Dh's family never wears sunscreen...vent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm very fair and grew up at the beach in the 70s. I had malignant melanoma in my mid 20s. Since that time - 30 years - I've been very serious about sunscreen use.

At my annual physical with my internist had low levels of vitamin d and was put on a prescription version of the vitamin. I saw my knee doctor some months after and he lectured me about low levels of vitamin d and sunscreen use. He said I needed to cut back on the sunscreen even though I had malignant melanoma in the past . I'm out several times a week in the sun at the worst part of the day in the summer. I listened to this fool and decided to be clever and skipped putting sunscreen on my lower legs here and there. I didn't put sunscreen on my shins. Within two years I've had different types of skin cancer and precancerous spots removed from my lower legs. No problems anywhere else.

I'm so glad I continued using sun screen. I can't imagine what it would be like to have my melanoma scar on my face. I've also known an older gentleman who had lots of disfiguring procedures on his face as part of his treatment of pre cancerous growths on his face. I'm mid 50s with barely a wrinkle but if you see my lower legs, they look sun damaged.

The cancer concern trumps the vitamin d concern. I'll continue taking my vitamins and using sunscreen.

You obviously have a need for it. Many of us prefer to avoid the toxic chemical load, stay out of the sun at peak times and use protective clothing. Yes, that is the safer route than slathering yourself with toxic chemicals and basking in the sun.

[Anonymous]

If they were convincing your children to not wear it, that would be one thing. But they get to make their own decisions about this. I believe in sunscreen, although I admit, for a zoo trip, I'd apply once in the morning and then only if it seemed to be wearing off. Of course sunscreen makes sense to you. But other people are more worried about the chemicals. I think you need to agree to disagree on this one.

[Anonymous]

Fwiw, makeup that includes spf gives you that spf coverage when you apply the "correct" amount, which is normally clown-like. Layer SPF 30, then makeup on top. Here's a picture (photo from Instyle's twitter) showing just how much BB cream you'd have to "wear" to get the advertised coverage.
https://mobile.twitter.com/amysynnott/status/360470878028460032

[Anonymous]

OP -- I also had malignant melanoma removed when I was in my 20s, but I don't wear sunscreen. I also don't put it on my kids.

Instead, I buy them long sleeve rash guards for swimming (plus hats with the drapery in my back to protect the back of the neck). On regular days I let them get some sun, but I won't let them bake in it (i.e. I won't lather them with sunscreen and then let them play for hours in the beating rays).

The majority of your sun exposure occurs before you are 18 years old. I feel like for me, the damage is already done, and now it's just about getting moles removed if they do weird things.

By all means, protect your kids (and I wouldn't rely just on sunscreen to do that). But it sounds like what is really going on is that you feel like your horrible experience is being dismissed. This isn't about your concerns about their health -- it's about how you feel like they haven't changed their behavior in response to what you experienced as a devastating event.

I never, not once, thought about how much sunscreen other people in my family or circle of friends were using after my melanoma. So, I think there is something else going on here.

[Anonymous]

Well, I don't know OP. Here's the thing--she made it to whatever age she is without getting skin cancer, yet you are younger and had it. Food for thought. You do you. That's it.