For years, I’ve noticed that people with skin cancers on the left side of the face tend to be drivers, while those with skin cancers on the right side of their faces tell me that they don’t drive and are usually passengers in the front seat. Taking this one step further, my patients with convertibles (unless they are extremely careful) have skin cancers almost EVERYWHERE on their heads, from the scalp down to their chins.
Besides urging my patients to trade in the convertible, I always point out that it is very easy to get sunburned while driving in a car. As this recent New York Times column discusses, sun rays penetrate through car windows and damage skin. This doesn’t just apply to the face, but to those unprotected hands on the steering wheel and the arm resting on the window. So apply that sunscreen!
