My kids are tanned

[hipslikecinderella]

We haven't been abroad but they do masses of sport and outside activities. Dd is 8 and ds 9. They rarely burn but are fairly pale normally.
Aibu to have (inadvertently) allowed this to happen?
I do put suncream on them for a day trip/sports days. But not every day and clearly not enough to prevent a tan.

DC1 would tan if you snuck up behind him and whispered the word "sun". Never burned.

DC2 never tanned or burned.

Same amount of sunscreen and clothing applied, just different colouring. DC1 has v similar colouring to SIL1 who tans just the same way.

its still damged and yabu not to put it on everyday if theyre out

@notso have you tried p20? It's the only one DS and I don't get a rash with (tried about 5 major brands)

I always thought a tan was a defensive reaction to skin damage. I’m no expert though, being pale as milk.

its the result of damage haverhill

My 2 year old DD has ended up pretty tanned! We use factor 50 but we are outside pretty much all day this time of year. I don’t tan whatever I do / don’t do, just burn. I’m very pale & freckly but I think DD has inherited my dad’s skin, which just tans the second he steps foot outside.

My ds tans on a sunny winter day. Fairly olive skin.

Never burnt but I struggle to get protection on him. But I want him to take care as I’ve had carcinomas (and I’m mixed).

A tan is not something to strive for, in my view.

There’s a difference between popping out to the shops v spending a proper day out in the sun.

My neighbours have their kids out butt naked all day in the summer and raves about how well they tans🙄.

I’ve never had sunburn but....

A tan is the body’s reaction to damaged DNA from the sun. You tan after the damage has already occurred.

Any level of tan is not “healthy”. It’s a sign of cellular damage and the skin trying to protect itself from further damage.

I do think it’s often unavoidable short of staying indoors. But we need to stop with the positive associations - “healthy tan”, “sun kissed”, “lovely honey colour” etc. and start seeing pale as beautiful too.

A tan is the body’s reaction to damaged DNA from the sun. You tan after the damage has already occurred.

This is not universally true. Asian and African skin gets darker in the sun and it’s not indicative on its own of sun damage. Or do you think skin cancer rates are highest in India or Africa?

I wear factor 50 every single day and am only outside at weekends due to work and I am ridiculously brown. I can only think sun cream doesn't really work, especially as I am in Yorkshire so it's not that sunny/hot.

@Lindellia I thought babies under 6 months weren't supposed to use sunscreen?

This is not universally true. Asian and African skin gets darker in the sun and it’s not indicative on its own of sun damage. Or do you think skin cancer rates are highest in India or Africa?

The mechanism is the same though. Darker colour = melatonin produced because of sun damage. Black skin simply has higher levels of melatonin to start so has higher protection from the sun.

Thanks for the recommendation @nobreakfastforme it's one of the few I haven't tried actually.

My DC tan as well as they're half mediterranean (sp?). I put suncream on them. It is what it is - I'm not going to stop them playing outside or doing their sports.

edgeofheaven that’s my logic when it comes to my kids.
They are half Asian. Their dad would tan in the arctic circle They appear to have a skin tone way more similar to his than mine. Their skin turns more of a golden brown from the moment the sun starts to poke his head out in mid-spring!
I’m very Morticia-esque pale and it suits me - I look ridiculous with a tan, so do everything I can to avoid it!

'..just show them a badly drawn picture of the sun and they'd tan in nanoseconds'.

I just snorted tea on that one

'drspouse

@Lindellia I thought babies under 6 months weren't supposed to use sunscreen?'

That better not be true, as I will have just wasted £14 on baby sunscreen

@Lindellia hope you don’t mind me asking. I have ocular cutaneous albinism type 1B. I wear factor 50 in summer and 30 on my face and hands even in winter. Could you possibly suggest anything other than zinc cream I can try to stop the end of my nose getting burnt? I have an oily nose and suncream just doesn’t seem to stick there? It drives me mad!

bluebluezoo saying “a tan is sun damage” is Eurocentric, I’m just pointing that out. Someone with African, Asian, Latino heritage will get darker even with sun protection, it’s the normal reaction in their skin.

Don’t make blanket statements like that based only one one ethnic group. The whole world isn’t white English.

*bluebluezoo saying “a tan is sun damage” is Eurocentric, I’m just pointing that out. Someone with African, Asian, Latino heritage will get darker even with sun protection, it’s the normal reaction in their skin.

Don’t make blanket statements like that based only one one ethnic group. The whole world isn’t white English*

Eh? I didn’t mention white people or ethnicity at all. Black/asian and other darker skinned people can tan too- in the sun their skin will darken, i.e they get a suntan.

Either you think only white people tan, or are misinterpreting my definintion- a tan is when exposure to sun darkens the skin. Whatever your ethnicity.

'Pride and Prejudice'

"`How very ill Eliza Bennet looks this morning, Mr. Darcy,'' she cried; ``I never in my life saw any one so much altered as she is since the winter. She is grown so brown and coarse! Louisa and I were agreeing that we should not have known her again.''

However little Mr. Darcy might have liked such an address, he contented himself with coolly replying that he perceived no other alteration than her being rather tanned -- no miraculous consequence of travelling in the summer."

Exactly so. No miraculous consequence of being out of doors in the summer. Obviously, slather on the sunblock.

What’s wrong with being tanned?

Mine are v v tanned. Ok we’ve been on holiday and their dad is a national of one of the darker med countries but it’s a big contrast to their winter shade. I’ve done everything bar keep them indoors. It can’t really be helped

Define poor!?!

@Lindellia

Thank you - my DH had stage 4 melanoma - thankfully currently in remission due to immunotherapy - and my uncle has just been diagnosed with brain metastases from stage 4 melanoma.

DH never sunbathed - he's just unlucky to have a genetic mutation which makes him more prone to mutations in the skin. DU on the other hand was a sun worshipper in the 70s/80s. Seeing him now makes me so bloody glad my mum covered us up as kids, and so sad for his wife and my cousins.

My 2 DS are covered whenever they are out for more than 10mins. e do rash vests and long shorts in the summer for the pool/beach. Hats with flaps over the neck in the pool. Factor 50 from may onwards. They do get to see the sun on the way to school (suncream at the gates) and then later afternoon 4-5 depending on the strength.I would rather give vitD supplements than risk melanoma. It nearly killed DH, is probably going to kill DU, and I have seen enough chemo wards for a lifetime.