Tanning = ugly!

[petite]

I don't find it disturbing Petite, I indulge in all manner of self destructive habits, my point was more that because of this I understand and tend not to judge other people's self destructive habits, I think it's a part of human nature.

Mind you I'm as white as a ghost and LOVE it so I'm with you on that. Though I too fake bake for sun holidays :redface:

Tanorexics do tend to look like crap though.

Oh absolutely! I tried to edit my post to say something of the sort, but I had waited too long and I wasn't allowed. :frown1:

We all take different risks with our lifestyles. I smoked, I experimented with drugs when I was much younger, I drove too fast, and I did lots of things. I forgot I would die someday and I was unconcerned about it. It is human nature to be destructive and to ignore certain dangers for the sake of one's lifestyle or convenience or for the pure joy of it. Everyone does do it, we just do it in different ways.

 

[Randll86]

I don't find it disturbing Petite, I indulge in all manner of self destructive habits, my point was more that because of this I understand and tend not to judge other people's self destructive habits, I think it's a part of human nature.

Mind you I'm as white as a ghost and LOVE it so I'm with you on that. Though I too fake bake for sun holidays :redface:

Tanorexics do tend to look like crap though.

We humans destroy everything, including ousselves...just the way it is

 

[FRE]

Some doctors who previously recommended avoiding all sun exposure now recommend limited sun exposure. It was found that totally avoiding sun exposure resulted in a vitamin D deficiency.

The idea that any exposure is damaging is questionable; probably more careful studies should be done. At one time, it was almost universally believed that any nuclear radiation increased the risk of cancer and that ideally there should be no exposure at all. However, there have been studies that seem to indicate that small amounts of nuclear radiation are beneficial.

We are all exposed to nuclear radiation because trace amounts of uranium, thorium, potassium 40, carbon 14, and other radioactive elements are all around; we are also exposed to radiation from outer space. The amount of natural background radiation varies considerably depending on location. It has been found that people who live where the natural background radiation is high do not live shorter lives than people who live where the natural background is low. In fact, it has been found that people actually live longer where the natural background radiation is high. However, I don't see that as conclusive proof that small amounts of nuclear radiation are beneficial; perhaps it is, but statistics are easily misinterpreted. But if small amounts of nuclear radiation are beneficial, then it is possible that small amounts of sun exposure are beneficial and that it would be a mistake to avoid any exposure.

Let us hope that more careful studies will be done to determine more accurately the risks and benefits of various amounts of sun exposure.

 

[HiddenLacey]

Oh absolutely! I tried to edit my post to say something of the sort, but I had waited too long and I wasn't allowed. :frown1:

We all take different risks with our lifestyles. I smoked, I experimented with drugs when I was much younger, I drove too fast, and I did lots of things. I forgot I would die someday and I was unconcerned about it. It is human nature to be destructive and to ignore certain dangers for the sake of one's lifestyle or convenience or for the pure joy of it. Everyone does do it, we just do it in different ways.

Yep I used to smoke too and I quit 4 years ago. Now I'm like a crazy person. My guy still smokes and I hate it. I watch what I eat and drink I workout everyday. And I always put sunblock on, I'm like Pandora still no wrinkles. But my Mother and her sister have both had skin cancer so I watch every mole. I like being pale, I think my skin is lovely. :tongue:

 

[petite]

I eat lots of fish and I drink a lot of milk. I don't have a vitamin D deficiency.

It's very easy to get supplements if that's a problem for you and swallowing a little vitamin is easier than sitting out in the sun every day for 30 minutes!

 

[HiddenLacey]

I eat lots of fish and I drink a lot of milk. I don't have a vitamin D deficiency.

It's very easy to get supplements if that's a problem for you and swallowing a little vitamin is easier than sitting out in the sun every day for 30 minutes!

lmao I drink organic skim milk for breakfast each day, ummm last week I put the milk in the cabinet with the glasses... I think I need to eat fish to help my brain

 

[FRE]

I eat lots of fish and I drink a lot of milk. I don't have a vitamin D deficiency.

It's very easy to get supplements if that's a problem for you and swallowing a little vitamin is easier than sitting out in the sun every day for 30 minutes!

True, but there seems to be some controversy over the effectiveness of dietary supplements compared with sun exposure. 30 minutes a day every day would definitely be excessive.

A doctor on TV recommends 20 minutes of exposure twice a week. However, that recommendation lacks specificity. He said nothing about what area of skin that should be exposed. If it were 20 minutes total distributed evenly over the body, the risk of damage would be less than if the 20 minutes were concentrated on one area. In any case, his recommendation is subject to excessive interpretation.

 

[Gecko4lif]

Excuse me? Freckles are FUCKING AWESOME and seriously sexy. Or are you suggesting they carry some health risk?

Small amounts of freckles are cute

when you are covered like a leper it isnt.

 

[rob_just_rob]

There are people who tan for years and live into their 80s. And there are others who get cancer at 22.

Tan if you want to, don't live your life in fear of what "might happen".

 

[FRE]

I restrict my sun exposure. I've had several basil cell carcinomas removed so obviously it would be unwise for me to spend very much time in the sun.

It is rather clear that excessive amounts of sun exposure damage the skin even it does not result in cancer. The most common kind of skin cancer is basil cell carcinoma. They never grow fast or metastasize so, although they have to be removed, it is not urgent. However, melanomas, another type of skin cancer, are life threatening if not promptly removed.

 

[DiscoBoy]

Do people actually plan out "20-minute periods of time, twice a week" for sitting in the sun?

This all just seems so health-obsessive. You should be easily getting 40 minutes of sun exposure within a week's span, simply by spending some time outside.

I think both attitudes are pretty unhealthy. Seeking to get the bare minimum of sun exposure is just as bad as going out of your way to develop reptile skin. Spend time in the sun when you'd like to, and quit fretting so damn much.

 

[luka82]

Do people actually plan out "20-minute periods of time, twice a week" for sitting in the sun?

Seems so....
But you and I do not need the tan, we are all naturel baby!:biggrin1:

 

[the_new_godiva]

I think both attitudes are pretty unhealthy. Seeking to get the bare minimum of sun exposure is just as bad as going out of your way to develop reptile skin. Spend time in the sun when you'd like to, and quite fretting so damn much.

Agreed.

Well... Except the part about bare minimum sun exposure. Some people are so white that they need 80 proof (or is it 80 SPF?) sun block with long sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat. My mother's one of them, and she had a sunspot on her face develop into cancer in spite of her care around Mr. Sun.

I was disgusted in Italy with all the people laying on the beaches with unsightly sunspots all over their bodies and still working on those tans! Just as disgusted as I am at the "pumpkin people"; the fake blonds and tans that look the same color of orange from head to toe.

That being said, the smell of sun block made me queasy as a child and even today I won't wear it. And I looooooooove being in the Sun, but not enough to just lay in it!

 

[vince]

Ya know what is strange? Flying from Munich to the south in Feburary with a plane load of German tourists who are already tanned before their holiday. Some are orange from the spray-on tan, and some have that uneven tanning bed look. Either way, it's repulsive. Especially the older crowd with their reptilian skin.

I get a little tanned every year from being out on the water or just going shirtless, but have never been able to just lay on the beach tanning. Is there a more boring thing to do?

 

[petite]

Agreed.

Well... Except the part about bare minimum sun exposure. Some people are so white that they need 80 proof (or is it 80 SPF?) sun block with long sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat. My mother's one of them, and she had a sunspot on her face develop into cancer in spite of her care around Mr. Sun.

This is true and is the case with my father. His skin is the type that is most dangerous for skin cancer. He just burns and freckles. Skin like that does require preventative care and it's telling that all of the cancerous spots he has had to remove have been from the very top of his forehead where he has been burnt most often by the sun.

Asians put sunscreen in everything that goes on your skin because they value a clear pale complexion. I once read that the youthful appearance of older Asian women wasn't entirely genetic, that the lifetime habit of avoiding the sun and using sunscreen was the reason that some 50 year old Asian women can so easily pass for 35. My mother was like that. She looks much younger than her years. I think the typical Asian diet precludes any vitamin D issues!

I use nutritional software, and my vitamin D consumption is several times the recommended intake level, so I have no worries there.

 

[FuzzyKen]

I am a based on genetics at high risk for skin cancer. Before they left this earth both of my parents did develop skin cancer and fortunately both limited those developments to basil cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is also a UV fed cancer and that one has a rather poor survival rate. As a teenager I had acne. Again, then an unknown to remove acne scarring I was subjected to repeated high exposure to UV and then dry ice was dipped in acetone and rubbed over my face. This of course would repeatedly burn off and peel the top layer of skin. Many years after I reached adulthood I learned that the treatment I had undergone as a teenager had increased my chances of contracting skin cancer by something like 5000%. For me, through no fault of my own and as a result of decisions made by others I have an incredibly high chance of contracting some form of skin cancer before I make my final exit. If I had, even as a teenager access to the information we have now, I would have screamed very loudly.

One new option and one that I have been personally investigating are the research documents and experimental treatments going on at one of the major university medical centers in Arizona. This amounts to a peptide based pigmenting agent. If I can become part of that study, I may have to give myself injections on a regular basis for the rest of my life to create the pigment I need to avoid the problems. Now, I am looking at the odds versus a lifetime of injections.

My Mother who had been part of the original Pasadena Playhouse and a very beautiful woman in her youth, had 21 skin cancer lesions removed from her face, neck and arms before her passing. My Father had seven removed before he passed away. In the case of my Mother one of these was on her nose right next to her right eye. It was disfiguring to say the least.

Exercising great caution and eliminating unnecessary exposure to the sun is a good idea and it appears that the majority of you ARE aware of that.

For those who insist on a great deal of U.V. exposure, they place themselves at the roulette table and are taking a major gamble. I have in my lifetime seen the remains of the most common types (basil and squamous) and the deaths from Melanoma when it is not caught in time.

Remember the following line: "The most brilliant of man never makes the same mistake once."



When I was young, nobody had the knowledge we have today. The pigmenting agents in skin also appear to serve to some degree as protective agents from the development of cancer cells.

 

[petite]

My Mother who had been part of the original Pasadena Playhouse and a very beautiful woman in her youth, had 21 skin cancer lesions removed from her face, neck and arms before her passing. My Father had seven removed before he passed away. In the case of my Mother one of these was on her nose right next to her right eye. It was disfiguring to say the least.

I am so sorry to hear about this. How heartbreaking!

One new option and one that I have been personally investigating are the research documents and experimental treatments going on at one of the major university medical centers in Arizona. This amounts to a peptide based pigmenting agent. If I can become part of that study, I may have to give myself injections on a regular basis for the rest of my life to create the pigment I need to avoid the problems. Now, I am looking at the odds versus a lifetime of injections.

You're talking about afamelanotide created by the Arizona Cancer Center at the University of Arizona, aren't you? It's been around for about 20 years now. The last time I read about it was at least two years ago and I read they were having difficulties with the FDA. I had no idea it had been given the green light for trials! That's great news!

Good luck!

 

[FRE]

I am a based on genetics at high risk for skin cancer. Before they left this earth both of my parents did develop skin cancer and fortunately both limited those developments to basil cell and squamous cell carcinoma. Melanoma is also a UV fed cancer and that one has a rather poor survival rate. As a teenager I had acne. Again, then an unknown to remove acne scarring I was subjected to repeated high exposure to UV and then dry ice was dipped in acetone and rubbed over my face. This of course would repeatedly burn off and peel the top layer of skin. Many years after I reached adulthood I learned that the treatment I had undergone as a teenager had increased my chances of contracting skin cancer by something like 5000%. For me, through no fault of my own and as a result of decisions made by others I have an incredibly high chance of contracting some form of skin cancer before I make my final exit. If I had, even as a teenager access to the information we have now, I would have screamed very loudly.

Unfortunately, many of us were, when young, subjected to medical treatments which we now know to be hazardous. When I was about 9 years old, I was given radiation treatments to my nasal passages as a cure for chronic nasal congestion. Fortunately there have been no complications. From about 1948 to about 1955, shoe stores had X-ray machines to check the fit of shoes. The person being fitted would stand on a box which had an X-ray tube under it, and there was a fluorescent screen above the feet. The machine had three ports through which to view the screen: One for the person being fitted, one for the shoe salesman, and one for the parent. Sometimes the person being fitted would try on several pairs of shoes and each time be viewed with the X-ray machine for a few minutes. And, at one time, arsenic and mercury were included in medications. For centuries, doctors bled people as a treatment for illnesses.

Now we are more aware of the hazards of certain medical treatments and are aware that excess radiation, whether from the sun, X-ray machines, or radio active materials, should be limited. Unfortunately, many are still paying the price for past mistakes. I've had about 6 basil cell carcinomas removed myself, but not for the last couple years.

 

[FRE]

Do people actually plan out "20-minute periods of time, twice a week" for sitting in the sun?

This all just seems so health-obsessive. You should be easily getting 40 minutes of sun exposure within a week's span, simply by spending some time outside.

I think both attitudes are pretty unhealthy. Seeking to get the bare minimum of sun exposure is just as bad as going out of your way to develop reptile skin. Spend time in the sun when you'd like to, and quit fretting so damn much.

True, it is health-obsessive. I was told that when running, I should stop occasionally to check my pulse rate. I refused because I was not about to turn running into a health procedure. Of course we should be health aware, but not to the point that it turns us into hypochondriacs.

 

[petite]

True, it is health-obsessive. I was told that when running, I should stop occasionally to check my pulse rate. I refused because I was not about to turn running into a health procedure. Of course we should be health aware, but not to the point that it turns us into hypochondriacs.

Oh, come on! Since when is wearing sunscreen and checking your pulse when you run being a hypochondriac? How else will you know if you're in the cardio zone or the fat burning zone?

Is wearing your seatbelt being overly cautious, too?

Should no one bother to quit smoking because something else is also could also kill you? Your reasoning makes no sense.

FuzzyKen has TWO parents who have died from skin cancer. That's more than enough reason to be extremely cautious! He's doing what he needs to do to live a long happy life, even if that means putting a little cream on his face every day. Making that out to be excessive is insane! How many people use wrinkle or acne creams? You probably wouldn't criticize that. Surely vanity is less important than his life.