If you run into me around town in the next week or so your first reaction will probably be, “What ever possessed him to grow that truly hideous beard?”. The answer brings out two things worth sharing (no, it’s not musical; the only musical beards I know of are these).

First, since we live in a sunny place with epic weather and scenery and beaches that just beg you to get outside, if you don’t make an annual visit to a dermatologist you should. My most recent appointment is the reason I have that big goober on my Face and have managed to misplace my razor. That regular visit resulted in a series of treatments to ensure that the pre-cancerous Brown Thingie on my face was stopped in its tracks and didn’t have a chance to become that really scary brown thingie on my face. Bueno.

Second, the reason the brown thingie was there in the first place was probably due to my commute over the years. A large percentage of the time in the car featured the sun beaming through the window onto my unprotected face. Duh, sunscreen isn’t just for the beach. If you spend a lot of time in the car consider a strategy to make sure you avoid a brown thingie on YOUR face. Some of the ways that the dermatologist takes care of it really hurt. For a few days. You won’t like it.

Y’all be safe out there!

And just for grins, here are two really nasty beards.