credits Coolibar clothing with providing a new freedom, the ability to live and play outside again without worrying about the sun’s UV rays and a recurrence of melanoma.

A word about Mary: “There is no way I could have done all this without her,” Jerry says. In his mind he goes back in time to a car ride in 1999, and the diagnosis that immediately followed, and all that lay ahead.

“I said, “well, I don’t expect you to deal with this; I’ll just go back to my family,’” Jerry says. “And she said, ‘I don’t think so.’”

In late April, Jerry participated in the Sealy Outdoors Big Bass Splash at Sam Rayburn Lake in the couple’s newly purchased (actually it’s 37 years old, and as yet has no sun canopy) bass boat. That was his first venture out into the sun and water in many, many years.

This is Jerry Dalton, true to form: “I fished Friday am, it was so rough & full of boats that made mine look like a baby boat. I fell Thursday evening while trying to sit on the upper seat. This hurt so much, that I did it again Friday. I was out-fished this year. (But) it won’t happen again!”

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Educate Others Inside Coolibar Sun Protection Clothing What's Hot

Diagnosed at 25, Building a New Life in the Sun

May 8, 2014
By Team Coolibar

By Renee Burch

Note: Each May, Coolibar highlights melanoma survivors to call awareness to the dangers of melanoma. Here, Renee tells her story.

I used to think skin cancer was something that happened after decades of excessive tanning (not to young, otherwise healthy 25-year-olds) or to those living in sun-laden states (not in places like the perpetually-rainy Northwest).

Unfortunately, in March of 2013 I was diagnosed with malignant melanoma on my left thigh. And I quickly learned that, like most other young adults, what I thought I knew about the dangers of the sun and skin cancer was way off.

About Melanoma

Unlike other types of cancer, a la pink ribbons and saving the ta-tas, most people know very little about skin cancer. And they seem to know the least about the most deadly type of skin cancer: melanoma. Even more concerning is the fact that melanoma is the second most common cancer in young adults – and the number of yearly diagnoses is increasing, particularly in young women.

Part of what makes melanoma so deadly (and different from other types of skin cancer) is that it can quickly spread, which is why yearly screenings for every person, young and old, are necessary for prevention and early diagnosis.

The Diagnosis

Let me tell you, it has not been easy – my life was turned upside down the day I found out I had malignant melanoma at the age of 25.

I remember being very confused. I was unsure what it really meant. I didn’t realize right away that having melanoma was going to be the basis for rebuilding my routines – from hiking, athletic events and boating, to walking the dog, looking forward to traveling and starting a family. And, it took me a while to figure out how I was going to continue to do all these things while being “safe” in the sun.

For a while I tried to justify why I got the disease and other people I knew who were my age did not. “Back in the day” I always kept a healthy tan (turns out, it wasn’t healthy after all!), but I didn’t burn often, so I figured I was lucky to tan easily, and didn’t worry much about skin damage.

I shelled out extra money for the tanning beds I was told were the best “because they didn’t have the bad UV,” or because artificial tanning was beneficial to increasing vitamin D absorption.

My parents vaguely warned me about the dangers of overexposure to the sun, but never had any type of skin cancer. So, I lived life under the veil of belief that skin cancer wouldn’t affect me. My uncle had Stage IV skin cancer more than 20 years ago. I figured if he had it, removed it and has never had a reoccurrence, that’s how it worked: get skin cancer, get it removed, and move on.

I spent many months feverishly researching online, reading books, talking to other survivors, and testing a myriad of sunscreens (a trial-and-error that often left me covered in a ghostly white sheen). I completely switched my skin products, certain foods and supplements — everything in my daily life was impacted by melanoma in one way or another.

I found it difficult to decipher how to lead a normal life versus how to lead a normal life with melanoma. I struggled with the fact that the damage I had previously done was irrevocable. Right now, I have a one in 10 risk of developing malignant melanoma again. If I don’t take care of myself I could be a one in five, or a one in three. But the best I’ll be is a one in 10 risk.

And, I could not possibly spend life holed up indoors, or wearing thick and bulky, dark-colored, long-sleeve clothing on sunny summer days.

After months of angst, I realized I had to stop worrying about tomorrow’s challenges, and take charge. I was only 25. I want to travel, I want to have kids one day, and it was unrealistic that this disease was going to stop me from getting outside and enjoying day-to-day activities. I was determined: melanoma would not control my life. I was going to control it.

A New Life in the Sun

Thankfully, after recently celebrating my one-year melanoma free anniversary (a really big accomplishment for me!), I find myself achieving peace of mind with my diagnosis. I am continuously learning how to navigate life in the sun, without hampering my previously active and outdoors lifestyle.

I have vowed never to purposely seek out a tan – whether in the summer sun or in a tanning salon bed – and I am an advocate to my family and friends about practicing “safe sun”. Perhaps most importantly, I seek shade whenever possible and limit my sun exposure, particularly during peak hours between 10 am and 4 pm (even in the winter or on overcast days).

Without UPF clothing, I know my path to a healthy balance would have been much more difficult. I have sun protective clothing for nearly every scenario. In fact, I have a special dresser drawer designated specifically to it! I have UPF 50+ baseball caps for hiking and biking, sun hats for summer boating and leisure, beach cover-ups, running leggings, swim skirts, and a variety of other pants and shirts for whatever activities life throws my way.

I am a die-hard loyalist to my favorite brands of sunscreen (and let me tell you, physical sunscreen that isn’t pasty white sure is hard to come by). I seek out the shade, but when life happens and sun exposure is unavoidable, I know I am “safe” because of my go-to sunscreens and sun protective gear.

I continue to advocate and show others by my example the ways in which it is possible to practice safe sun: apply SPF of at least 30 and reapply regularly, and fake a glow that is actually healthy. (Believe me, self-tanners have come a long way since the days of streaky orange hand prints!) I wear my scar with pride. It’s a 3-inch scar on my thigh. People see that and say: “Wow that looks serious, what happened?” I tell them: “It’s from melanoma, and that is serious, but this scar could be worse – it could be on a more delicate area of the body, like the face.” That comes as a shock to most people.

If you do nothing else, see your dermatologist once a year. With my diagnosis, I visit mine every three months. But if you notice any changes in your moles, even freckles, get them checked out immediately!

Melanoma is a lifelong battle. One that is not, nor ever will be, easy. But I am fortunate to have caught mine early, to have supportive family and friends, and to have access to an increasing range of sunscreens and sun protective clothing.

I also feel optimistic that one day skin cancer will be as well-known as other cancers. With the support of Coolibar and other skin cancer advocates, I imagine a world where melanoma 5Ks and fundraisers, mobile mole-checks and UPF clothing are commonplace.

Renee Burch is a native of Seattle, Washington, and serves as an example of youth overcoming fear. Renee has created clear messages about melanoma, including the misperceptions about its seriousness, the dangers of indoor tanning and the necessity to reach people while they’re young about ways to prevent it. Renee is a proponent of dressing “cute and sporty,” and considers Coolibar a tried-and-true sole resource. She owns swim leggings, sun hats, half-zip shirts, jackets and sun hats, and more.

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