Sunbathing

So...
I've finally decided to ditch the tanning after twenty years of basically frying myself under the sun. I think I reached my limit because, honestly, the UV levels these days just don't feel normal anymore, and the constant appearance of moles along with premature skin aging is something every doctor seems to warn us about—especially for women like me who care about aesthetics, if not outright health.😁

This summer marks the first time I've spent my time either hiding in the shade or slathering on SPF 30 or 40, depending on whatever was within arm's reach. I should mention that I grew up near the coast, even though I live in Los Angeles now, so I used to spend my entire summer lounging on the beach, rubbing olive oil or homemade calendula oil on my skin without a single drop of protection; I even used tanning beds during the winter.

Now that I'm approaching 30, I suppose I've finally grown up a little. I started noticing that people in my age group are already developing fine lines around their eyes and their skin looks increasingly dry and thin. On top of that, I watched this documentary about the Sun and how it affects the skin, which showed the aging process of a woman in her mid-40s who had tanned aggressively; she ended up looking like crinkled parchment paper.

Whenever I bring this up with my girlfriends, the typical response is usually some variation of, "Oh, please, I'm not 45 yet; I really don't care what I look like then."

Well, I used to think the exact same way, but as I get older, those 45-year-olds actually look much younger to me. Seeing how some still look beautiful while others look exactly how I want to avoid, combined with the fact that I expect to have at least another thirty years of life ahead of me, I figured it might be wise to start thinking about the future. I'm pale as a ghost now, and everyone teases me, claiming I'm lying when I say I've been to the beach.😁, and since I'll likely be living well past 45, I decided it's better to plan ahead.😁

Anyway, I'm curious about something.

How many of you have decided to step away from the sun entirely?
Is it difficult being pale when you're sitting next to some artificially tanned blonde?😁

Or do you find comfort in that old-fashioned idea that fair skin is a sign of elegance and sophistication?😁

Personally, I'm finding peace in it; in fact, I might just turn it into a lifestyle.😁 😁

Daily Sun exposure? Yes. Getting fried? No.
I’m talking maybe 20 minutes at high noon when the Sun is hitting hardest. That’s all you need to grab your daily dose of Vitamin D, which keeps your immune system on point and helps prevent a ton of different cancers (melanoma included).

Rebecca Rogers5 said:So...
I've finally decided to ditch the tanning after twenty years of basically frying myself under the sun. I think I reached my limit because, honestly, the UV levels these days just don't feel normal anymore, and the constant appearance of moles along with premature skin aging is something every doctor seems to warn us about—especially for women like me who care about aesthetics, if not outright health.😁

This summer marks the first time I've spent my time either hiding in the shade or slathering on SPF 30 or 40, depending on whatever was within arm's reach. I should mention that I grew up near the coast, even though I live in Los Angeles now, so I used to spend my entire summer lounging on the beach, rubbing olive oil or homemade calendula oil on my skin without a single drop of protection; I even used tanning beds during the winter.

Now that I'm approaching 30, I suppose I've finally grown up a little. I started noticing that people in my age group are already developing fine lines around their eyes and their skin looks increasingly dry and thin. On top of that, I watched this documentary about the Sun and how it affects the skin, which showed the aging process of a woman in her mid-40s who had tanned aggressively; she ended up looking like crinkled parchment paper.

Whenever I bring this up with my girlfriends, the typical response is usually some variation of, "Oh, please, I'm not 45 yet; I really don't care what I look like then."

Well, I used to think the exact same way, but as I get older, those 45-year-olds actually look much younger to me. Seeing how some still look beautiful while others look exactly how I want to avoid, combined with the fact that I expect to have at least another thirty years of life ahead of me, I figured it might be wise to start thinking about the future. I'm pale as a ghost now, and everyone teases me, claiming I'm lying when I say I've been to the beach.😁, and since I'll likely be living well past 45, I decided it's better to plan ahead.😁

Anyway, I'm curious about something.

How many of you have decided to step away from the sun entirely?
Is it difficult being pale when you're sitting next to some artificially tanned blonde?😁

Or do you find comfort in that old-fashioned idea that fair skin is a sign of elegance and sophistication?😁

Personally, I'm finding peace in it; in fact, I might just turn it into a lifestyle.😁 😁

Of course.
I think being pale is beautiful, and I’d honestly feel unattractive if I were dark-skinned.😁😬

Lack of Sunshine Causes One Million Deaths

Researchers over at MD Anderson Cancer Center in San Diego found that if we could just bump up vitamin D3 levels globally, we could dodge 600,000 cases of breast and colorectal cancer every single year.

That’s nearly 150,000 cases that could be wiped out in the United States alone.

The math suggests that boosting vitamin D3 intake—especially in places far from the equator—could prevent roughly 250,000 colorectal cancer cases and 350,000 breast cancer cases across the globe.

The study examines The dose-response relationship between vitamin d and cancer, marking the first time anyone has used satellite data on Sun and cloud cover alongside actual blood serum tests from various countries.

They took winter serum vitamin D data from 15 nations and scaled it up to 177 countries to figure out the average vitamin D metabolite levels for the general population.

Specifically, an inverse Association between serum vitamin d and The risk of colorectal and breast cancers was found.

Protective effects Began When 25-hydroxyvitamin d levels hit the 24 to 32 ng/ml range. For context, in the United States, levels during the tail end of winter typically sit much lower, between 15 and 18 ng/ml.

The researchers even noted that older studies suggest aiming for 55 ng/ml might be the sweet spot for cancer prevention.

To fix your levels, the pros suggest a mix of diet, supplements, and getting about 10 to 15 minutes of Sun daily, making sure at least 40 percent of your skin is catching those rays.

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Mercola's Comments:
People have blown the dangers of the Sun way out of proportion while totally ignoring how much good it does. Sun exposure is not The major reason People develop skin cancer. I know that sounds wild to some of you, but it’s the reality. Falling for the scare tactics means you're missing out on life-saving benefits.

One massive benefit is cutting your cancer risk—which is the top killer. Like this study shows, we could stop 600,000 cancer cases annually just by fixing our vitamin D levels. And let's be real: the absolute best way to get it is through UVB rays hitting your skin in doses that don't leave you burned.

It goes deeper than cancer, too. These researchers highlighted that boosting vitamin D3 could potentially save nearly 1 million lives worldwide every year.

It’s huge. And since nobody stands to make a buck off telling you to go outside, you won't hear this much about it in the mainstream media.

The Endless Benefits of The Sunshine vitamin vitamin d

Vitamin D isn't your typical vitamin; it acts more like a hormone that hits your entire system. We've found receptors for it in basically every cell type, from your brain down to your bones.

Keeping your levels optimized might help fend off up to 16 different cancers, including stuff like pancreatic, lung, breast, ovarian, prostate, and colon cancer.

Plus, hitting those right levels is linked to helping with:

Heart disease
Diabetes
Inflammatory bowel disease
Rheumatoid arthritis
Multiple sclerosis and osteoporosis
How to Get Enough Vitamin D (and What Level is Optimal)

There's a pretty narrow window for what "optimal" looks like. To make sure you're actually hitting the mark, get your blood checked by a doctor. Then, adjust your diet, supplements, or moderate Sun exposure to stay right where you need to be.

Make sure your doctor orders the right test: 25(OH)D, or 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

You aren't just looking for "okay"—you want an OPTIMAL value between 45-52 ng/ml (115-128 nmol/l).

Don't let them fool you with those standard "normal" ranges of 20-56 ng/ml (50-140 nmol/l). In my book, your vitamin D level should NEVER dip below 32 ng/ml. If you're sitting under 20 ng/ml, you're in serious trouble; that kind of deficiency spikes your risk for prostate and breast cancers, plus autoimmune issues like rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis.

So, what's the play to hit that sweet spot? Ideally, you get it from Sun exposure. That's hands down the best way to go.

But look, I get it. Sometimes getting enough Sun just isn't realistic—especially if you're stuck in the middle of a brutal Chicago winter. A lot of my crew over at The Optimal Wellness Center deal with that exact same headache.

If you're going to supplement to make up the difference, keep these two things in mind:

You actually CAN overdose on oral vitamin D supplements (unlike getting it from the Sun, where the risk is basically zero), so you need to get your blood levels checked regularly.
Stick strictly to vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol). That's the stuff found naturally in things like fish, cod liver oil, animal fat, organ meats, and eggs. Avoid vitamin D2; it's bottom-tier junk.
If you want to dive deeper into why Sun and vitamin D are non-negotiable for your health, my upcoming book *Dark Deception* breaks it all down. I'm going to show exactly why the mainstream advice telling you to hide from the Sun is completely wrong.

placidfalcon said:Daily Sun exposure? Yes. Getting fried? No.
I’m talking maybe 20 minutes at high noon when the Sun is hitting hardest. That’s all you need to grab your daily dose of Vitamin D, which keeps your immune system on point and helps prevent a ton of different cancers (melanoma included).

I hear you, placidfalcon, and I'm certainly not suggesting anyone should live like a vampire and hide indoors, but I guess I’m really referring to that intense, aggressive tanning that seems to be everyone's go-to move. It's that habit where people just fry themselves from sunrise to sunset for seven days straight or more, all just to chase a darker tan, and that’s what I mean. Of course, Sun exposure is necessary and healthy in moderation, but we don't live in Norway or Sweden where we're deprived of light for most of the year... I figure if you just take a quick walk every day, which most of us do anyway, you'd probably get the amount you need in about 20 minutes.

Honestly, I think the whole anti-sun campaign is getting a bit out of hand. I actually have to get regular Sun exposure because of my psoriasis, and it works wonders for my skin.
Beyond that, the Sun puts me in a better mood and benefits my entire system.

And just so you know, almost every sunscreen—even modern mineral makeup—contains titanium dioxide, which is suspected of causing skin cancer in the first place.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_dioxide

I really don't know where this world is headed...😂😂 You aren't going to get cancer from the Sun; you'll get it from the creams. Or, if you aren't getting it from those, then from the pills, vitamins, or other toxins you ingest every single day.

Chris Morgan67 I suppose I should probably mention what Rebecca Rogers5 said about this.
I have to say, I honestly think this whole campaign against the Sun is getting a bit out of hand. It feels like such an exaggeration at times. For me personally, because I have to deal with psoriasis, I actually need regular Sun exposure just to manage my skin, and I've found that it works wonders for me. Maybe it's just my specific situation, but it really does make a massive difference.
I guess I just find that whenever I get some decent Sun, my mood lifts quite a bit, though I suppose it’s more than just a mental thing since it seems to benefit my entire body as well.

Just so you're aware, almost every single sunscreen out there—and honestly, even most modern mineral makeup—is packed with titanium dioxide particles, which some people suspect might actually be contributing to skin cancer in the first place.
It seems like I’m looking at a deep dive into titanium dioxide, which is essentially one of those substances that manages to be everywhere and nowhere all at once. It’s used as a whitening agent in everything from high-end paints to the food we eat, though I suppose that ubiquity is exactly what makes it a bit unsettling when you start reading about the potential implications. I guess it’s one of those things where you realize how much of our modern environment is built on chemical additives that we barely think twice about, even if there's ongoing debate regarding their long-term impact on health. It’s a strange reality, I suppose, that something so fundamental to making products look clean and bright might carry complexities that aren't immediately obvious to the average consumer.

I sometimes find myself wondering where this whole world of ours has actually gone.😂😂 I guess it’s probably more likely that you’ll end up facing cancer from the sunscreen you're slathering on rather than from the Sun itself; though, then again, maybe you'd be better off dealing with whatever issues come from those pills, vitamins, or other toxins you're ingesting on a daily basis.

Let's not get distracted from the main point here; I suppose it's just an obvious reality that about 70% of what we consume daily or even just apply to our skin is potentially carcinogenic in some way or another.

It seems like we’re seeing more and more people developing some kind of allergy to the Sun lately. I actually know three people personally who can't handle any direct sunlight anymore, which is strange because we grew up spending every single day together at the beach. Now, they deal with constant rashes, lichen planus, or severe burns, I guess. It's just one of those things that makes you wonder what's actually changing.

Of course, there are countless variables at play here—things like your specific skin type, genetic predispositions, and so on—but I suppose we can't ignore the reality that skin cancer is becoming increasingly common, and it seems that UV radiation accounts for somewhere between 50% and 70% of those cases.

I wouldn't call myself some kind of fanatic or anything, I just happen to feel that excessive sun exposure and using tanning beds is probably unhealthy. That’s really all there is to it, I guess.

I’ve always had pretty fair skin, the kind that gets those little sunspots across the nose, though I don't exactly burn easily, I suppose. But over the last two or three years, I've started noticing moles popping up all over my body right after the summer ends. It makes me think that maybe I shouldn't be taking this quite so lightly anymore.

I suppose you’ll find conflicting opinions on whether something is harmful or beneficial no matter where you look. Honestly, I don't let that bother me too much; at the end of the day, what matters is that I can actually feel the difference, listen to my own body, and react accordingly.

Here’s an interesting read on this topic, if anyone feels like diving in...
Everything you actually need to know about protecting yourself from the Sun