about sunbathing?

[ScentedLovePuff]

Asking for trouble here.

Am I the only person who can't think of anything more horrific or unpleasant than lying in the sun, with the sun on you?

I'm not a vampire, for the record, and I understand that some people enjoy the sensation of slowly burning, but I am one of those pale English-rose types that cannot stand being remotely hot and runs for the shade every time the sun pops its cheery head out from behind the cloud.

Am I the only one?

yabu.

It's the only time in my life I can sit still and read. I plough through books when I sunbathe, hence the fact I have only read 2 books in the 3 years since I had kids as I don't have time to do it anymore.

I also get very depressed and am skinny so sunbathing is bliss for me.

And I like watching the bumble bees and butterflys in the garden.

YANBU. Leaving aside whether a tan is attractive or not, I too just can't stand sunbathing... it is more boring than the most boring boredom inducing bore in the kingdom of Boring Hell. Plus I hate the intense heat and sweating like a pig... ooh give me the cool shade of my dining room any day.

Have also watched far too many episodes of Ten Years Younger where an old haggard looking man or woman confesses they love nothing better than sitting out in the sub or going on hols. You can't tell me sun doesn't damage the skin.... maybe not now, but when you're 50 you'll see what you've done to yourself.

I completely agree. I too get a lot of criticism about not sunbathing and comments about my pale skin...then in the next sentence they are all envying my wrinkle free skin and ability to get regularly asked for ID at 28

YANBU, I hate sun bathing. My dad had skin cancer years ago and it terrified me.

I'm actually considering getting a parasol this year to cover DD and I while I'm wearing her in her sling. We never go anywhere without factor 50 (bth of us) and sunhats etc .

i used to love sunbathing, though I'd always cover my face. I found it very relaxing, particularly on a beautiful sandy beach with waves lapping nearby. I always wore sunscreen though.

Then I turned 30 and started really hating getting any colour, for fear of skin damage.

I always wear the highest spf in summer, even when i'll be inside most of the day at work.

i still have brown damage spots around my eyes though from trips to Mexico and Thailand - despite the SPF and a hat.

I find it refreshing that so many people here hate sunbathing and tans. Yet I was in a park yesterday absolutely crawling with people burnt to a crisp, and few in the shade.

I like being out in the sun doing stuff (hat glasses, t shirt rather than g-string and flip flops) rather than baking with a bit of peanut oil on.

There is a lot of paranoia about being in the sun these days for more than 2 seconds without factor 50 on - (factor 50 is marketing bullshit anyway, 20 to 30 is the max).

Agreed if you stay out too long with no clothes on it's not good but you need some sun for vitamin D. I think 10 min blasts at a time was the recommended. Not talking direct exposure though.

I read an article about vitamin D and how were are lacking in it. Apparently it takes 12 hours or there abouts to convert the suns energy to vitamin d - so if you sunbathe all day then have a shower you wash off the good and just get a crispy skin.

{grin]

I don't mind sitting in teh sun with a book for half an hour or an hour but I think I am doing something wrong with the suncream.
DH was applying factor 40 to my shoulders and neck every 20 mintues yesterday, and I was sitting under a brolly and still got burnt!

Never got the point of sunbathing for hours and plastering sun screen on.

Laying for 20 minutes each side without cream then covering up or sitting under an umberella is surely the same as laying there for 2 hours with cream on.

DW loves sunbathing in total silence for hours. I just lay there next to her sweating, fidgeting and bored. Going on holiday on Suday to France. I would be quite happy to lay in our garden.

Oh I just love to lie there - last holiday, I read 5 books in 2 weeks! Bliss!

Love the whole sunlounger / parasol / beach / pool / sea combo me!

The second I step onto the beach and disrobe, I feel my whole body go 'aaaaaahhhh'!

(but I am inherently lazy by nature!).

Now you see, I'm doubly bad cos I can't stand beaches either. Fecking sand eveywhere and the sea is just boring to look at.

I too am a lazy sod and would sit and read five books in a row given half the chance. Would just do it sitting in the shade or in my nice cool dining room with a soft breeze coming thu the window.

I am with you OP.

I refuse to burn my skin, and I refuse to plaster myself in minging fake tan. If we make tanned skin the norm, younger people will copy us and sit out in the sun- it's cheaper than fake tan.

YANBU - whoever said a tan is not bad for is way off the mark - tans are your body's way of trying (badly) to protect you from sun damage.

And whatever your colour of skin you are NOT immune.

I've had a nice little carcinoma removed from my face - they reckon it's from my childhood with long and lazy days spent butt naked in the sun.

I'm mixed race with olive skin. My father has had skin cancer and my non white mother is having a suspect mole removed.

Note that I've had a carcinoma and I think sunbathing is the most boring dirty smelly thing anyone could do (think packed beaches with all those bodies roasting in their sweat). I don't do it.

Look at the people who take the sun - they look soooooo old. They really do - is that more attractive than being 'pale'.My dh is from southern europe - he looks like my granfather (but is paler than me) my sil looks about 50 - that's what happens when you cover up for 11 months of the year and fry for 4 weeks.

I too am a pale one, and now get a particularly attractive cluster of blobs on my chest/neck if I sit out- I sat out for 45 mins yesterday with factor 50 and now look like a dot to dot picture.
When we've had holidays abroad in the past, I would take a book for each day and one for luck!

Oh - always cover up your chest - I'm gobsmacked at 30 somethings with this weird chest area (even in the winter) that's a bit mottled and creased - that's the sun. And the other one is the creases in the forehead - either they have a permanent suprised expression to develop this or it's the sun.

It's the sun.

I live in the tropics where we have sun practically all year round. We never sunbathe but actively spend time hiding in the shade.

YANBU even though I have been guilty of a bit of sunworship.

We were on holiday in Portugal one year and a teenaged girl was putting sunblock on her skin. Her mother's reaction?

"Why are you putting that on, Mary, you're not even red!"

I lived in the tropics. Sunbathed all the time! Just not between 12 - 3pm and always with high protection.

I am not wrinkly nor do I have leathery skin. I moisture RELIGIOUSLY and have done since I was a teen.

Some can sunbathe. Some cannot. Neither is better / worse than the other.

Ifancy - you just wait and see.

My mum is a equatorial african born and bread - she is having a nice little mole removed shortly.

She doesn't look old because he's darked kinned. But doesn't mean she isn't skin damaged.

Why on earth would you sunbathe at noon in the tropics?

When I was in africa we'd go for a swim in the morning and evening - didn't see anyone on the beach at high sun time at all.

Well I've spent lots of time in very hot countries and I don't look old only because from teenager onwards I kept out of the sun (and my mum's genes) - but I've still had skin cancer.

My mum is a she - not a he!

giveitago... she said NOT between noon and 3pm.

But otherwise, all the time...

I'm with Ifancy.

I'm from Northern Italy and we have at least 4 months of regular sunshine (pretty much).
I like going to the beach (with a sun cream) and can cope with really high temperature.
For Italians going OTT with the sun it'd be like the Brits going all ott with rain.

Ah yes - but still - will get leathery and wrinkled - it just happens.

And franca knows my obsession with keeping the work skin cancer free.

YANBU. I lost my Mum to skin cancer earlier this year. She should have had another 30 years with us. Why anyone would risk that is totally beyond me.

YANBU

I love my beach holidays but I sit in the shade with a hat, sunglasses and factor 30! I'm brave the sun in the last hour of the day but I hate that burning feeling and getting sweaty. I enjoy myself, read 5 books last holiday.

I get a healthy glow by the end of the summer, anyway , just from walking the dogs and doing the garden. I'm freckly so I don't tan properly anyway.

On the bright side I'm 45 and my face doesn't look like old leather!

I don't tan but I love sunbathing (complete with high factor sun cream and a hat )