Sun Burn

[Just-Moxie]

Down here in the hot South...I start the day at sunrise....and try to finish before 1030 am. After that...it is far too hot to even consider continuing outside work. When I get sunburned (I am red haired of Celtic descent, as also German) I put the liquid aloe (from the gallon jug at walmart), in a spritzer bottle and spray, spray spray...till the burn goes away!!
And yes, I do use sunscreen 300 ...when I have to. It tends to make me over heat so I just alter my sun exposure.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

I'm one of those people who suspect the hype of sunscreen preventing cancer. If sunburn causes cancer, why aren't all skin cancers on shoulders, back of neck and bridge of nose? Things I have read say if you get enough nutrients you will not be likely to get skin cancer.
I may have to eat my words someday..... And my sincere apologies to anyone who has gotten skin cancers.
I have rarely used sunscreen. I just don't go outside when it is really hot. My garden gets attention in the morning and evening, but not in the heat of the day. For the record, I am pretty fair-skinned, but I don't burn easily; I don't tan easily either.

I wouldn't say that sunscreen by itself causes cancer, I think that it's more of a synergy type of thing (I don't know if I'm using that word right.). The sunscreen has a significant role in skin cancer but doesn't cause it just by itself, I think that past and current diet goes along with sunscreen in increased probability in getting screen cancer. I would think that your skin would slowly absorb the sunscreen and distribute it in the general area in which you applied it, but you are right - you'd think that it still would concentrate in those areas. (I'm having trouble thinking right now and what I just wrote is really only half way thought through. Spending a little bit too much time in the sun is definitely a bad thing!)

And yes, my full sympathy goes out to anybody here that might have had or currently has cancer. Cancer is a very serious and unfortunate thing.

P.S.

Still looking for those articles, I will make sure to post links when I do find them. I haven't managed to get a lot of time to actually look for them - it's been very busy now that I have a full-time summer job to attend to along with the garden and chores.

 

[journey11]

You know, even the critters all have sense to go find shade and get out of the sun on these hot summer days.

My dad has had 3 spots of skin cancer removed, squamous cell I think he said it was. His mom had a few spots removed too, mostly not serious, except for one melanoma caught early. His side of the family tans well and has mostly European descent and a some American Indian.

My mom's side is Dutch/German/Italian, all very fair-skinned, many redheads, lots of freckles. No one that I am aware of on that side has had any skin cancers.

You do have to wonder what all contributes to the increased risk some people have. Many times melanomas show up in areas that see little or no sun exposure. I've heard a lot of studies and theories on it, but I'm not really satisfied that smearing myself head to toe with goopy sunscreen is the answer.

 

[so lucky]

My mom had terrible skin problems as an adult; rosacea, acne, rough scarred skin. So when she was in her 30's her dermatologist prescribed SUN. He prescribed some pills to take to make the skin tan more. She spent hours in the sun, under doctors orders, to "treat" her acne. Made her look "fashionable" for a few years, but didn't really help her skin. Later, she got several skin cancers that were removed surgically, scarring her even more. I don't know if the sun caused the cancers, or if all the chemicals, pills and creams she hopefully used for years caused them. In her last years she wouldn't spend a minute outside in the sun, afraid of it.
All of which proves nothing.

 

[bobm]

I am of European decent and have fair skin, but when the weather turns to T shirt weather, all I have to do is walk in the sun and I get a dark tan so fast that I have the farmer's tan within a day or two. I have never used any type of sun screen and never had a sunburn. I sometimes wear a straw hat with lots of slits in it for sweat evaporation when I work out in the fields for hours on end. Now, my wife is French, English, Irish, Scotch ( with a pedigree dating back to the 1600's ) is also fair skinned and a stroll in the sun for just a few minutes and she is sunburned. So she wears light long sleeve shirts, long pants and a hat, but no sunscreen.

 

[Smart Red]

Being a tad vain at 66 years old, I (when I remember) will dab a bit of sunscreen on my cheek and nose 'summer freckles', but that's it. Farmer tan? That's me. I have the advantage of being retired so I can pace myself and my time in the sun.

Before retirement it was an all or nothing marathon, weekend after weekend and I constantly risked getting burned. Now I can work a bit in the sun, work a bit in the shade so I tan slowly without burning.

Mowing is the only time I spend prolonged time in the sun so I try to be more carefully covered then.

 

[Jared77]

I grew up with a "sun allergy". If out in the sun too long my ears would blister and peel even without burning first. I'd also break out in hives. It was awful. I was always wearing some kind of booney hat or Gilligan hat (that's what we called them) to protect me.

As I grew up it stopped being an issue and since I've moved out and started being able to really work in the garden I have pretty much stopped using sun screen. I can't stand the feeling of it and as hard as I'm working I swear it off or have dirt and other things stuck to me which makes me crazy.

I'm Irish/Scottish/German fair skinned blue eyes and I've got a dark tan. I don't wear a hat either and I'll burn a touch bit and so long as it's not uncomfortable I just let it ride.

I'm not out all day either I get what I need done while the baby naps which she goes down between 10-11am so that's my usual starting time. I'm done when she is so usually 12-1ish. A little pink never hurt anything is how I am now.

 

[catjac1975]

I don't know -skin cancer is on the rise. Fair skin is most at risk. Maybe you should reconsider the hat. I know this is girly, but I have always used Oil of Olay, original. It is light, has @8 sunscreen, not greasy. My dermatologist said it is enough. I never even know I have it on.No burn and I still get tan.

 

[Nyboy]

Cat my grandmother on moms side stopped time. The woman always looked 30 years younger then she was. no one ever believe she was my grandmom everyone thought she was my mother. her ageless secret was oil of olay !!!! I put a bottle in her casket along with a kid-kat candy bar.

 

[catjac1975]

You are a sweet grandson.