What do you think about the sun? (tanning)

[MariaM]

I have never tanned, and probably never will. My skin burns, and only burns. I have finally found a sunscreen that works for me. My skin is very sensitive so I'm glad about that!!

[jenluckenbach]

I never use sunscreen, but I don't stay out in the sun a lot either.

[Kfamr]

I personally prefer pale skin. I hate when my skin tans. :)

[Dogz]

I don't put on sunscreen. I don't try to tan. I just get a tan from being outside.

[RubyMutt]

I've spent the last 5 years working for a company which sells sun protective clothing. Consequently, I've heard more than enough horror stories about damage the sun has caused people (including death). So, I can be a little paranoid. No, I'm not a hermit, but I always have 30+ SPF waterproof sunscreen. It's a good thing I could care less about being pale! :o ;)

[G.P.girl]

i alwasy try not to tan, i put sunscreen on alot, but i always end up one of the people who tanned the most over the summer:rolleyes:

[AbbyMom]

No sun allowed! I don't want skin cancer and I don't like wrinkles. Some of my college friends used to be tanning addicts and would make fun of me by referring to me as a ghost. Ha ha.

Now they look older than they really are because they have deep, deep lines in their faces. They finally stopped tanning in their early forties, but it was too late. The damage, literally, was already done.

If you like tanning today, you will pay the price later. And if you have fair skin, brown or blonde hair, and light colored eyes, you are at high risk for skin cancer.

[Logan]

I love to be tan, but I also know that it is not good to do that, so although I do get in the sun, I always wear sunscreen.

[MariaM]

Well...I've been burned ALOT when there was no suncreen (that we knew of) that worked for me...I have brown hair...pale skin...and blue eyes

PUT ME DOWN FOR CANCER!:cool:

Haha just kidding.

[molucass]

My skin cant tan, all it does is freckle, and I almost always wear sunscreen... I don't want cancer, and I don't want anymore freckles.. Lol

[Aspen and Misty]

I don't wear sun screen expet at the beach and when I mow. Most of the other times I'm only out for MAYBE a half hour so I don't worry. I never get tan. But my friend Brook is REALLY dark!!

Ash

[Desert Arabian]

Well, I am not a person who slaps on the sunscreen every time I am going to be in the sun for a long time. When I burn, it turns into a tan, so I purposly let myself burn so I get tan- pretty stupid! I learned last weekend- I have a 3rd degree burn on my chest. It was the most amount of pain I have felt in a long time, and it does not look pretty- especially the blisters. I was in the sun for 8 hours straight on a boat with no sunscreen. Now I am starting to put a little on. I don't want to get skin cancer, but I will probably get it anways, especially where my bad burn is.

This is my burn:
http://members.aol.com/YellowLabLuvr/burn.JPG
:o

And it was 10 times worse than that a couple days ago...this will be here for a loooooooooooooooooooooong time. :( I learned my lesson!

[GoldenRetrLuver]

After my dad was diagnosed with Skin Cancer about a year back [he's alright now], I've tried to put on sunscreen everytime we go swimming, the beach, etc. but I still don't put it on as often as I should. :o

[jazzcat]

Even though I know better I like to be tan. We have a pool and I'm out in the sun a lot and I usually forget the sunscreen. I know, I'm a cancer patient in the making.:( One thing though, I don't tend to burn too much any more. When I was a child I spent my summers on the lake and I would get fried but now I just turn brown. That's probably one sign that something is wrong already.

[AbbyMom]

This is my burn:

OUCH! OUCH! OUCH! That looks really painful. Hope you heal quickly!

[cali]

few red heads can tan, and I am one of the many that cant lol. its just the skin type that comes with having red hairvery pale, burn and freckles only, cant tan lol my skin is actually pink so I dont look white as a ghost :p

[popcornbird]

YLL, OUCH!!! That looks soooo painful!!!

I have never gotten a tan and never will. Whenever I go out, all of my skin is covered except my hands and face. My hands and face never got burnt though.......no matter how long I was out in the sun. I think fair skin tends to burn more easily than tan/darker skin.

I wouldn't want to get a tan anyway...I don't want to get darker. :p

You know what I find really funny? People tend to wear shorts and sleeve-less clothes in the summer so they feel cooler. Wearing such clothes does not make you cooler. It exposes your skin to the hot sun, and not only makes you feel hotter, but also burns you. :p Wearing *lighter* clothes, but clothes that cover much of your skin actually keeps you cooler in the summer than shorter, more exposing clothing. ;)

[cocker_luva]

i go to L.A. Tan and go into the stand-up tanner. also i tan outside on my porch, without lotion, to add some color to my skin.

[Tonya]

I work outdoors and everyday before work I put on waterproof SPF45. When I'm not pregnant, I tan at tanning beds twice a month during the summer though. Tanning in the beds helps to condition my skin where I don't get burned. Even with SPF45, I get burned otherwise. Also, I hang my arms out the booth and cover my neck and face. That gets rid of my spiffy farmer's tan from work.

If I want an actual tan, I use the spray booth at the tanning salon. It is expensive ($15), but it is safe and works great.

[Karen]

Don't do it! Don't go to the tanning place! There is no such thing as a safe tan. A lady I know died of skin cancer. Once Paul and I helped a childhood friend of mine move a big piece of furniture. I've known Krys since we were in 6th grade. Afterwards, Paul said to me "What happened to her skin?" I asked what he meant, and he said her skin looked so much older than mine, and I said "Oh, Krys was a lifeguard for two summers when we were in high school. She used to get really tan." I didn't, and it made a huge difference in our skin by the time we were 32.

I wear sunscreen, or I burn badly. I often burn even using sunscreen, but it's very mild. I have absurdly sensitive skin, the sunblock I use without getting a rash is the highest SPF I can find, hypoallergenic unscented sunscreen made for babies. But hey, it works!

[MariaM]

Karen, my skin burns really bad too!

YLL, I had a burn like that once on my chest!

I also had it on my back, shoulders and legs. IT WAS PAINFUL. I know how you feel. This year I got it BAD on my feet, very painful, but only because I didn't put sunscreen there and I put it everywhere else (YAY I FOUND ONE THAT WOKRS!! Lol I'm still happy)

When I got my bad burn though, I had blistering shoulders, hurting legs, and a peeling back. The line of sunburn on my chest didn't go completely away for about a year and a half.

[heinz57_79]

I'm a red head with freckles... I can't tan, even tho I'd love a little more colour to my pasty skin. Unfortunately, I burn, then I freckle. If I could just turn myself into one large freckle then I could at least give the appearance that I was tan! :)

[Desert Arabian]

Yeah, my dad's friend Lynn is a nurse, she said my sunburn will be here for many years- I sure hope not. :(

[Doggirl]

I don't tan, my Mom told me all about tanning and now when I want a Tan I use Neutrogena Instant Bronzer. I love it!

[Kona & Oreo's mom]

We've heard a lot about how tanning is dangerous. But people should be aware that even non-intentional, everyday sun exposure is dangerous, too. Wearing high SPF sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays every day and getting skin cancer screenings as part of your annual exam are so important!

I have fair skin and brown hair. As a teen I would try to get tan. I stopped that nonsense at 16. Six years later, I had my first skin cancer at age 22. I got a second skin cancer at age 30.

My dermatologist said that the damage of sun exposure doesn't show up for many years, which is why it is so hard to discourage people from tanning--the harmful consequences are not immediate.

I apologize that this sounds like lecturing. I just try to share my experience in the hope that others won't go through it.