Shocked By So Many Badly Sunburnt People Around

[MarmaladeSandwich7]

I live in Cornwall which obviously gets very large numbers of holidaymakers but I notice locals that don’t seem to know what sunscreen is for either - customers come to my till looking like lobsters! There’s enough information around about the dangers of not using sun protection at all or not applying it frequently enough, yet people carry on regardless. I have a friend with stage 4 cancer which started because of unprotected sunbathing (she ended up with several moles) 😢 The whole situation is worse because of global warming & these extreme temperatures. I would never even consider anything less than Factor 50 yet you can still buy Factor 15. Reckon we are in for a whole load of skin cancer cases.

I'm 52 and people are often surprised at my age. Some of it is genetic but I put a LOT down to a lifetime of staying out of the sun. I use spf all year round. Factor 30 in winter and days where I just walk from my car to the office and fator 50 the rest of the time. I also make sure I put it on my hands.

I find men are the worst. My husband was burnt as a child and is pale, blonde and bald and still forgets to apply suncream or put a hat on.

Stupid people gonna be stupid and end up with faces like crocodiles and skin cancer

When I get burnt, it's around my sunscreen on bits I didn't quite reach - around straps for example. Or when a day started off dull and became sunny while I was out.
I don't think sunburn necessarily equals didn't use sunscreen, is my point

I know this is probably not how you meant it (as in you mean not sunbathing) but "a lifetime of staying out of the sun" sounds depressing!
There is also an issue with vitamin D deficits in many of us.

Yes I have been applying factor 50 to my face for years. Not into sunbathing whatsoever.

Am 62 probably look c 53.

People are stupid if they wish to get burnt!

I don't mind a healthy hue of brown but I am quite happy looking white the whole summer.

I can only assume these people are a bit thick too!

While so many people are here with knowledge about skin cancer…how would I know if I have it.

I’m not asking because I am worried or think I do, it is just something I don’t feel like I have any knowledge about and probably should.

My concern comes from the fact that I have lots of dark ‘freckles’ on my arms, and some of them are raised a little. I also have skin tags on my neck that I always just called ‘moles’.

im going to get some of the tags removed in 2 weeks so im going to ask the GP about it when im there, but in the meantime, any tips

A question re products for those using SPF 50 on their face all year round:

Are moisturisers with SPF sufficient for winter? Or should it still be an actual SPF? I prefer to use the former as they feel less greasy to me, but often wonder if they are good enough.

It’s horrendous @MarmaladeSandwich7!! I live in another seaside town and work there too and the number of people I seen yesterday who were burnt to a crisp was awful!!
The worst being a young girl who can’t have been any more than 8 or 9 who was with (what I’m assuming were) her parents and was BRIGHT red and had the full outline of a strappy top burned onto her back and shoulders - and she was wearing a completely different style of strappy top yesterday so it’s obviously happened on a previous day and she’s still out fully exposed to the midday sun 🙄🙄

I was 10 during the summer of 76. We were suncreamed to the max before stepping out of the door. We also weren't allowed to wear vest tops, it had to be t shirts. We also wore t shirts over our swimming costumes whe we were at the beach. Always wore a hat and wore betide us if we dared take it off.
I set the same rules with my redhead, pale skinned DD as she was growing up. I'm 60 and she's in her mid 30s and to this day neither of us has ever suffered from sunburn because we still follow my Aussie mother's rules.

Look up the ABCDE guidelines about moles so you know the signs of potential melanoma. However, the guidelines can also apply to normal, irregular moles. I have lots of moles (lots of odd ones too) and a family history of melanoma and my GP basically said that any mole that looks nothing like your others is a big red flag, or one that changes (quickly or slowly).

Also be aware of any sores, spots etc. that don't heal as they can be BCC or SCC (not as serious as melanoma but still need removing).

It’s difficult @Boreded, especially for those of us with lots of freckles and moles. We’re advised to keep an eye on them and note any changes. Look out for new moles, moles that get bigger or change shape, a spot that changes colour from brown to black or where colour is uneven. Anything that becomes raised. Anything whose outline changes. But like I said, for those of us who have loads, it’s very challenging. I honestly couldn’t tell you if any of mine are new.

So I pay a skin clinic every three years to check them for me- Costs about £250 I think though I seem to recall it had gone up last time I had one. They ‘map’ your moles, so they photograph every inch of you to give them a reference point. A nurse has a good look and draws a circle around any they aren’t sure about, and then the dermatologist comes in and inspects them. They also use a machine which I think measures the depth of moles (because obviously anything that’s growing inwards is probably problematic).

When I put money into my savings each month, I have a savings ‘pot’ for health. This covers my mole checks and dental work (I have needed a lot of dentistry over the past five years). It’s a shame in a country with a free health service to have to put money aside for healthcare, but if people can afford to do so, it’s a good idea.

Yep. My parents were raised in Australia and were super hot on sun cream. I was always plastered in Factor 30 or 50 and made to wear t-shirts and sunhats if I wanted to go out anywhere. I never once got sunburn except for a tiny patch on my ear when I was about 8.#

I'm now 37 and get a lot of comments about how I don't look my age. Both my parents are around 70 and still have excellent skin - I don't think it's a coincidence.

To add- I probably wouldn’t have gone down the private mole checks route had it not been for losing my dad to melanoma. It’s an awful disease and seeing what happened to him really scared me.

Bizarelly my two DS from the same dad has completely different skin. The older one is like mediterannean and just need to be out for 5 minutes and has a lovely tan, never seem to burn. The younger one has the skin of a ginger person, even though nor me nor his father are anywhere near ginger and both tan easily without burning. (I think it has skipped a couple of generations as my grandfather and my cousin are proper ginger) My son burns easy but will eventually get a nice but not dark tan like his brother.

The younger one with the sensitive skin is really careful and after a couple of minor sunburns just does not want to burn, puts on suncream before school and mostly stays in the shade on holiday.

The older one with the darker skin couldn't care less and will not listen to me about sunscreen and protection, he just does not get the fact that you don't have to burn to get skin cancer. He is off to Greece with his mates and I am quite worried, although he didn't burn last year but probably because they were only out at night

They are both differently persuaded by shit they see on TikTok and it's so frustrating.

I’ve had parasols for years. Apparently, young people are beginning to embrace them according to my friend who has a daughter in her early 20s

So I attach a photo taken from a European dermatology publication. (You can reverse image search to get the source)The woman in the picture is a 90+yo Norwegian woman who used factor 50 on her face for more than 40 years. But not her neck/décolletage.

This image should be everywhere as it shows not only the incredible benefits of using suncream but the shocking results of not doing so. Have generally aways slapped something on when I remember, but since seeing this I never leave the house without SPF50. Yes I am vain, but am also an older mum and want to remain fit and healthy to support any grandkids and avoid being a burden. Skin cancer is largely avoidable - i truly cannot understand the stubbornness about it.

I on holiday now and both son and DH have ‘caught’ the sun. Am livid with them both.

Everyone should take vitamin D Oct - March but it seems some people ignore it, some think it’s a conspiracy, some say it’s not “proper vitamin D” as it’s not from the sun
I am also a lifelong sun avoider but that’s due to my colouring

My father in law regularly lies out in the garden covered in baby oil. He goes to Greece and Turkey and comes back with an amazing tan which he’s very proud of, but doesn’t seem to realise that actually his skin is very leathered and also no one really cares about his tan.

I had to draw the line at him telling the kids (primary school age) that they’d better come back from holiday with a tan. Unfortunately he does say this to some of his other grandchildren, who are fairly careful to make sure they don’t wear too much sunscreen in case Grandpa tells them off when they come back too pale.

Need the 🤬 emoji here!!

I use Cerave facial moisturiser. It’s pretty good Previously skincare only had spf 15 in it. You can however use something like Bioma spf face fluid or the new Cerave sunscreen.

The main danger I think is not applying it thickly enough

Apparently the latest internet conspiracy theory is that suncream causes cancer despite (as usual) there being no evidence at all for this. I despair.

Beauticians have always advised me to wear factor 50 all year round.

My mum has stage 4 melanoma which started as a skin tag on her thigh and has now spread to her lungs and spine. I would definitely get the Dr to have a check of them just to make sure they are ok.

I keep seeing that too and saw this today.
I will still wear it though

https://www.instagram.com/p/DaCskegIZko/?igsh=MW12ZGwwdXFrbTJ5NA==