Pale people who still use low SPF are idiots!

[Whenwillwe3meetagain]

I'm on hols in the carribean and a pale white couple infront of us who arrived yesterday are putting on SPF 6, after 30 mins the bloke was already going pink and it was only 10am.
They are in early 30's so with all likelihood have been bombarded with the safe sun message for years.
Yes none of my business but why risk skin cancer for a tan/serious sunburn? I just don't get it!

I will have to console myself with watching death in paradise tonight now

Im really pale and burn easily within 20mins even with high factor on. Was round pils house the other day and i got offered factor 4 - why do they even make spf that low it does jack shit!

I'm pale but use very little spf ever. I think it's very bad for you. So I cover up or avoid hottest part of the day etc. If you are putting spf on, it might as well be a good strong spf!

Why bad for you cherry blossom ? Just curious

Im not too pale but I wear SPF 8. However I am rarely in the direct sun when abroad - always in a widebrimmed hat and under a parasol.

I only swim in the morning or evening. I dont like being in the direct sun.

I'm pasty and tend to have factor 25 in this country.

Never been to the Caribbean

My mum used to use factor 2!

DS got burnt last weekend. I felt so guilty. It was windy and I just didn't notice the back of his neck.

DH has slightly more olive skin and is a nightmare. I bought factor 15 for him because he refuses anything higher. However, again, he is a grown up.

I've got the palest skin ever. I can go to Thailand or Egypt and sit out in 40degrees heat all day and use Factor 7. Don't tan, don't burn, don't go pink. I think my skin doesn't respond to the sun.

Also, both my DS are outside all the time. They have sock marks already where they've been wearing shorts for the past couple of months.

I'm really pale, and I use factor 50 but tend to burn through it.

That said, when I do tan (it has to be done carefully!) my tan lasts months when I'm home...I went to Greece in September and I've still got tan lines.

I think they are idiots too.

I personally don't like to mess with skin cancer and neither do I want to look leathery in my old age like my dad

SPF 50 on face- lower when not on retin. 30 everywhere else at least.

Tan done carefully is still damaged skin though.

That is why I wish we didn't think tanned skin was desirable.

I have spent 8 weeks in the canaries this spring. I worked really hard at not burning, but getting some sun at the same time. I have gone from severely vitamin D deficient to be within the normal range.

It is a balancing act.

Not all British people are pasty white and not all tans fade in 5 minutes. I still had tan lines on my arse from my holiday last July last year when I went away in May. As I've said before on thread like this - I tan in february, as do most of my family. A Tan does not always mean people are baking themselves!

Thankfully the kids have my skin. Their dads is milk bottle white and its miserable for him.

Pale skin, dark hair, blue eyes. Anyone with that combination is at higher risk of skin cancer. As told to me by skin cancer specialist.

Maybe they're applying it frequently? I could we'll be wrong (and this being Mumsnet, I'm sure no one will be backwards in coming forwards to correct me ) but I use factor 15 and apply really frequently rather than, say, a factor 30 because I tend to miss bits and end up with weird burnt patches all over me if I don't really often. A higher factor gives me a false sense of security and I forget to reapply as often, whereas I'm always more vigilant with a lower factor. I thought the factors indicated how long you could stay in the sun "safely"? Am I misinformed?

DM is like this. I get my pale, freckled skin that burns in 5 mins is vaguely warm sunshine from her, but the highest spf she'll use for a scorching hot day spent in the sun is factor 10 . She's damaged her skin so badly all her freckles kind of merge together in the sun so she looks from a distance like she's gone a really terrifying shade of mahogany. Thank god they don't go abroad on holiday anymore.

This is her choice and she can do what she wants (I used to smoke so can hardly talk), but she goes on at me like I'm some sort of fascist because I put factor 50 and a sun hat on DS (3) when it's hot. "Oooh, let him get a bit of colour Marjory you big meanie!"

Would just like to point out that my kids and I are always coated in factor 50 and they wear uv wetsuits when swimming. They still go brown after a couple of days as do I. Even the 9 month old.

So it's not all neglectful parenting.

the time is not accumulative - no matter how many times you apply it it will still only allow you to stay in the sun a certain amount of time before burning.

brown on fair skin is sun damage - the skin is trying to protect itself by producing melanin in response to the damage the sun is doing.

i use facter 50+ i found one that was 70 once not beed able to find it again :(

i like the summer feels more happy. i have pale skin and wear things with long sleeves because i dont like the feel of the sun on my skin. i also have freckles and they come out more in the summer. looks like i sun bath under a tea strainer.

mad people that put baby oil on their skin then sit in the sun. madness

My grandfather died of skin cancer. i use all the numbers, and a hat, and the shade.

We're a British family my DH is Jewish and had Ukrainian grandparents so the DC have that heritage, don't know if that makes any difference to my following point. My 8 year old DS goes golden brown very quickly even with the factor 50, ten hr protection cream put on him. My brother often jokes about whether he's been on a 'tanning' bed so it's certainly true that British looking children can go brown, without it been as a result of irresponsible parents. My DD is brown/red haired, quite pale but with brown eyes and can have protection but will quickly go red with the slightest hint of sun.

I'm too vain to cook in the sun. I don't want skin like a saddlebag by the time I'm 50.

Myneighbour I can't remember the details but whatever the component is they use to actually block the sun is not good for you really. Less of a risk than skin cancer though. So you take your own risks. They don't advise spf on babies under 6mts at all and even over 6mts there are very few that are considered suitable due to health reasons. Most of the kids ones people mistakenly use on babies but if you look closely they often say not to use on children under 1 or 2. I can't remember much more than that but just have a lasting impression that the less you use it the better (but of course if you are in a situation you will burn of course you should use it).