Hi there, my name is Kamil.
Very curious of the whole world and adventurous, but sometimes tend to overanalyse even simple things.
I moved to Australia over 10 years ago. I grew up in northern Europe and it took me a few years to re-calibrate my inner compass and my approach to sun protection! At first I was not paying any attention to Australian sun at all.
Once I learned about the risks, my attitude change 180 degrees and for a few weeks I lived as if I was a young vampire allergic to sun. It took me a while to learn how to protect myself from the sun and how to reduce exposure and minimise potential risks. I now run very early in the morning to avoid high UV index and I go out for longer walk in nature in the early evening.
Whenever I go out during day time, I always apply sun screen at least 10 minutes (20 if I remember) and I always have my hat handy. I also usually wear my SPF protective shirt underneath - I've been using daily it ever since my skin doctor made a recommendation to start wearing one.
Instead, I have started talking better supplements, including vitamin D3. I have an office job, so it's rather easy for me to avoid full sun during the week days.
I wish I knew all about sun protection back when I was younger. Sun screen was just not a thing when I was growing up! I was completely unaware of any risks of longer term exposure and damage that sun can cause to our skin. Australia does have much better sun awareness than any other country I have visited.
I would tell my 16 year old self to take sun protection seriously - this is a long term game and you do want to win it. Always have a hat with you, get some good quality protective gear and always have a small tube of sun screen in your backpack. Three little things make a huge difference. "Slip Slop Slap" - it's never too late to learn that :)
Thank you Kamil for helping raise awareness for skin cancer, melanoma and skin conditions, and sharing your story with us and our Solbari Community.
The Solbari Team