Preview of Your Coming Attractions

When I retired after 40 years of writing columns for the San Jose Mercury News, I figured I'd said about all I could say. Wrong. I've realized that at age 76, I'm about 10 years older than the oldest baby boomers, who are now turning 66. My very average body has had a lot of experiences in those 10 years. I've learned a lot that could be helpful to people just starting on that same path -- what to do, what to avoid, what to keep an eye on.. Consider me your canary-in-the-coalmine for the boomer generation. Tune in regularly for the heads-up advice.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Head's up


Let me share with you a recent email from Boomerometer reader Lisa J:
     “Hi. In one of your every early blogs you were talking about the dangers of sunshine on our skin, even on the top of the head. You said that if someone would invent a leave-in hair conditioner with sunscreen built right in, they’d make a fortune. You said you’d invest in the company that made such a product. Well, are you rich yet?”
     Thanks for the reminder, Lisa. The subject also has been on my mind lately because a colleague at Books Aloud, where I volunteer recording audiobooks for the disabled, recently was diagnosed with malignant melanoma. Right on the top of his head.  He’s undergoing chemo right now, He’s only in his thirties. Nasty stuff.
     And yet we can’t realistically expect to try to protect ourselves by wearing hats every time we’re outdoors, can we? No. What we need is sunscreen that we can massage into our scalps without making our hair look like we’re some movie lounge lizard. Hence my plea for a leave-in hair conditioner that also has some SPF to it. And it appears that my prayers – and yours – have been answered.
     Industry has heard our cries for help, Google “leave-in hair conditioner SPF” these days and you come up with lots of product listings. I haven’t seen many reports yet on their efficacy, but they seem to be worth a try. I’ve ordered something called Quintessence that claims to have a 30 SPF and comes in a variety of tints (I’m getting the untinted model).
     I’ll let you know how it turns out. Looks like an opportunity for a growth industry here, given our nation’s Baby Boomer demographics. I may become a rich investor yet.

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