When Mental Health & Cancer Meet: It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

Close up of man and woman holding hands

Stock photo posed by models, sourced by Getty Images

Two navigators from our Cancer Support Helpline share strategies to help you through the ups and downs of your cancer experience.

 

Editor’s Note: This is part of our Spotlight on Mental Health series examining critical mental health concerns that affect cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and providers.   

 

Each year as May rolls around, days become longer, and flowers and trees reach peak bloom. Many people have emerged from their winter cocoons and may notice an improvement in their mood. May is also Mental Health Awareness Month and, while everything may be looking up, it is a time to acknowledge the importance of honoring one’s mental health needs throughout the year, especially if cancer is also in your life.

Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, affecting how we think, feel, and act. While most people experience normal everyday ups and downs, 1 in 5 adults in the United States will experience a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression.

Hearing the news that you have, or may have, a cancer diagnosis is a devastating moment in a person’s life. Those everyday ups and downs you once had may now be complicated by the practical realities of navigating serious illness, communicating updates to loved ones, and managing feelings around planning for the future.

Receiving a diagnosis or learning that your cancer has changed can bring about many emotions. These feelings can be complicated to sort out. All the while, lives don’t stop moving — bills still need paying — and it can be all too easy to put our emotions to the side to deal with later. An already existing mental health condition could be worsened by the new uncertainty of cancer, especially if formal support is limited.

In short, it is expected that you may not be okay while balancing all of this.

Tips to Cope With Stressors

As oncology social work navigators at Cancer Support Community’s Cancer Support Helpline, people share stories with us that include other components of their lives that impact their mental health and wellness. Dynamics that were occurring long before cancer entered their lives have an impact on their mood and coping abilities such as:

  • Being caregivers themselves to aging parents or young children
  • Experiencing loss in the form of divorce or with the passing of a loved one
  • Managing life transitions such as with jobs changes or family planning
  • Navigating the highs and lows of being an emerging adult

When cancer arises, it may occur alongside these other life stressors that are common life experiences for many of us.

It can be helpful to know some coping strategies that can be used in moments when you are not feeling okay. Asking yourself, “How can I improve the moment?” can help to pause and redirect your focus on something that can help reduce the distress temporarily. This may include spending time in nature by going for a walk, taking a shower or bath, calling a loved one, writing, or listening to music.

Mindfulness is the practice of noticing the present moment or an emotion for exactly what it is, without feeling the need to change how we are feeling or push the emotion away. Developing a regular mindfulness practice can be beneficial to understanding how to balance intense feelings. Smart phone apps such as Insight Timer or Calm are great resources to get started.

Or try our guided yoga and meditation videos, designed with the needs of people impacted by cancer in mind.

Need to pause and take some deep breaths? Watch our 13-minute guided meditation using breath, visualization and intention to call upon healing within. 

It is also important to know when you may need to turn to formal support. Some signs that it may be time to talk with someone include:

  • Feeling unable to control your thoughts or worries
  • Sleeping less or more than you are accustomed to
  • Eating more than usual or not having an appetite at all
  • Finding it difficult to complete basic daily tasks
  • No longer enjoying activities you once enjoyed

Your cancer center may have oncology social workers available to offer practical and emotional support. You can ask your oncologist or nurse navigator for a referral to the oncology social worker to be connected. Your primary care provider is another great resource for referrals to community mental health providers.

 

NOTE: If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, experiencing depression, or feeling a loss of hope, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat with a counselor from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. They provide 24/7, free, and confidential support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress anywhere in the United States.

How Our Helpline Can Provide Cancer Support

Our Cancer Support Helpline is staffed with community navigators and resource specialists who are here and ready to support you by phone at 888-793-9355 and online via our live web chat service. Our Helpline staff can offer emotional support and share personalized resources that may be helpful in coping with difficult emotions that can come with cancer.

A few ways we can help include:

  • Linking you with one of our Gilda’s Club or CSC locations across the country that provide free support programs to anyone impacted by cancer
  • Helping you find a therapist in your community or online if you prefer
  • Finding a peer mentor, matching you with someone who has been through a similar experience
  • Offering support and guidance around talking openly with your oncology team, primary care doctor, or any of your other care providers about how you are feeling.

Remember, it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. We are here to support you through the ups and downs of your cancer experience.

Jokes Allowed: How Humor (and Other Strategies) Helped This YA Cope With Late-stage Cancer

 

“To keep going is resilience in the face of something terrible going on,” says Courtney, pictured here.

Writing, joking, TikToking and connecting helped Courtney get through the toughest moments of an advanced-stage melanoma diagnosis.

 

“If I wasn’t going to laugh, I was going to cry, and there was a better way for me to get through it.” – Courtney

The news came just when life was starting to feel normal again.

It was late 2021. Many people were easing back into their pre-pandemic routines. Theaters, concert halls, and comedy clubs were booking events again. Performers were returning to the stage. Courtney, a 26-year-old Chicago-based actress and comedian, had plans to do the same.

But when Courtney received the results of a biopsy, everything changed in an instant. She was told that a persistent bump under her arm — first examined by a doctor 6 months earlier and dismissed as breast tissue — was, in fact, late stage 3/early stage 4 melanoma.

“It felt like I was living some alternate reality,” she says, looking back on the days and weeks after her diagnosis. “Like someone else who was living this really terrible life, because I never expected my life to go down this path.”

 

“You just lose the innocence of youth — for me that’s what it felt like, because I just wanted to be a normal 26-year-old and not have the pressure of a life-threatening illness.”

— Courtney

 

In the days after her diagnosis, Courtney grappled with the question “Why me?”

“I think this is almost universal for cancer survivors is [asking] ‘Why me? Why did this terrible thing happen to me?’” she says. “There are not a lot of reasons why. It’s like, ‘Why not you?’ It could have happened to anybody. I never spent a day in a tanning bed, but I had melanoma. It was anger around that — you think there are a lot of worse people in the world it could have happened to, and I was comparing myself to other people which, I don’t know, was a coping mechanism at the time.”

It wasn’t just anger that she felt. Courtney recalls feeling a deep sadness and grief for the life she had been living before cancer. Over time, those emotions gave way to resilience.

“You can’t cope with your life unless you are resilient,” she says. “You have to grieve — that is what makes us people. But to keep going is resilience in the face of something terrible going on.”

Getting Through Treatment

After weighing a first and second opinion about her treatment options, Courtney opted to go with the second, from an oncologist at Northwestern Medicine who specializes in skin cancers and melanomas. The course of treatment would include immunotherapy using a combination of 2 drugs.

Like other cancer therapies, immunotherapy can have side effects. Often, they are temporary and not severe. Less often, side effects can be severe, such as problems with the liver, kidney, or heart.

“I lasted one round of the two drugs and went into liver failure,” says Courtney.

She was hospitalized for 10 days after her first round of treatment. For her next 11 rounds of immunotherapy, her care team administered just one drug.

“Of course, they never know what is going to be effective for each individual person,” says Courtney. It was scary, she adds, not knowing if just one drug would be effective.

“Going through immunotherapy is hard,” she says. There were side effects — gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, rashes. “I was able to try to live as normal as possible. I still didn’t know what life would look like — what my end goal was going to look like — if I was going to be able to finish treatment. I felt pressured to leave something behind at that point.”

Courtney paired up with her friend Kelton, a comedy writer, and together, they wrote a comedy show (the duo later performed it before an audience). “It was like, ‘God forbid, if I’m not here, at least I left something behind,’” she says.

Having a strong support system among friends and family also helped her during treatment. Her parents and sister periodically traveled from out of town to stay with her, and her longtime partner Tyler accompanied her to treatments at the hospital. Often, she joked with friends and family about her cancer experience. “It was always kind of the butt of the joke [with] people I was close with,” says Courtney. “If I wasn’t going to laugh, I was going to cry, and there was a better way for me to get through it.”

Ultimately, the 11 additional rounds of immunotherapy with the single drug worked. In 2022, Courtney was declared as having NED: no evidence of disease.

“When I did finish treatment, it was full steam ahead,” she says, “like I have my life back and I need to take advantage of this and start performing again.”

Courtney (center, front) performing with her improv team Whimsy Lohan in 2023.

Finding Peer Support

Adolescents and young adults with cancer face “real disparities” when it comes to both diagnosis and care, notes hematologist-oncologist Allison Rosenthal, D.O., in a Mayo Clinic blog.1 As Dr. Rosenthal put it, “This is an underdiagnosed, underserved, and under-recognized population.”1

Compared with other age groups, cancers in AYAs are often diagnosed at later stages.2,3

Cancer care itself is generally not targeted to meet the unique needs of young adults.4 Treatment and management tend to fall on either the pediatric side or the older adult side of the oncology care spectrum.4 As a result, young adults can feel sidelined throughout their cancer care experience.

Courtney sensed this disparity from the moment of her diagnosis. “Even when they handed me a brochure for melanoma, it was older people on it. I was like, ‘Where is the representation?’”

Finding other YAs with whom she could connect proved invaluable. “There were young adult programs to help me process — just meeting people who are going through the same thing. Everyone of all ages suffers from cancer. It doesn’t care what age you are, but it can be daunting to look around the cancer center and you are the youngest one there.”

For peer support, Courtney turned to a variety of resources. There was Imerman Angels, a program that pairs young cancer patients with a mentor of a similar age and cancer diagnosis. And First Descents, an organization that hosts outdoor adventure trips for young adults impacted by cancer and other serious health conditions. Courtney went on a kayaking trip through the organization. “I still talk to my First Descents friends that I’ve made,” she says.

There was also True North Treks. The Cassie Hines Shoes Cancer Foundation. And Gilda’s Club Chicago, part of Cancer Support Community’s network of 190 locations around the globe.

After she completed treatment, Courtney also participated in CSC’s YA survivorship educational program, Cancer Transitions for Young Adults: Moving Beyond Treatment. The professionally facilitated, 4-week program addresses physical, social, and practical issues young adult survivors can face. Participants also have opportunities to learn from one another through group discussions. “I think it’s important for people to meet other young people who have gone through it,” shares Courtney.

“There are so many resources. That was important for me, coping, getting connected and having access to these things, especially for my mental health.”   — Courtney

Sharing Her Story

Throughout her treatment, Courtney shared her experience on her social media, filming videos for Instagram and TikTok that depicted “a day in the life of getting treatment.” Now she has a collection of journal-like videos to look back on. Watching them helps her recall the emotions she was feeling at the time, she says. “For me it was vital to be processing it while going through it. I’m very open about it and like to talk about it.”

Courtney continues to share her story today as she navigates the ins and outs of survivorship, including regular CT scans and annual MRIs. Currently she’s writing a show about her experience.

“It’s comedic, but still authentic to what I went through,” she says. “I’m hoping to finish it sometime before the summer ends. I think I will have ensemble members to play the nurses and doctors and my friends.”

Courtney also continues to be open about her cancer experience and welcomes people’s questions about it.

“It doesn’t define me,” she says. “But I went through something very hard and very difficult, and I think it shows who I am as a person. Especially when I’m meeting people, I always feel like there’s a point where I have to come out and say, ‘Yeah, for a year I had cancer, and it’s part of me.’”

Check Your Skin Cancer & Sun Safety Knowledge With This Derm Expert

Stock photo posed by model, sourced by Getty Images

Are you applying enough sunscreen before you head outdoors? “It’s a lot more than people realize,” says dermatologist Vishal Anil Patel, M.D. Use this Q&A to brush up on your knowledge about skin cancer, prevention & protection ― including just how much sunscreen you should be using.

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States today, accounting for about half of all cancers. Thanks to public awareness campaigns in recent decades, we are more knowledgeable about skin cancer prevention and sun safety than ever before. Still, many of us have lingering questions about everything from risk factors to screening recommendations to proper sunscreen application.

Have you wondered:

  • Should I get skin cancer screening?
  • Can just one sunburn increase my risk of skin cancer?
  • Is skin cancer curable?
  • Does skin cancer run in the family?
  • Can I use last year’s bottle of sunscreen?

To get the answers to these and other common questions, we spoke with Vishal Anil Patel, M.D., Director of Cutaneous Oncology at the George Washington (GW) Cancer Center and Director of Dermatologic Surgery in GW’s Department of Dermatology.

Here’s what to know:

How does the sun play a role in the development of skin cancer? Are there other causes of skin cancer besides the sun?

Dr. Patel: Sun is a carcinogenic exposure. But there are also other carcinogenic agents that can cause skin cancer, like arsenic or even a virus like HPV (human papilloma virus). UV radiation is the most common and the most prevalent cause today.

Globally, we have a positive and a negative relationship with the sun. We all love to do stuff in the sun, but sometimes we consume it too much. We have a sun-worshipping culture, and that exposure is additive over time. So, while the sun can cause harm, you can modify your behavior to reduce your exposure risk now and going forward.

The most common types of skin cancer are non-melanoma skin cancers, and those are caused by long-term, chronic sun exposure. So, it can be decades before you develop these malignancies.

There are other causes of skin cancer, as well ― genetic predispositions, and some medications. There are medications that lower or alter your immune system. We have so many new medications that can control your immune system, to a degree, for overactive immune systems. These chronic medications that people take ― some of them increase your risk of skin cancer. If we are artificially hampering your immune system, that can increase your risk. There are even blood pressure medications and other medications that can make you more sensitive to the sun.

Can just one sunburn increase someone’s risk of skin cancer?

Dr. Patel: Yes. Intense sunburns, especially at an earlier age, increase your risk, especially of melanoma. There is no such thing as a healthy tan ― it’s a sign that your skin is seeing UV radiation and is responding to it. It’s a marker that it’s seeing more damage than it would like. So, people who don’t blister, don’t burn, but tan a lot, [will] begin to see the effects of that. Suntans will cause you to prematurely age. It’s all on the same continuum. And that damage is variable — you can get just one sunburn and that increases your risk [or] have low levels of underlying damage over time, so your risk of non-melanoma goes up.

I tell patients you can eat a terribly high-fat meal just once, and it increases your risk of high cholesterol temporarily, or you can have unhealthy eating over time and this could increase your cholesterol.

The same analogy works with sun exposure. Just like with everything in this world, moderation and protection is key. We try to moderate how much sugar and fat is in our diet. With the sun, we should try to moderate it too. Don’t play tennis or golf at noon. If you have to be outside, try to do your activities earlier or later. Wear sun-protective clothing. Reapply sunscreen because it wears off every 2 hours or so. Get under the tree or an umbrella, do something active, and then reapply sunscreen and take a break.

“Tanning is your body’s way of reacting to UV radiation. The skin cells are reacting to the sun and there is localized damage that is potentially occurring.”

― Dr. Vishal A. Patel

Can skin cancer be inherited?

Dr. Patel: Melanoma has a much more genetic component to it [than non-melanoma]. There’s much more of a driver to it with known targeted genes.

We think about melanoma in subgroups ― there are ones that are driven by mutations that were acquired from sun damage only, and there are ones that are due to family history and are genetically predisposed.

The genetically predisposed ones occur when 2 or more family members on one side have invasive melanoma. That’s when we think there is a specific genetic component to it.

Discover More About Inherited Cancers

Where is the most common place to find skin cancer?

Dr. Patel: For about 85% of non-melanoma skin cancers, the most common places are on sun-exposed areas like the head and neck, forearms, and hands.

For melanomas, they are also on sun-exposed areas, generally, but also can be anywhere on the body. If it’s genetic, it can be on an area that hasn’t seen sun damage.

Is skin cancer easy to treat and cure?

Dr. Patel: We like to start by saying that the lower risk skin cancers can be treated well when caught early. They have different risk profiles, so we have different treatment options.

The non-melanoma skin cancers can be treated in a variety of ways, through surgical and nonsurgical options. They generally have high cure rates when cut out completely.

As a whole, skin cancers do really well when managed early on. This includes melanoma as well. But even some melanomas that are caught and treated earlier can have a risk of the cancer spreading or causing death. But that risk is low, so early treatment is best for any skin cancer.

Find Out More About Skin Cancer Treatment Options

Dr. Patel: We don’t have clear skin cancer screening guidelines because there isn’t clear evidence about how many lifesaving benefits it has. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force does not recommend skin cancer screening for the general population because it can lead to unnecessary biopsies and unnecessary treatment.

It’s an individualized risk stratification* that we like to consider. Most patients should get risk stratified once by a dermatologist and discuss if and what frequency you might need to be seen for skin cancer screening. If you are at high risk, you should probably get screened at different (more increased) frequencies.

*Editor’s Note: Risk stratification is a practice healthcare providers use to assign patients risk levels, from low to high, for specific conditions. A person’s risk status for a condition depends on individual factors like medical history.

“We recommend that you get used to looking at your skin once a month and get used to where all your moles and spots are. … If you notice something change or a new growth, you should consider having that evaluated more closely.”

― Dr. Vishal A. Patel

Can doing monthly skin checks at home be helpful for anyone to do, regardless of their risk level for skin cancer?

Dr. Patel: Yes, doing self-screening at home can be one of the most effective ways to find skin cancer. In fact, self-screening has been shown to be almost as effective or even more effective than seeing a dermatologist in certain scenarios. This is because you are considering the history of the way your skin looks and not just how it looks at one point in time when you go to see the doctor.

Generally speaking, we recommend that you get used to looking at your skin once a month and get used to where all your moles and spots are. Get used to how they look. And if you do that each month and regularly, our brains and eyes pick up changes or new spots. If you notice something change or a new growth, you should consider having that evaluated more closely.

Here’s What to Look For When Doing Monthly Skin Checks

Practicing sun safety, including wearing sunscreen on both cloudy and sunny days, is one of the most important ways people can lower their risk of skin cancer. There are many sunscreen products available in a wide range of SPF values, from 6 to 100.
What should people look for when choosing a sunscreen?

Dr. Patel: The first thing I say is pick one that you like to put on ― one that feels good, that’s not annoying. Some have moisturizers; there are some that have make up. There are chemical and mineral sunscreens. See what is easy to apply and feels comfortable, whether it’s on your face, body, or whatnot. You have to do a little trial and error. I tell patients if you want the easiest one, go for the kid’s or baby version, because they are gentler and they are mineral-based.

The second point I say is that the SPF number is difficult to fully understand. It’s a strength and a duration. But in general, the higher the number, the longer it is going to work ― it’s a burn-ratio factor.*

What I tell people is you want to have at least SPF 30, and 50 or above is best. The incremental effect after that is small. But if you see sunscreen with SPF 80 on sale, you might as well get the 80. Make sure that’s its broad-spectrum to get skin protection against both UVA and UVB rays. If you do that, then you should be in good shape.

*Editor’s Note: SPF (sun protection factor) is a measure of how long it takes UV radiation to burn skin with a sunscreen product vs. the time it would take without the sunscreen (Skin Cancer Foundation)

 

UVB vs UVA: What’s the Difference?

The sun emits two types of UV (ultraviolet) light that can harm the skin. UVB light affects the outer layers, causing sunburn. UVA light has a longer wavelength and reaches deeper layers of the skin. Over time, UVA exposure can cause premature skin aging. Learn more about UV radiation.

As we prepare for outdoor activities and beach vacations this summer, some of us might be tempted to dig out our old bottles of sunscreen from last year, or previous years.
Does SPF lose effectiveness after it expires?

Dr. Patel: Expiration dates are meant to be a safety point. That shelf life is that’s its optimally working to that point. If it’s a few months expired, it’s probably totally fine. If you realize that it’s expired, you can use it or mix it with [new sunscreen] so you can stretch it. Usually after 3 months is my cutoff ― that’s when I know the value is going down, and beyond 6 months there certainly will not be value.

But the real question is, if you are going to be getting more anyway, why don’t you just make the move to [a new bottle]? That is always better and recommended, but if you are in a bind and only have one to use that is a month or two expired, that is better than not using anything at all.

The other thing people miss is underutilizing the amount of sunscreen you need. It’s a lot more than people realize. You need one shot glass amount to apply to your whole body. You split that up per area — your torso is one area, your legs and your arms are other areas. The ineffectiveness of sunscreen is usually due to incomplete application.

There are different myths about skin cancer and its prevention. What is one common myth you can bust now?

Dr. Patel: We always hear that myth about getting a healthy tan or starting your sunny season off with a base layer of skin hardening, so to speak. That’s really a myth. Tanning is your body’s way of reacting to UV radiation. The skin cells are reacting to the sun and there is localized damage that is potentially occurring. The myth that getting a tan is healthy for your skin is something people should disregard.

 

About Vishal A. Patel
Dr. Vishal A. Patel is an Associate Professor of Dermatology and Associate Professor of Medicine/Oncology at the George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. He serves as the Director of Cutaneous Oncology at the GW Cancer Center and the Director of Dermatologic Surgery at the GW Department of Dermatology. He is a board-certified dermatologist as well as a fellowship trained and board-certified micrographic dermatologic surgeon who specializes in cutaneous oncology and reconstructive surgery, including the medical and surgical management of melanoma, cutaneous squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas and Merkel cell carcinoma.

Why This Supermodel Is Spreading the Word About Sun Protection

Photo by Olivier Darbonville on Unsplash

During Skin Cancer Awareness Month in May and year-round, skin cancer prevention advocates emphasize the importance of sun safety while enjoying the outdoors. Now this “Uptown Girl” is speaking out about it, too.

 

As we head into summer, there’s no better time than now to brush up on measures you can take to protect yourself from the sun’s powerful rays.

In March, beloved model and actor Christie Brinkley announced on Instagram that she has been treated for basal cell carcinoma (BCC). She also explained how it was discovered. At the end of a dermatologist appointment for her daughter, Brinkley asked the doctor to examine a small bump on her own face. “He took a look and knew immediately it needed a biopsy,” Brinkley shared in her post. After the biopsy was performed, the results came back positive for BCC.

“The good news for me is we caught [it] early,” she wrote in her post. After its early detection, doctors at a skin surgery center were able to promptly remove the BCC.

Did You Know?

Christie Brinkley inspired the hit song “Uptown Girl,” written by her former husband, musician Billy Joel, four decades ago. Learn more about Brinkley and the famous song.

BCC, the most common type of skin cancer, causes a bump, lump, or lesion to form on the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). These formations may present as scaly, itchy, painful, shiny, surrounded by blood vessels, or fluid filled. BCCs often appear on areas of the body that are most frequently exposed to the sun. The face, nose, eyelids, legs, ears, and arms are common locations.

Risk factors for BCC include:

  • frequent sunburns
  • using tanning beds
  • a family history of skin cancer
  • spending a lot of time in the sun

Other risk factors include having light skin tone, light colored eyes, and red or blond hair.

Treatment for BCC

When caught early, BCCs can be easily treated. They are typically treated with surgery or topical medications. However, a different treatment may be necessary depending on the stage of the cancer and other factors.

Most superficial BCCs (not very deep) can be treated with medicated creams or gels applied directly to the skin. Consult your doctor about which treatment may be right for you.

Get More Details About Treatments for BCC

Brinkley’s Sun Safety Message to Her Fans

Brinkley — often remembered as the face of CoverGirl cosmetics in the 1980s — stressed the importance of skin protection while in the sun to help prevent skin cancer. In her Instagram post, Brinkley encouraged her fans to learn from her diagnosis:

“The good news for you is that all of this can be avoided by being diligent with your sun protection!… I’ll be slathering on my SPF 30, reapplying as needed, wearing long sleeves and a wide brim hat. And doing regular total body checkups…that is a MUST!”

Take these steps to protect your skin, shared by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center:

  • Wear protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses.
  • Protect yourself from sunrays by wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen. Broad spectrum means it blocks both types of ultraviolet rays (UVA and UVB).
  • Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside with an SPF of 30 or higher. Do this even on cloudy days and in the winter.
  • Apply a thick layer of sunscreen, about 2 tablespoons, on your face and body.
  • Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and after swimming, toweling off, or sweating.
  • Get into the shade whenever possible.
  • Do not use indoor tanning machines.

Did You Know?

The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. It’s best to avoid or limit your sun exposure during that time frame, if possible.

Christie Brinkley’s openness about her basal cell carcinoma diagnosis and treatment is a reminder that cancer can impact anyone and everyone. In the time since her diagnosis, she has used her platform to advocate for the importance of early detection and sun safety for skin cancer prevention. As Brinkley once shared in an Esquire magazine article, “The best beauty secret is sunblock.”