Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I know several people (my mom being one of them) who have never used sunscreen in their entire life and are now in their 70's and 80's and have yet to get skin cancer.
Well, first of all dark skinned people can get skin cancer, too, but the real problem here is that you're essentially claiming that sunscreen is of no value, statements that are very dangerous to the fair-skinned amongst us.
You need to learn something about how skin damage actually occurs and how skin cancer is caused, before shooting your mouth off.
I threw away my last bottle of commercial sunscreen years ago. It's a multi-billion dollar scam just like bottled vitamins. I interchangeably use olive oil and shea butter now and am never going back.
But even people with darker skin can get cancer--a lot of people might think that they're safe because of the melanin, but that's not always true. Even the people here who say that they're safe from sun damage because they tan--the tan *is* sun damage
yes, but people with dark skin don't lay out in the sun for hours to get tan.
But even people with darker skin can get cancer--a lot of people might think that they're safe because of the melanin, but that's not always true. Even the people here who say that they're safe from sun damage because they tan--the tan *is* sun damage
Unfortunately that is true. As I said upthread, I know people don't want to give up things they enjoy just because it has potential dangers. We like to think we are safe from our own vices. But I do think everyone should know the truth, and make a decision based on their own willingness to risk their health. We all do this in many ways, from what we eat to how we drive.
Tanning isn't bad for you just because it comes with the risk of burning, which can cause skin cancer. Tanning is bad for you because your body doesn't even begin to tan until dangerous ultraviolet (UV) rays have pierced your skin and started to mess with your DNA."
I've tried using them but I find most of them to be heavy, greasy and I hate the way it feels on my face. It leaves little pimples/bumps. I think they call it milia? Blech.
And you have to re-apply every two hours. I can't even apply it once! I usually forego using it at all.
It says it prevents the skin from receiving vitamin D from the sun so that's my excuse for not using it.
And I don't have fair skin or a history of skin cancer so...
Do you use them? And what's your favorite brand?
For me, they are absolutely necessary. I'm so white that other white people comment on how white I am. If I don't use sunscreen or lotion, I will start burning in about 10 minutes in the south part of the U.S., or about 20 minutes in the northern parts.
I will put it on, but what I mainly focus on is covering up. Long sleeves, long pants - but not heavy fabric. Sunglasses all the time. If not in my car working, a hat.
I use a light covering of 50 spf sunscreen on my face, (cause hat and sunglasses), and heavier on my hands up the forearm, neck - front and back (lighter on back of neck because I have long hair, and wear it down as added protection for my neck. A bit more for the chin, and also on my ears.
I don't have a favorite brand. Even the "sweat proof" ones will come off if it's so hot that you have to wipe the sweat off your face all day. (I used to drive airboats in Miami...I've tried them all. They all miss the point about wiping your brow removes sweat AND the sunscreen.)
Yes, you do have to constantly reapply, or you can take your chances, damage your skin, and pay for it later in life, either with leather skin, or skin cancer.
If you just have to be outside because "Summer!Fun!", then put yourself in the shade for awile after a half an hour in the sun.
If you're darker pigmented, perhaps darker skin Hispanic, black person, for examples, you probably don't have to do these things as much as lighter skinned people do.
I applied sunscreen religiously for years even to the point where the collars of my shirts were caked with dried sunscreen lotion that was difficult to wash out. Always wore a hat and sunglasses and always looked for shady spots when I was outside for extended periods of time. The result was three skin cancers of the face over the last ten years.
Well, first of all dark skinned people can get skin cancer, too, but the real problem here is that you're essentially claiming that sunscreen is of no value, statements that are very dangerous to the fair-skinned amongst us.
You need to learn something about how skin damage actually occurs and how skin cancer is caused, before shooting your mouth off.
I never said that dark skinned people don't get skin cancer.
I'm not saying sunscreen is of no value. I said awhile back that it's best to be safe than sorry. However, implying that not using sunscreen at all means you WILL get cancer is not true. That is what I'm disputing.
I have two relatives and at least four friends who did not use sunscreen and got either basal cell or squamous cell carcinomas (skin cancers which are much more curable than melanoma, but still require medical treatment). Two of my friends needed reconstructive surgery after their carcinomas were removed. All started using sunscreen and/or avoiding direct sunlight after they had skin cancer.
I'm very fair-skinned and got terrible, 2nd-degree sunburns frequently when I was growing up, before anybody ever heard of sunscreen. As soon as sunscreen came out, I started using it and have used it religiously ever since (40+ years). I also wear Clinique foundation makeup, which contains sunscreen, for added protection for my face. I seek out shade whenever possible and wear a cap to protect my scalp from the sun and to shade my eyes and forehead. Whatever I can do to increase my odds of not getting skin cancer, I'll do.
Oh, and my favorite sunscreen is Neutrogena Cool Dry Sport, SPF50. It's a spray-on, very light on the skin, but protects me very well. I rarely have to reapply it. And it smells nice, too!
.
__________________
My posts as a Moderator will always be in red.
Be sure to review Terms of Service: TOS And check this out: FAQ
Moderator of Canada (and sub-fora), Illinois (and sub-fora), Indiana (and sub-fora), Caregiving, Community Chat, Fashion & Beauty, Hair Care, Games/Trivia, History, Nature, Non-romantic Relationships, Psychology, Travel, Work & Employment, Writing.
___________________________
~ Life's a gift. Don't waste it. ~
I've tried using them but I find most of them to be heavy, greasy and I hate the way it feels on my face. It leaves little pimples/bumps. I think they call it milia? Blech.
And you have to re-apply every two hours. I can't even apply it once! I usually forego using it at all.
It says it prevents the skin from receiving vitamin D from the sun so that's my excuse for not using it.
And I don't have fair skin or a history of skin cancer so...
Do you use them? And what's your favorite brand?
Don't worry about it. A little pimple is so much more unsightly and inconvenient than a carcinoma. Just as an aside though: if you do end up getting skin cancer, will you volunteer to NOT use your health insurance to pay for the treatments, since you clearly know medicine better than science does?
In Australia two out of three people will develop some type of skin cancer by the age of seventy. That includes BCCs and SCCs which are far less dangerous than melanomas.
But if only melanoma is counted, it is the third most diagnosed cancer in the country, behind breast cancer and prostate cancer. Thousands more are diagnosed with melanoma than with lung cancer.
When it happens to young people in particular and could have been avoided it is tragic.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
