I don’t understand the appeal of sunbathing?

I used to lie out in the sun all day every day on holiday with my one and only aim to leave the holiday as brown as possible.

About three years ago I had a sudden light bulb moment and decided I no longer wanted to lie out and suffer in the name of beauty.

I still love to lie around the pool and relax, nap, eat, drink however I will constantly be under an umbrella. It is so much more comfortable and relaxing and I know that my skin will thank me in years to come.

I agree, OP and I'm not autistic! I used to sunbathe when I was young, because it was what you did, but looking back I don't think I really enjoyed it that much even then, though I liked having a tan. These days I don't do lie by the pool type holidays!

I’m with you.

Some women like makeup and fashion, some don’t.

I Love fashion but I don’t sunbathe.

You’re not really asking a question are you? You’re simply wanting to point out how superficial you think sunbathing is, and that you are above that kind of vanity.

I don't get it either.

I love reading but once I am lost in a book, I don't care where I am so I don't see the point in spending a lot of money on a holiday to sit and read when I can do that anywhere.

I don't like napping or relaxing either.

I would much rather go on a long walk by the coast as I do enjoy seeing the sea.

I think I like it until I sit down then get sweaty and crampy and ants in my pants and have to move around and get up and get a drink then get in the pool then try and read then go to front desk to ask about restaurant times then tell everyone that I have booked us all in for water polo, I have adhd 😂

Bloody love sitting in the sun by the beach with a good book. I don’t do it to tan or to look good. It feels good and something about the sea relaxes me in a way nothing else does.

Interspersed with swims. I rarely hang out in or by the pool, I get bored.
I also like to sight see, hike, explore, etc etc etc. It’s a nice mix.

I enjoy reading a book on a lounger at the beach. Under a huge parasol! No noisy pools.. no noisy kids.

I don’t want to tan (and I’m ginger so physically can’t). But sitting in the sunshine with a cold drink and a book is pretty nice. Or just having a nap in the sun. I’m usually either under an umbrella, under a towel, or somewhere else shady, or I sit out late enough not to risk burning (5-6pm). Still nice.

I've never known a single person to put on a full face of makeup to sunbathe. And I've been on a lot of holidays with a lot of people.

Im not on the spectrum but I absolutely detest sunbathing. As soon as the sun is on my skin I feel like a chicken in an oven. I feel it burning through my skin in seconds. I hate that I tan easily. I literally loon like I a dirty face and body with a tan. I can’t match make up for my face and I just look horrible.
I haven’t even mentioned the heatstroke I get at least once a year and that’s with avoiding the sun.

One time I had to walk 20 mins in the blazing 30 degree London sun to my son’s school to have a meeting. I was excessively sweating and clammy all over. Then I passed out in the chair😂😩.

Last month I walked 15 mins up a long street again in the sun and tripped over, smashed my face into the ground, hit my sunglasses on the way and cut my forehead with the hinge on the side of my sunglasses.
The blood caused such a scene, but it was worse than it looked. I still came home and knocked out then woke up and went to a&e to get my bleeding cut glued up. The Nurse wanted to give stitched but then changed her mind as it was mark my face for life.

So as you can see I hate then sun.

My husband on the other hand will sit in the sun until he is as red as a lobster.

I don’t ever sunbathe, I catch the sun being out and about. I have olive skin that tans easily. When I lived in Oz I’d avoid the sun, but being out and about I’d catch it quickly and tan easily. If I’m on a holiday that has sun beds I’m in the shade.

I’d never in a million years lie in the sun, but lying out in the shade with a book and a cocktail, with frequent dips to cool off or swim in the sea, is the most relaxing thing on earth.

Our children are grown, and whilst they do still come on a summer holiday with us, we’ve started having an extra 2 week ‘drop and flop’ in an extremely nice Caribbean hotel, for just the 2 of us every February. We do sod all and it’s complete unadulterated heaven.

I love to lie on a sunbed with a good book on my kindle & could spend the whole day there.

DH is different. He likes to be 'doing' - he gets tetchy after 30-40 minutes, will go for a swim & then start pestering me. Do you want a drink? - no I have my water thank you, would I like a swim? no thank you I'm fine here. What time would I like to go for lunch? It's 10:30, not for another 2 hours. What am I reading that's so interesting? the same book as I was reading when you asked me 30 minutes ago. Aren't I hot? no. Would I like him to rub some sunscreen in? yes thank you, if you can do my back please. Thank you.

Do you want a drink? - repeat cycle ....😎😂

I enjoy having a lay down in the sunshine to get a bit of warmth, vitamin C and to have a snooze.
I don't wear a bikini, shave, wax or any of that.
I'm more likely to be shorts and a t-shirt or vest.

Sometimes I sunbathe. Sometimes I do not.
I must be neuro AB,CDE and F

I used to love cooking myself to a dark shade of mahogany when I was younger and more able to cope with high temps. Now I get hot even looking at the weather forecast on the telly if there is hot weather due 😊. I just won't do the torture of literally frying in heat that sends rivers of sweat all over my body now. But having said that, I do like warm climates, but I'm like a mushroom, shade bathing is my thing now, not sunbathing!

I hate sitting in the sun but do enjoy being out in the warm weather in a shady spot and relaxing.

I don't think sunbathing is vain though, quite the opposite, it ages you quickly so it's us lot in the shade who are vain.

The things you mention aren’t done because they’re on holiday. I’d be willing to bet those that get waxed etc do so on a regular basis not just for holidays. Again it’s just their personal preference.
The world would be a very boring place if everyone liked the same things.

I like it but I also like to break up the time by being in the pool. I prefer being in the water but do like a little lounge round the pool with a good book and a nice drink.

I was amazed when we went on holiday this year how many people get on the sun lounger at 9am and literally don't move until 6 pm. And this was every single day of their holiday. They didn't even get in the pool. Seemed way too much for my taste

I don't do it to get a tan per se, but the glorious feeling of heat on my skin and my bones heating up, I love.

I don't do it in this country only abroad next to a pool (we stay in a villa so our own pool always).

Nothing beats a lovely lunch, lots of Rose and then a whole afternoon of reading, sleeping, cooling off and repeating. This year it was Tuscany. I read many books.

I've never 'had fun' in a pool. I've supervised children in a pool, cooled off in a pool and swam lengths. But none of those I would class as fun!

Never enjoyed it.
However, I don't judge people who do, finding it neither vain nor performative, especially amongst middle aged women.
I'm also Autistic.
We all enjoy different things. It's not that deep.

I love it. As long as my face is in the shade and it isn’t too hot. Time to snooze, day dream, make plan, listen to music and read all with the warm sun on your body. I really struggle with the lack of sun light over winter. I’m trying to decide if we can hustify going on holiday in Feb half term.

Same, never enjoyed it - I used to get teased for 'sunbathing' in the shade. By which I mean other people were sunbathing and I was merely sitting in the shade.

I'm not a sun worshipper AT ALL. God bless the Scottish climate.

I am not bothered in the slightest about getting a tan, but I love sitting around a pool under a brolly, in the sunshine, reading a good book. My DH is bored silly by that and just wants to go in the pool or go for a walk

Horses for courses really