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I am fair-skinned and so I'm aware of the sun and catch only about 20 min of it on some days rear-round to be sure to get natural Vitamin D. The other reason for the short stint is so I don't get weathered skin. I sit in the sun outside of the hours of 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. I don't wear sunscreens or lotions.
Today I got yelled at ("friends giving unsolicited advice") that I'm going to get cancer. There's argument for and against using sunscreen and I wonder what you all think and do. Here's an argument against:
We were actually told by our doctor in NM we should all spend 10 to 30 min a day in the sun with no sun screen. This is the best way to adsorb vit D. I too am very fair so I try to be careful, but when working in the yard (less than 30 min) I do not use anything on my skin. I also think about our parents or grandparents, whomever, who worked on the farms or enjoyed the sun for years and few of them ever had skin cancers removed. There is a time to use our heads, but sometimes we rely on what we read a little too much.
I have had melanoma. I do wear sunscreen daily. I have a very low level of Vitamin D and take a supplement. One doctor told me that I have the "melanoma" gene. I think it was just waiting to be activated by the sun and growing up in San Diego, I had many significant burns in my childhood/teen years. Blonde hair/blue eyes/very fair, I guess it was my destiny.
I gave up the sun at age 20 and got melanoma at 35. I do think the early burns did me in. Many of my friends have been sun worshippers, living at the beach, they look like leather now (we are in our 50's) but I am the only one that got melanoma, at least so far. I don't look like leather and got the melanoma, go figure. I do believe it is in the genes.
We were actually told by our doctor in NM we should all spend 10 to 30 min a day in the sun with no sun screen. This is the best way to adsorb vit D. I too am very fair so I try to be careful, but when working in the yard (less than 30 min) I do not use anything on my skin. I also think about our parents or grandparents, whomever, who worked on the farms or enjoyed the sun for years and few of them ever had skin cancers removed. There is a time to use our heads, but sometimes we rely on what we read a little too much.
Maybe no sunscreen on arms and legs, but it is foolish to not wear sunscreen on your face, neck, and ears at all times in NM.
And for Vit D purposes there is no reason for your sunscreenless sun bath to take place between the peak hours, say 10 am to 4 pm. Twenty minutes outside of that period is sufficient.
Maybe no sunscreen on arms and legs, but it is foolish to not wear sunscreen on your face, neck, and ears at all times in NM.
And for Vit D purposes there is no reason for your sunscreenless sun bath to take place between the peak hours, say 10 am to 4 pm. Twenty minutes outside of that period is sufficient.
I didn't say, never to wear sunscreen or where to wear it, I just said what we have been told by our doctor. I am certainly not suggesting no one should wear sun screen and yes, the arms are a good way to get vit D if you do not over expose your skin. I am generalizing. I think you are taking this a little too seriously, as I said it is a generalization statement. This doesn't mean to totally expose your entire body to sun for long periods of time. I did say no more than 20 minutes didn't I?
We were actually told by our doctor in NM we should all spend 10 to 30 min a day in the sun with no sun screen. This is the best way to adsorb vit D. I too am very fair so I try to be careful, but when working in the yard (less than 30 min) I do not use anything on my skin. I also think about our parents or grandparents, whomever, who worked on the farms or enjoyed the sun for years and few of them ever had skin cancers removed. There is a time to use our heads, but sometimes we rely on what we read a little too much.
As people live longer, they have more years for the consequences of abusing their skin to show up. There are many old-age maladies that are 'increasing' in frequency at least in part because people are living longer.
I didn't say, never to wear sunscreen or where to wear it, I just said what we have been told by our doctor. I am certainly not suggesting no one should wear sun screen and yes, the arms are a good way to get vit D if you do not over expose your skin. I am generalizing. I think you are taking this a little too seriously, as I said it is a generalization statement. This doesn't mean to totally expose your entire body to sun for long periods of time. I did say no more than 20 minutes didn't I?
Read what you wrote again and tell me what I got wrong.
You either misunderstood what your doctor said or meant, because I have never heard or read a responsible doctor tell anybody to not wear any sunscreen (your words) for any period of time to get Vit D from the sun.
Besides, you also get Vit D from a healthy, balanced diet with fish, eggs, and fortified foods like milk and orange juice. And if you have a Vit D deficiency, you can take supplements.
If your doctor did tell you that, you might want to find a more competent doctor.
I'd wear it more because I don't like being sunburnt... cancer aside, seniors would probably outlive it if they didn't already have it. But healing from burns? That's hard at any age but I'd imagine it takes longer for a senior.
Vitamin D, take some supplements.
but I'm not a senior, still in 20s so take what you want from this. Still sun burns suck.
Just this spring had Mohs surgery on a nasal basal cell carcinoma; the procedure went well enough but it's not something I want to repeat. I suppose the damage was done back in my beach bunny days; I've routinely worn spf 30+ for the last 30 years. I'll continue to wear 30+ until/unless the research conclusively says nay.
I take vitamin D supplement but it's probably overkill considering my lifestyle (lots of skylights in house, regular walks and hikes and runs in high sun exposure areas).
There are a lot of misconceptions about sun exposure. I personally am 64 years old, a fair-skinned Latina who gets 60 - 90 minutes per day of sun and never use sunscreen, just coconut oil which provides a minimal SPF. I maintain a light golden tan, and this is my personal optimum exposure amount for getting vitamin D. Also, I am extremely healthy, and have no wrinkles. I never go to beach or anywhere where I am exposed to the sun for hours on end. My doctors tell me what great shape I am in and my age is difficult to guess.
Most people need some sun, obviously the more fair you are, and higher latitude you live, it becomes more difficult to meet your needs. The sun brings out toxins in people who are ill or who have bad habits like smoking, drinking, poor diet etc. Anyway, I have been reading an excellent book called The Healing Sun, which gives the history of heliotherapy, how it cures diseases and it has only been in the last few decades that doctors and pharma have been telling everyone to stay away. And yes, sunscreen, ONLY prevents burns, and does nothing to protect from cancer. Also, melanomas are more common on body parts with NO exposure to sun, and people who get little sun.
Here is link to book, it gives a little info here:
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