To think you can get a tan in the shade

[MoonsAndJunes]

Please help settle this 'debate'!
My friend says that if I stay in the shade I will never get a tan.
I think that it's possible to go brown even if you never sit directly in the sun... who is right?

Yes you can tan in the shade. I've tried it in Africa and it works. It was blisteringly hot in direct sunlight (literally) and I spent a fortnight mostly on a sun lounger under palm trees. Came home with a nice even light tan.

I got sunburn sitting in the shade on Saturday. Apparently UV light coming off concrete and table etc.

I was about to say I’ve never tanned in the shade but then realised I always put factor 30 on as well I fear the burning ball in the sky!

Not ime you can't. I usually sit in the sun and tan but on two occasions I've been abroad and stayed in the shade and came back as white as when I arrived!

@LoveB my 1 year old has brown knees from being in her buggy despite being constantly smothered in factor 50!

I definitely can tan in the shade. I spend the majority of my sunbathing time in the shade, i hate direct sunlight when sunbathing.
I go very dark, but also have an olive complexion. The sun's rays are all around so if you're in sunlight, your skin absorbs the rays. Obviously, direct sunlight tans you quicker and you are more prone to burning.

However, I do think it depends on your skin type. I tan easily and wouldn't dream of lying in direct sunlight on a two week break. My DH was amazed on our first beach holiday. He expected me to come home lighter than I travelled.

I sat under a parasol with a towel round my shoulders for an hour with factor 30 on.

I have now taken two paracetamol and applied after sun from the fridge.

Ffs

You're the one who is right. You don't need to be in direct sunlight to tan/burn. There's plenty of scattered radiation around - otherwise, how would you be able to see anything while you are sitting in shadow.

Yes you get tanned from sunlight on skin but it doesn’t need to be direct sunlight. There is still sunlight in the shade, if there wasn’t you wouldn’t be able to see anything unless you had another light source.

Tanning will take a lot longer but can happen in the shade as can burning.

Well, I lived in Oz for 2 years. I hated sitting in the direct sun, so was in the shade/inside a lot. I was very brown.

Yes you can. I sit in the shade and wear factor 50 and still get a tan.

Reflection.

you do get tan in the shade, just not so quickly as in the direct sunlight. And you won't burn. Same goes for sunblock on the face - there's a point in wearing it all year round, as radiation/uv rays are still there.

You can get a tan in the shade - but it's a hell of a lot harder.

It's not pitch black in the shade because there is still some reflected sunlight reaching the shaded part (making it darker, but not black).

Imagine the sunlight hitting the pavement and some of it reflecting every so slightlly of 1000's of little stones at strange angles. Some of those light rays will bounce into the shaded area, but Its a very small percentage.

I never sit in the sun but always get a nice tan!

Well as there is sunlight in the shade I’m guessing you can.
It’s not pitch black is it? Nothing, like glass, is blocking the UV rays. It’ll take longer but I’m thinking yes.

www.sunsmart.com.au/skin-cancer/myths-that-lead-to-skin-cancer

Speaking from experience....

Yes. Absolutely. It's possible to tan/burn in the shade due to reflected and indirect sunlight.

Shocked my parents when, having carefully put me in shade after the previous year's holiday horror, we ended up in QEQM A&E again with me suffering wind damage and blistering sunburn.

Glass doesn't block UV. It filters most of UVB rays (tanning) but not UVA (capable of skin damage and increased cancer risk)

I googled it. You can. I am really careful about the sun as I'm freckly and moley and pasty.

You can get sunburnt in the shade, so you can most definitely tan.

www.sunsmart.com.au/skin-cancer/myths-that-lead-to-skin-cancer

Too slow - Simon posted the same link upthread!