Using Sunbeds to prevent sunburn

[inmynewera]

More Am I Being Ridiculous than Unreasonable.

I’ve always had fair skin.

When I was in my 20’s / early 30’s, I would thinking nothing of using a sunbed for a base tan before going on holiday or throughout the summer. Not a lot but maybe two or three times a week for a few weeks leading up to something.

Bit older and wiser and stopped using sunbeds for years now. What I’m finding though, is my skin is getting burnt more easily now. The last couple of trips abroad, I’ve religiously applied factor 50 every hour or so and burnt badly very quickly. This weekend with it being sunny, I sat outside with myself completely covered (where I was sat, there was no shade and I had a jacket with me), apart from a small part of my chest / neck was visible . I applied factor 50 and I’d say within 20-30 mins that small patch was burning.

So it’s not that I want to have an amazing tan, I would honestly just like to be able to sit in sunshine safely!

Do you think it’s ok to have a few sessions in a sunbed (stand up booths not lay down beds) to get the base tan and see if it helps my skin to not burn?

Or any other suggestions as sometimes it is just hot and sunny. My forearms felt like they were burning just from driving today!

I definitely feel like it’s getting worse too.

I go on beds for a skin condition. I do find it prevents that lobster burning you get on very pale skin, yes. It makes sense really - how many men abroad do you see with a big red tummy because it was bright white before they flew out?

That said, you're probably best using suncream instead.

Please don't op you need to stay out of mid day sun only way to be safe

PS as a fellow fair-skinned person, I do st tropez fake tan so I looked tanned in the evenings or when sitting in the shade, and then cover up with a hat, rash guard and SPF. Fake tan is so much better these days - that's the best kind of "base tan".

Obviously that’s a stupid idea, sunbeds will just make it more likely you’ll get cancer.

But if you’re burning when you’re applying factor 50 every hour, you need better/newer suncream. Small ginger kids I’ve looked after weren’t burning like that!

Until I was in my mid forties I could deal with the sun easily…now I burn at the drop of a hat. What I do though is put plenty of sun cream on and use shade and cooling clothes…I wouldn’t dream even for a second of going on a sunbed. I’ve even bought my first ever sun hat.

I have had a few melanomas removed one entailed two separate surgeries both under general anaesthetic, various moles taken off back and last year a Basel cell carcinoma removed from head again two ops for that under local.

I work outside all year covered up and now have a selection of wide brimmed hats along with a number of suncreams mostly ultrasun factor 50 one at home, in car, in work bag etc.

You’ll just burn on the sunbed within a couple of minutes

😂😂

Why are sun beds even legal? I suppose the same as the sale of cigarettes.

Way to go for skin cancer, queen. Give your head a wobble and re-read
the nonsense you just wrote.
Tanned skin is damaged not lovely or healthy and five sunbed sessions to prepare for yet more UV light is insane. Use fake tan if you’re that fussed about the shade of your skin.

Also recently saw an advert for a collagen light sun bed. What on earth is this fuckery?

People are so funny about tanning. Don’t get me wrong, I know it’s dangerous, I never sunbathe and am absolutely religious about suncream. But people get so high and mighty about it, when they probably drink alcohol, which there is no safe level of consumption. Everyone acting horrified that OP is increasing her risk of cancer is probably increasing their own risk through various habits (alcohol, processed meat, lack of exercise, being overweight, etc etc, maybe even smoking although thankfully that’s less likely nowadays).

I never used to burn, but since I've been in peri, my skin hates the sun. I now cover up and slather on the suncream.

I always stay in the shade until about 4.30pm even on holiday.

Do you realise you still tan in the shade.

Stay out of the sun. Don't you worry about skin cancer?

However going by the above post I also don't drink or smoke and exercise plenty and am not overweight. Processed meat occasionally.

Going in the sun for extended periods is dangerous

If you are brining easily in the sun then you need to cover up (long sleeves and trousers and a hat with a wide brim. You need to stay outing the sun. That’s it really

Commercial sunbeds have been illegal
in Australia for ten years. Please don’t use them.

From the Australian Cancer Council website:
Commercial solariums, also known as sunbeds or tanning beds, are classified by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in the highest risk category, Group 1: carcinogenic to humans. Overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes up to 95% of melanomas, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

You can buy uv umbrellas that you can use to shade yourself when there is no shade when out and about.

I have holidayed in Florida in August several times and my skin is the colour of milk. I put on factor 50 Ultrasun Sport once a day and let that soak in before getting dressed. I apply spray on factor 50 a couple of times and have never burned. In the UK without sun cream I can burn in 20 minutes. I am constantly slathered in sun cream.

No this is a terrible idea. I burn. I’ve just accepted I’ll never tan. I cover up with factor 50, loose cotton cover up, sunglasses and wide brimmed hat. I never tan but I don’t have any wrinkles. I’m convinced it’s because I’ve protected my skin from the sun.

Tanned skin is damaged skin.

Anyone using a sunbed or sitting out in the sun needs their head examined.
I lived in Australia in my twenties and the number of people I saw with lumps cut out of them from melanoma scared the shit out of me. I use SPF50, sit in the shade and always wear a hat. If I’m desperate for a tan I get it out of a bottle. Bonus is that I look younger than I am because I stay out of the sun.

Once again for those down the back, tanned skin is damaged skin.

I think it’s a bad idea and sun damage causes wrinkles and far worse.

Poster on here recently pale skin ended up in hospital, really, really ill.
The sunbeds now are stronger than ever before.
I burn easily now (I am mid 50’s) and so if the sun can do that, sunbeds cause even more damage/inflammation. Please don’t go on one.

Don’t do it. Exposure to a sun bed or the sun damages your skin. When you get older you’ll have skin cancer.

Read this.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5316277-sunbed-shock

I’m confused. I have incredibly fair skin. I don’t tan at all. I will burn very quickly (minutes) if I don’t have any suncream on. However with rigorous application and reapplication of factor 50 I do not burn and I can’t see how anyone else would either unless they are not applying it properly or not applying enough, or not reapplying frequently enough (or there’s a problem with the sun cream). Not in the timescales you have said. I was out in the sun a lot this weekend. I usually try to find as much shade as possible but this wasn’t possible this weekend. I wore lots of factor 50 and didn’t burn at all.

I anm also confused that you say you are burning in 10/15 minutes. Or you feel like you are burning. That’s not how sunburn works. You rarely see that your skin is burning until hours after the sun exposure. And definitely not within 10/15 minutes. And feeling your skin is burning and actually being sunburnt are two different things. I am fair so go red very quickly in the sun -that’s just the heat of the sun causing that, not sunburn. If it were sunburn it would continue getting worse and be sore and hot and sting later that day and for a few days afterwards.

And I often feel that I am being roasted when in full sunlight. I definitely have less resilience to that feeling as I’ve got older. Again though that’s just the heat of the sun, not sunburn.

And as PPs have said you would be insane to start using sun beds unless you want to be prematurely aged and get skin cancer.