Do you avoid the sun?

[kenny]

I do.
I am fair-skinned and never bothered trying to tan so my skin is in pretty good shape for being over a half century old.

I never lay on the beach here in So.Ca., look for parking in the shade, wear a hat and dark glasses, avoid going out mid-day when the sun is strongest, walk on the shady side of the street.
Funny I never use sunblock because I''m rarely in the sun.

Even just walking from the house to the garage drains me if I''m facing the sun.
There is something oppressive about strong sun.
I''m pretty much a sun wimp.

Lots of people LOVE the sun and bask in it.
How bout you?

 

[Madam Bijoux]

I try to stay out of the sun as much as possible.

 

[elrohwen]

Yep, I definitely do. Fair skinned redhead here, so sun isn't my friend. Plus, I don't like hot weather and standing in the sun generally makes me hotter. I've never understood people who can lay out in the sun for hours - 5 minutes in and I just want shade and air conditioning!

eta: After spending a few days in California I always get so sick of the sun - like you said, Kenny, it's just oppressive and it exhausts me. I don't wear much sun screen either, except on my face, because I just don't spend time in the sun. When we do go on vacation to a sunny place I get so sick of applying tons of sun screen every day.

 

[joflier]

I love the sun!!! I''ll do anything to sit in the midday rays! I have fair skin, but I tan easily, and rarely burn. Though I have started putting sunscreen on my face, cause I know it''s going to age me. I know I should be more careful, but something about it just makes me feel happier.

 

[Irishgrrrl]

I never lay out in the sun, mainly because I just don''t have the patience for it. But oh, how I looooove the tanning bed!!! I don''t go year-round . . . just in the spring and summer so I can wear shorts without blinding anyone. But I''ve been good this year! I haven''t tanned at all! I''ve been using self-tanner, hoping that it would give me enough color and be natural-looking enough that I''d be able to talk myself out of going to the tanning bed. I don''t know though . . . it just doesn''t look as natural, especially when it starts to wear off. So I might wind up tanning this year after all.

 

[Natylad]

I''m greek, so i''m supposed to love the sun and tan until i become fried...Well...NO...
I totally despise the sun and i try to avoid it as much as possible. I''m very fair - skinned, so i''m wearing that thick, white, 50+ sunblock alover my face, neck, chest, arms and legs even during the winter, i keep my black sungasses on until late in the afternoon, i never EVER dare do any sunbathing (coz most probably i''ll...die

) and i stay under the umbrella with my hat and shades on whenever i go to the beach.I always try to walk on the shady side of the street and i never go out walking or shopping in the sun unless i really can''t avoid it, i keep my apron tents down at home 24h/day and the list goes on...
Seriously, i can''t stand the sun...Two years ago i was in Santorini island in mid-July and i felt that the sun was killing me even when i was in the shade...After two days in the island, i got terrible dizziness and i was constantly feeling faintuous...I remember that i couldn''t stand the bright light of the sun even indoors and i was asking my husband to close all windows

Even the memory of that time gives me the scares

I wasn''t always like that...when i was a child i loved the sun so much...But ever since i turned 30 years old, things have changed...I get nausea and dizziness from the sun and also freckles and dark spots on my face, even with all the thick sunblock on

... (did i mention that i totally HATE the sun???

)
Thank God that there are people who understand my nightmare...

 

[RaiKai]

I am a fair skinned redhead and can burn in minutes. I would not say I *avoid* the sun as I am an outdoorsy person and love to run, kayak, camp, hike and so on and I live in one of the sunniest places in Canada (even during the winter) so to avoid the sun would mean giving up on all the things I love to do! I also like the warmth of the sun (in moderation) and it definitely elevates my mood to get some sun (my friends on the West Coast get so depressed in the winter - most of them have prescribed UV lights at home!).

However, I certainly take lots of precautions. I always wear full-spectrum sunblock - year round - and I reapply it often (every 2-3 hours). I thank my mother for slathering me in the stuff since infancy. I even put it on before I drive to work in the morning or drive home after (I get made fun of all the time!). People always guess my age to be quite younger than I am (I am almost 31 and I was ID'd the other day where the minimum age is 18!) and I credit the sunblock for that! I cover up exposed areas as much as possible, wear brimmed hats when I am out in the sun, always wear my good sunglasses and so on. I am not a "tanner" (I cannot tan anyway!) and I don't really lay around in the sun though, and I tend to avoid the "peak periods" when possible. I am pretty vulnerable to the heat as well so will stick to shade when possible.

When it gets TOO hot (especially when it is very humid) and I am out too long, I am sensitive enough that I will get very dizzy, blurry vision, and I will get needle-like headaches. I do need to be able to hide out or run to the shade or indoors!

Oddly enough, at home I like it dark. I do not like all the blinds open! I like feeling like a mushroom when I am at home indoors.

DH ADORES the sun. He would be happy living as a nomad on a camel in the desert. He loves to go to very DRY hot places - Dubai, Egypt, even Vegas, etc. The reason we live where we do is because it is a very dry, very sunny, and hot (in summer) part of the country. He is quite happy spending all day in the sun. For some jobs he has had to do so. Whenever he was on tour, he would take time to sunbathe everyday (since he usually worked overnights he had time in day to lay in sun). He's a total heat-hoar. However, since he met me he is VERY good about applying lots of sunblock (not as I nag him too, but we have so much of it around and he learned from me I guess!).

DH also likes all the blinds open at home. He hates feeling like a mushroom and will call me one if he comes home to find me with all the blinds closed, ha!

 

[stephbolt]

Another fair skinned redhead here. I love summers and the outdoors, but you will often find me looking for the shade and always wearing sunblock. A dear friend of mine was recently diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 27. Her diagnosis reminds me how dangerous the sun can be.

 

[monarch64]

RaiKai, I''m like your DH--sun-whore here!

I love the sun. I don''t worship it and I seldom have the time to lay out and just bake, but I would if I could! My summers are spent mainly outdoors and weekends at the lake are the best. I grew up with no cable and am just used to being outside as much as possible so there is no avoiding the sun for me! I wear sunscreen when I know I''ll be in direct sun for long periods of time, otherwise I don''t worry about it.

 

[RaiKai]

Date: 6/18/2010 10:36:27 AM
Author: stephb0lt
Another fair skinned redhead here. I love summers and the outdoors, but you will often find me looking for the shade and always wearing sunblock. A dear friend of mine was recently diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 27. Her diagnosis reminds me how dangerous the sun can be.

Sorry to hear about your friend, I do hope they caught it early?

I have had a couple friends also be diagnosed with melanoma in their 20''s. One of my uncles has also had several malignant skin cancer tumors removed over the years. Scary. One of the friends nearly lost her leg as a result of it (instead she has a huge scar).

So many young teens and adults though don''t think it can happen to them. I remember seeing an ad campaign with a girl who had a major scar running all down her back due to skin cancer....it was a very well done ad, and the girl was VERY young. But still, others will look at it and think "not them".

I was watching a show a few weeks ago about a girl with an addiction to tanning. She was in her early 20''s and looked like an oompa loompa. She would go tanning several times a DAY - she had memberships at several salons to avoid them knowing. She laughed at idea of skin cancer, saying at least she would die pretty and tanned. Apparently she has not seen many people with skin cancer. I also wondered how she could not look at her mom (also a tanner) who was VERY wrinkly and old looking for her age and not think...hmm....maybe this is not so good in the long run?

 

[RaiKai]

Date: 6/18/2010 10:45:51 AM
Author: monarch64
RaiKai, I''m like your DH--sun-whore here!

I love the sun. I don''t worship it and I seldom have the time to lay out and just bake, but I would if I could! My summers are spent mainly outdoors and weekends at the lake are the best. I grew up with no cable and am just used to being outside as much as possible so there is no avoiding the sun for me! I wear sunscreen when I know I''ll be in direct sun for long periods of time, otherwise I don''t worry about it.

Ha ha, yup, sounds like our summers too. It is a bit of a challenge being so fair skinned and enjoying being in the sun even if not to the same degree as DH or you!) and enjoying so many outdoor activities and hobbies. I just pile on the sunblock. I really should buy stock in it, ha!

 

[lknvrb4]

I used to worship the sun in my late teens early twenties. I started getting lots of freckles and moles and it scared me so it''s been about 10 years since I laid in the sun. I like to stay in the shade if at all possible.

 

[elrohwen]

This reminded me of a story my bff told me about a wedding she attended. My friend and her boyfriend live in LA, and the wedding was in the east, so you would think that my friend would be the most tan one there at a March wedding. She said the bride and everyone in the bridal party were way more tan than her, to the point of being orange! Obviously they had all gone tanning (or done spray-on tans) but my friend couldn''t imagine looking at your wedding pictures in 20 years and saying "Why did I make myself orange for my wedding day?"

Personally, I don''t think that being super tan is attractive at all. If someone has naturally dark or olive skin I think it''s pretty, but for the average pale person, I think tanning just looks unnatural.

I love that so many actresses seem to be embracing the pale lately (ScarJo and Amy Adams come to mind).

 

[Hest88]

Totally. I remember growing up and feeling self-conscious when girls would say "Eeew, your legs are so white!!!" However, I never looked good tan, I burn easily, and my eyes are also rather light sensitive. Given all that, it was rather a relief to learn that my pale skin was actually healthier---and staying out of the sun could help prevent wrinkles and liver spots. Now I avoid the sun as much as possible, slather on my sunscreen, and wear a hat. And, yes, I''m careful about making sure I get my Vitamin D too.

 

[rhbgirl24]

I LOVE the sun, my DH calls me a plant. However I''m allergic to most sunscreens and hive in the sun in general, plus I''m extremely fair skinned so I try and stay out of it as much as possible.

 

[Bunny007]

I too find the sun (and HEAT/humidity) to be oppressive. By the end of my Memorial Day camping weekend, I was praying for rain. I also tend to keep the blinds in my apartment/office closed. I hadn''t even noticed until several years ago when, after working together for a few months, my co-worked asked me, with all honesty, whether I had a light allergy. Maybe I''m part vampire.

 

[stephbolt]

Date: 6/18/2010 10:46:30 AM
Author: RaiKai

Date: 6/18/2010 10:36:27 AM
Author: stephb0lt
Another fair skinned redhead here. I love summers and the outdoors, but you will often find me looking for the shade and always wearing sunblock. A dear friend of mine was recently diagnosed with melanoma at the age of 27. Her diagnosis reminds me how dangerous the sun can be.

Sorry to hear about your friend, I do hope they caught it early?

I have had a couple friends also be diagnosed with melanoma in their 20''s. One of my uncles has also had several malignant skin cancer tumors removed over the years. Scary. One of the friends nearly lost her leg as a result of it (instead she has a huge scar).

So many young teens and adults though don''t think it can happen to them. I remember seeing an ad campaign with a girl who had a major scar running all down her back due to skin cancer....it was a very well done ad, and the girl was VERY young. But still, others will look at it and think ''not them''.

I was watching a show a few weeks ago about a girl with an addiction to tanning. She was in her early 20''s and looked like an oompa loompa. She would go tanning several times a DAY - she had memberships at several salons to avoid them knowing. She laughed at idea of skin cancer, saying at least she would die pretty and tanned. Apparently she has not seen many people with skin cancer. I also wondered how she could not look at her mom (also a tanner) who was VERY wrinkly and old looking for her age and not think...hmm....maybe this is not so good in the long run?

It was caught very early, she actually is a physician''s assistant in a surgical oncology practice and noticed it herself and scheduled a biopsy for the next day!

I really do think a lot of people are in denial about how common and dangerous skin cancer can be.

 

[Callisto]

I stay out of the sun as much as possible. I''ve got a lot of things working against me when it comes to sun exposure. My dad was diagnosed with melanoma at 47 which was to date the scariest period of my life. And then to top it off I''ve inherited a sun allergy from my mom so if I''m out in the sun for more than a short period of time I actually get a rash.

For those of you who love the sun, please wear sunscreen and don''t forget to REAPPLY frequently. If not for yourself, for your loved ones who would be affected if you got skin cancer.

Yes there are days when I look in the mirror and wish I had that sunkissed glow but I get over it pretty quickly when I remember how awful my dad''s experience was.

 

[PinkTower]

I LOVE having the inside of my house dark during the day. I have wide plantation shutters. I live on an island, and I love seeing the contrast of the extreme light peeking thru the tilted shutters. It is oppressively hot here in the summers, and I think of my home as a respite.

However, I make sure to get sun exposure every day. I am chronically Vitamin D deficient, and love not having to take the vitamins by mouth during the summer. Mother Nature provides so much more Vitamin D than a bottle ever could. If you are small framed, and have a history of osteoporosis in your genes, some sun exposure is not a bad thing.

 

[elrohwen]

Strangely, for being a sun hater, I love having tons of light in my house and office. I finally got a window in my cube at my last job and while everyone else put their blinds down, I had mine wide open at all times. My house is also like a fishbowl, but I don''t care if people can see in - I love the wide open windows and only have blinds closed in the bedroom. I guess I love that I can get the brightness while not being in the sunlight and feeling hot and dizzy.

 

[BeachRunner]

I love the sun and laying out. I''m an avid runner, and make sure to cover my face during my runs with a visor. Unfortunetly, I''m left with awful tanlines elsewhere. I''ll lay out for ~1hr, and if I know I''m going to be in the sun all day, I''ll use sunscreen. I was careless in my early 20''s, but now I make sure to take precautions when in the sun. I used to love the tanning bed as well, but won''t lay in one anymore.

 

[lyra]

I absolutely avoid the sun. I have had very bad burns from small amounts of exposure when I was younger, and I''ve never had any kind of tan in my life. The bonus is I look younger than my age I guess. Well, plus no skin cancer of course.

 

[Circe]

Former goth here - I hate how I look with a tan, and try to avoid it. That said, I never got into the sunscreen habit, and I tan at the drop of a (sun)hat, so it evens out. It''s not too bad in NY, but when I lived in Cali, my hair bleached out so much that I looked like a Palomino!

That said, I love light, too: I wonder how that works. I get depressed without access to it, though I know it''s not an SAD thing - perhaps it''s a diurnal thing? I know I drag throughout the day if I wake up with the curtains drawn ....

 

[Haven]

I spend a lot of time outside in the summer because I love being outdoors and being in nature, and because I''m a teacher so summer time is my only time to myself!

However, I have very fair skin and nearly black hair (think Snow White) so I need to protect my skin when I''m out in the sun. I use a face lotion with 45 spf every day of the year. However, I was a lifeguard for many years in high school and college and I definitely didn''t use as much sunblock as I should have back then. I fear that I''m going to get wrinkly early because of all those lifeguarding years.

All that being said, I refuse to stay indoors when it''s nice outside. We don''t have many lovely days here in Chicago, so I definitely take advantage when we do.

 

[iheartscience]

I don''t really avoid it but I definitely don''t lay out or fake bake. I''m somewhat fair-skinned but I do tan easily. Typically I''ll get a little bit of a tan even when I wear sunscreen. I definitely wear sunscreen when I know I''ll be out in the sun for extended periods, but I don''t wear it on a daily basis. I''ve tried to use a couple of different daily facial moisturizers with SPF but I haven''t found one that is moisturizing enough for my skin yet.

 

[Maisie]

Date: 6/18/2010 11:48:06 AM
Author: elrohwen
Strangely, for being a sun hater, I love having tons of light in my house and office. I finally got a window in my cube at my last job and while everyone else put their blinds down, I had mine wide open at all times. My house is also like a fishbowl, but I don''t care if people can see in - I love the wide open windows and only have blinds closed in the bedroom. I guess I love that I can get the brightness while not being in the sunlight and feeling hot and dizzy.

I''m just like you elrohwen. I love light. I hate the dark winters and always get depressed in the dark months. But, I do hate the heat. If I could have nice breezy sunny weather I would be happy.

 

[tigian]

I love the sun, but have stopped laying out for the past couple years. I do spend a good amount a time outside with the dogs, playing tennis, and swimming. But I always wear sunscreen, hat, and sunglasses. I''m trying to preserve my skin.

 

[nytemist]

I try to avoid it like the plague. Aside from all the damge that it can do, even though I''m black I can still tan. Don''t need to be any darker, thanks. During the summer I know what time of day would be good to leave the office, so that I can walk in the shadows of the other buildings around us. Love the sunscreen.

Last year I bought this fantastic parasol, so if I know I''m going to be outdoors walking around for a while, like when I go to NYC, I have it.

A couple of weeks ago, I had to go to a nursery for basil plants. I was in the sun for maybe ten minutes and couldn''t deal. I got home and felt traumatized. feling alot of sun on me is like feeling bugs crawling on me.

 

[Circe]

Date: 6/18/2010 12:24:10 PM
Author: Haven
I have very fair skin and nearly black hair (think Snow White)

Oh, JEALOUS! That is exactly the look I always wanted ... if only avoiding the sun had been enough to bestow it. Sadly, you dye a pink-skinned blonde girl''s hair jet black, the effect is still a little more, um, hectic.

 

[Hest88]

Author: Pink Tower
If you are small framed, and have a history of osteoporosis in your genes, some sun exposure is not a bad thing.

Right. I tend to take supplements, but on weekends I do try to get about 15 min of sun exposure on my legs or areas less prone to sun exposure.

Author: RaiKai
I also wondered how she could not look at her mom (also a tanner) who was VERY wrinkly and old looking for her age and not think...hmm....maybe this is not so good in the long run?

I remember distinctly seeing a photo of, heck, I''m blanking right now (I think it was Brigitte Bardot?) once, where it looked like someone had taken a knife and carved all these deep grooves in her face. They were so obviously not age wrinkles, which are so much softer, but major, major damage from all those years of sun exposure.