I'vs sworn off tanning!

[Cruise Arizona]

Where we live in Arizona we joke about gettting enough sun to meet your Vitamin D production.

 

We have so much sun here that we say we get enough walking from the parking lot into Wal-Mart.

 

We have 360 days of sun here.

 

I've noticed that many people on cruises from Northern European Countries, particularly Germany, tend to be the ones sunning them selves on cruises, and sometimes sporting a serious burn as a result.

 

I hate all the freckles on my back, chest and sholders. I wish I had never ever been in the sun now.

[madge57]

When I work outside in the landscape I usually don't burn because of the protection I put on. But there is something about a nice warm sun hitting your body after a long winter. I tan rather easy so it doesn't take me long to get a healthy glow. Also we have a pond and I swim with plenty of sunsreen.

[Gathina]

People keep saying they get a healthy glow from the sun. What I'd like to know is how is it healthy if it's bad for you??:D

[Happy ks]

People keep saying they get a healthy glow from the sun. What I'd like to know is how is it healthy if it's bad for you??:D

 

 

It's not healthy, it's just peoples perception of a "healthy glow", that statement is drilled into us by advertising and each other, people remark how healthy you look with a tan.

 

To the women who plan on tanning anyway, I wish you could fast forward and see your skin 10-15-20 years from now.....it would probably change your mind.

 

I really only have sun damage on my hands and a little on my chest. Although I wear sunscreen daily, I wash my hands more than the average person and I'm probably outside more than the average person. I try to remember to reapply, but sometimes forget. By the age of around 47 is when I started to see the damage that was done...too late as it is not reversible. There are products that can help a bit, but nothing will bring back my skin to what it once was. I really do wish I'd started using sunscreen every day on my chest 20 years ago, I thought it looked nice to have a little more color to my skin. I'm glad I was never a sun worshipper and the damage is limited to just those areas and not my legs, arms and especially not my face.

[Saphire]

I don't think the sun is bad or a tan is bad. 'Everything in moderation' is a simple rule. The sun feels good on our skin because our body needs it, but not too much of it. A light tan looks great, and is good for you. It is the extreme that is harmful.

 

I think it is funny that people worry about their skin in old age. The sad truth is, skin that is old has poor integrity whether it was tanned a lot or kept away from any light. We don't last forever, and our skin will show that even though we took excellent care of it.

 

So for me, a light tan is just right. The 'glow' is healthy and natural. I am going to enjoy the time I have, and the cruise I am going on next month with my husband. But I am immortal. My skin will degrade with the rest of me as I grow older. I can accept that, and no bottle of SPF 45 slathered all over me is going to prevent it. (But a bottle of SPF 15, occasionally applied, will help).

[Gathina]

I think sun damage is about the only time I can say that medical research is conclusive.

 

Yes, your skin will age as you grow older. Everybody knows that. The difference is between looking lke an old leather prune versus having wrinkles due to natural aging. Why take the chance?

 

An American aunt I have grew up in Arkansas and worked in her rose gardens her entire life. When visiting her I always remember the huge hat, the gloves, the long sleeves and long pants AND a net like thing over her hat when she worked outside. When she died at 96 she had a full head of white hair, beautiful porceline skin with few wrinkles and always wore a beautiful dress and makeup..at 96! I remember, though, her skin being so beautiful.

 

I don't think the sun is bad or a tan is bad. 'Everything in moderation' is a simple rule. The sun feels good on our skin because our body needs it, but not too much of it. A light tan looks great, and is good for you. It is the extreme that is harmful.

 

I think it is funny that people worry about their skin in old age. The sad truth is, skin that is old has poor integrity whether it was tanned a lot or kept away from any light. We don't last forever, and our skin will show that even though we took excellent care of it.

 

So for me, a light tan is just right. The 'glow' is healthy and natural. I am going to enjoy the time I have, and the cruise I am going on next month with my husband. But I am immortal. My skin will degrade with the rest of me as I grow older. I can accept that, and no bottle of SPF 45 slathered all over me is going to prevent it. (But a bottle of SPF 15, occasionally applied, will help).

[Happy ks]

I don't think the sun is bad or a tan is bad. 'Everything in moderation' is a simple rule. The sun feels good on our skin because our body needs it, but not too much of it. A light tan looks great, and is good for you. It is the extreme that is harmful.

 

I think it is funny that people worry about their skin in old age. The sad truth is, skin that is old has poor integrity whether it was tanned a lot or kept away from any light. We don't last forever, and our skin will show that even though we took excellent care of it.

 

So for me, a light tan is just right. The 'glow' is healthy and natural. I am going to enjoy the time I have, and the cruise I am going on next month with my husband. But I am immortal. My skin will degrade with the rest of me as I grow older. I can accept that, and no bottle of SPF 45 slathered all over me is going to prevent it. (But a bottle of SPF 15, occasionally applied, will help).

 

 

Unfortunately, believing this is what will damage your skin the most and by the time you realize it, it's too late. If a tan was healthy and glowing, it would not work to heal itself from the damage that was done. Think about it, a tan will last only a few days, maybe a week after discontinued exposure, are you really willing to risk skin cancer, age spots and wrinkles for those few days of darker skin color?

 

Yes, your skin will age and wrinkle, that is inevitable. The difference is older skin doesn't have to have a lot of age spots, dryness, a leathery look. Living in So. Cal, I see a lot of women in their 30's, 40's and 50's who have skin damage from the sun and it's not healthy, nor glowing.

 

I've had much more sun exposure than my 2 sisters, both are a few years older than I, just because of the nature of my job. If you compare the skin on our arms and chest area, the difference is significant. The years creep up on you a lot faster than you can imagine and you may have regrets you don't realize right now.

 

Finally (I will stop the lecture :p) if you really have to have the "healthy glow", there are numerous products on the market now that can give you the look you desire without the damage. OK, done :);)

[Saphire]

if you really have to have the "healthy glow", there are numerous products on the market now that can give you the look you desire without the damage. OK, done :);)

 

Ew. I would much rather spend some time outside in natural sunlight than put that 'lotion full of chemicals' all over me, hoping it will imitate the look of a healthy tan. The truth is you can tan safely. The truth is sunlight is good for you, and we need it to stay healthy. The evidence is beginning to come around to say that sunlight can actually prevent skin cancer. At the very least, they are finding that they were too quick to ban the sun from our lives, and have found that sunshine in small doses is beneficial.

[Happy ks]

Ew. I would much rather spend some time outside in natural sunlight than put that 'lotion full of chemicals' all over me, hoping it will imitate the look of a healthy tan. The truth is you can tan safely. The truth is sunlight is good for you, and we need it to stay healthy. The evidence is beginning to come around to say that sunlight can actually prevent skin cancer. At the very least, they are finding that they were too quick to ban the sun from our lives, and have found that sunshine in small doses is beneficial.

 

 

I don't think small doses would make you tan. As far as putting chemicals on your skin, you would do the same thing with sunscreen or any body lotion.

 

I don't bother putting any of it on at all (self tanners, not sunscreen), I don't mind my skin being the color it already is.

[ScottCrew]

Tan skin = damaged skin. Period. Studies show that tanning alters the DNA in our skin. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. I am shocked by the person who posted that the sun/tanning can help prevent some skin cancers. What???!! I was diagnosed with melanoma 8 years ago. I have had 2 primary tumors with multiple severe atypia. The first question my oncologist at MD Anderson asked me was "when is the last time you were in a tanning bed?" I used to tan every now and then just to get a base tan, prevent burning while on vacation, or have a little color for an event/trip. Those every now and then laying out and very few (7 trips) to the tanning bed got me 25 inches of scarring on my torso. Yes, I will step on the soap box and preach this b/c I have spent years researching melanoma and other skin cancers. I have been the patient advocate for MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Houston chapter president for a national melanoma foundation.

 

I'm a practitioner and can always tell when my patients have protected their skin. At least 90% of my patients are geriatric. Those that avoided the sun look years and I mean years younger than their chronological age. I'm always impressed by how healthy their skin looks and how well they have maintained their appearance.

 

Avoiding the sun is so much healthier. The fake tans go on your epidermis and do not penetrate the deep layers. Our epidermis is constantly shedding. It's like putting on make-up or coloring you hair. It isn't permanent. UVB rays are what burns our skin. UVA rays cause the wrinkles and skin cancers so it is very deceiving. We get the damage whether you burn, tan, glow, etc.

 

Melanoma is the fastest growing cancer and there are more cases diagnosed annually than HIV. It is the number one cause of cancer deaths for women in their 20s and second to breast cancer for women in their 30s.

 

Please be careful.

[Houndmom]

My dad is a melanoma survivor, so tanning for the sake of tanning is pretty stupid for me. Ain't nothin' worth cancer, doll! I don't care how many people laugh at my touristy fishy whiteness. It's the Jergens Tan In A Tube for me, too!

[Saphire]

I am shocked by the person who posted that the sun/tanning can help prevent some skin cancers. What???!!

 

That would be me, I am that person. Do a search on your own and you will find dozens of articles about this new information. When we are exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is released in our system, which prevents skin cancer!

 

http://www.mercy.net/healthinfo/enewsletters/mindbody/april07.asp

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/021543.html

 

I am not talking about baking in the sun, and neither is the research. Why is it so hard for people to accept a moderate approach? Sunlight was created to promote life. I am just not willing to say it is bad, all bad, and the research confirms that.

[Houndmom]

That would be me, I am that person. Do a search on your own and you will find dozens of articles about this new information. When we are exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is released in our system, which prevents skin cancer!

 

http://www.mercy.net/healthinfo/enewsletters/mindbody/april07.asp

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/021543.html

 

I am not talking about baking in the sun, and neither is the research. Why is it so hard for people to accept a moderate approach? Sunlight was created to promote life. I am just not willing to say it is bad, all bad, and the research confirms that.

 

It's sunburns that cause most kinds of skin cancers. Like lots of other things, sun exposure in moderation is good for you. Overdoing it isn't. :rolleyes:

[patrice1]

That would be me, I am that person. Do a search on your own and you will find dozens of articles about this new information. When we are exposed to sunlight, vitamin D is released in our system, which prevents skin cancer!

 

http://www.mercy.net/healthinfo/enewsletters/mindbody/april07.asp

 

http://www.naturalnews.com/021543.html

 

I am not talking about baking in the sun, and neither is the research. Why is it so hard for people to accept a moderate approach? Sunlight was created to promote life. I am just not willing to say it is bad, all bad, and the research confirms that.

 

I tend to agree with you. I grew up in MA and could never figure out why I got so depressed every October. When I moved to FL 21 years ago, I never got depressed anymore. I don't purposefully tan, but just coming & going get tanned lightly. Lay out to tan? Not in this heat!;) But I always have a light tan and use sunscreen for beach or pool exposures. I am 56, with no moles (actually, one on my nose tip has disappeared), excess freckles or melanomas. My face and torso are not wrinkled. DH & I spend most of our time on a cruise reading in the shade, but I do like a little sun. Moderation is the way for me.

[Gathina]

Show me some CONCLUSIVE medical research and I MIGHT believe you.

 

You rarely see even a Flordian with a tan unless it is some beach bimbo or a retiree with wrinkly leather skin.

 

No kidding sunlight is good for you. But the average person probably gets enough Vitamin D by doing actiivties "naturallY" in the sun, and also if they eat healthy.

 

Ok so here's the challenge..show me the medical research. Because I doubt there is anything conclusive.

 

 

Ew. I would much rather spend some time outside in natural sunlight than put that 'lotion full of chemicals' all over me, hoping it will imitate the look of a healthy tan. The truth is you can tan safely. The truth is sunlight is good for you, and we need it to stay healthy. The evidence is beginning to come around to say that sunlight can actually prevent skin cancer. At the very least, they are finding that they were too quick to ban the sun from our lives, and have found that sunshine in small doses is beneficial.

[iheartbda]

You rarely see even a Flordian with a tan unless it is some beach bimbo or a retiree with wrinkly leather skin.

When my Chicago winter white sister goes to Florida in the winter, she sees the same woman year after year tanning at the pool, everyday, all day. She calls her "Leather Lady". :rolleyes:

[BND]

According to my husband (melanoma survivor), his dermatologist and his oncologist says there is no such thing as a healthy glow or tan. While, I don't slather myself in sunscreen daily, I also don't try to tan either. I think the post about vitamin D from sun is initially misleading. You will get plenty of sun for vitamin D production by simply walking to and from your car in a parking lot. It doesn't require more than a few minutes a day. And, it's not just sunburn that causes skin cancer. It's sun damage which you can get from a so-called "healthy tan". A tan is damage, you just don't peel.

 

There is a huge difference between getting a little sun just going about your daily life and laying out deliberately trying to get a tan which is what this thread initially was about.

[Cagman]

this is written by head of mealanoma at Dana Farber Cancer Researhttp://www.dana-farber.org/abo/news/press/2007/guardian-of-the-genome-protein-found-to-underlie-skin-tanning.htmlch

[Cagman]

http://www.dana-farber.org/abo/news/press/2007/guardian-of-the-genome-protein-found-to-underlie-skin-tanning.html

[Alamogirl]

Grew up in sunny CA when we used baby oil and iodine!! I now use sun screen always. When I want the "tanned look" I get a spray tan and no burns;)

[Jane110]

this is written by head of mealanoma at Dana Farber Cancer Researhttp://www.dana-farber.org/abo/news/press/2007/guardian-of-the-genome-protein-found-to-underlie-skin-tanning.htmlch

 

 

Dr Marko Lens, a skin cancer doctor & plastic surgeon in London has a line of skin creams that deal with the P53 Genome and DNA protection from harmful sun rays.

I interviewed him last year when he came to the US and it was fascinating. I also love the creams.

www.zelens.com

[5waldos]

Just remember than you need about 15 minutes of sun a day to get your Vitamin D. (I think it is daily). People (including children) are now developing Vit D deficiencies because of ALWAYS having on sunscreen.

[Gathina]

Does the research say IN the sun, or is looking out a sunny window good enough?

 

Just remember than you need about 15 minutes of sun a day to get your Vitamin D. (I think it is daily). People (including children) are now developing Vit D deficiencies because of ALWAYS having on sunscreen.

[dibbitz]

Just so you are informed, one can also get skin cancer on the eye. I do not mean on the skin around the eye, I mean on the eye itself. My DH was diagnosed several years ago. We were very fortunate to have a good doctor who sent us to Wills Eye Hospital in Phila. they were wonderful, we were there with people from all over the world and of all ages. We were blessed that it was Squamish cell ( sp?) and not melanoma. That would have been much worse, but as it was they were able to remove it. It will be five years this summer. So it is very important to wear sunglasses when outdoors, esp. in the bright sun in addition to using sunscreen. Sadly, my sister died just a few months ago of melanoma at the age of 62. It is not necessary to be a big time tanning fan. She was not, but apparently had one too many sunburns. It is time to take skin cancer more seriously in addition to how much it ages your skin. Sorry to be so serious.........

[SmerkyGrl]

It's always bewildered me how Americans think burning to a crisp/turning dark as an Indian is a beautiful thing. We Asians have always admired the whole porcelain skin thing.