Everyone is really tanned!

[HerArtMaterials]

Maybe I didn't notice this over other summers, but I am seeing a lot of tans around, quite deep ones, that don't look fake.
Mostly younger women and girls, I am wondering if the cautions about sun damage have fallen out of trend? Or is this some exceptionally awesome bottled stuff?
I'm sure I've never seen so many tanned people for years. One friend of ours (guy in his 40's) turned up to visit with a deep tan that he said occurred in one day walking around Liverpool! So yeh, I get we have had some pretty strong sun and heat this year but it's like the warnings about sunscreen and UV damage have vanished.

Is anyone else noticing this? There's definitely always been a weird set of contradictions regarding sun tans - on the one hand most people will admit to being wary of cell damage and skin ageing, but on the other it seems just fine if you get your tan on a luxury holiday.
Scandinavians (I am generalising, I know!) don't seem scared of tans, nor those who enjoy yachts. Perhaps we lose our trepidation in the right situations...

I’m in my early 30s and have just in the last year started using 2 6 min sunbeds a week And loads of moisturising I’m a really nice colour now I’m normaly super pale , it all started after a holiday abroad and wanting to upkeep the colour , I do use suncream in the sun obviously and im aware of the risks of sunbeds but I like how it looks and makes me feel, During lockdown I used fox tan spray and lay in the garden and was super dark so try that if you want a more natural tan as it’s amazing

Same here-my family say I get a tan when I open the fridge door

Absolutely no judgment at all - a genuine question... are you worried about premature aging or skin cancer from the sun beds ?

I think it's just the long hot summer. It's so unusual for the UK to have wall to wall sunshine for weeks on end. We're all tanned, careful to sun exposure and no tanning products.

Mine is a combination or holidays, nice weather here and a good fake tan. I do it twice a week takes a few mins before bed so not high maintenance at all.
But the key thing is I have skin that tans easily. Im in Spain at the moment and have a deep tan although only been here a few days and not really been in the sun that much.

I have never understood the tanning craze, whether fake tan or real. I really don't see the appeal of frying up your skin and risking cancer. It ages the skin as well and causes wrinkles. Not a good look as far as I am concerned.

I’ve been covered in f30 plus f50 on my face. Still have a tan though. Because I’ve been outside a lot.

I don't tan. My skin doesn't have a huge amount of melanin. I get a few freckles and get very slightly less pale but that's about it. Even with fake tan I don't change colour very dramatically and it doesn't last very long so I don't bother. I can burn and get a rash in the sun.

So I do wear sunscreen. However, I do think there is a balance to be had. A lot of the advice is coming from the skincare industry. This article is interesting:

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/sunscreen-sun-exposure-skin-cancer-science/

What is more some chemical sunscreens actually increase UV damage when they break down on the skin.

https://www.livescience.com/7117-sunscreen-damage-skin-applied-infrequently.html

So my takeaway? You are lucky if you've enough melanin in your skin to protect during hot weather but are more prone to Vitamin D deficiency during a dark winter. I'm fair, I wear sunscreen and don't really sit in the sun in summer. I have been extremely cautious, cover up and wear hats in the sun but when I saw people swimming in the sea was remembering more carefree days before the skincare industry got so involved in the advice we receive. So am considering how I can get some of the benefits without turning a nice shade of lobster or hot bothered and covered in sand stuck to my sunscreen. At the moment I'm thinking early evening or early morning swims when the UV isn't so high.

Not worried about premature aging at all as what will be will be but I would be lying if I said the risk of skin cancer doesn’t scare me and cross my mind, before sunbeds I had terrible skin and my gp recommended I do one or two low min sunbeds per week to help with it and I have to say it has dramatically helped my spots but is it worth risking skin cancer probably not, my tan is so deep now I only need to go once a week for between 4-6 mins but I’m totally aware it’s still a risk

I find this too. I'm in my 50s and spend less time in the sun but tan more quickly and deeply every year. I'm also never completely white even in the winter these days and never burn, despite being blue eyed and blonde. I always thought that the activation of melanin over the years meant it was more 'primed' to go into action.

I always thought that the activation of melanin over the years meant it was more 'primed' to go into action.

Yes, that is what it said in the first article I linked to. I've probably got years of catching up to do!😂 My skin does look quite young though for my age!😉

I'm in my 40s and tan much much more easily than I did in my 20s. I'm quite tanned now but like a pp I'm a runner so I'm outside in shorts and a vest quite a bit, plus I have three little kids and we are always in the garden/out and about at parks and the like. I use factor 50 and still tan.

I used sun beds quite a bit in my 20s though, it's the biggest regret of my life actually. If I could turn back the clock I wouldn't go near them.

It is throughout most of the year (obviously not in the height of summer). October - March there aren't even enough UV rays for most people to make vitamin D!

It's important to make the most of the summer.

I think it is mainly people with pale skin who get premature wrinkles. I'm in my 30s and don't have any, but I notice that pale skinned friends my age tend to have wrinkles around the eyes and on the forehead. They need to be more careful in the sun and wear higher spf

@Thatboymum that makes sense, I have a friend with psoriasis who was advised to use sunbeds to help her skin then she was sent to have uv treatment at hospital.
I've always been envious of sunbed tans as fake tan is such a faff but I'm too scared of the consequences.

I've always been envious of sunbed tans as fake tan is such a faff but I'm too scared of the consequences.

I'm not bothered about being pale so much although I do think tanned skin looks nice too. It's just different skin colours. However, I am envious about people being (seemingly) carefree. I've done better this year, I think, slightly. I had my usual sunscreen angst early on when buying in sunscreen supplies and reading up on the best ) and worst ingredients) but once I settled on Ultrasun (sports dry oil for body and family for face and décolleté) I did relax a bit. Long lasting so less likely to break down and reef safe. Yet still wasn't even considering a beach day or even hour. Would like to, though. Everyone looked so happy and relaxed when walking past. I'd like to swim in the sea again...without worrying too much. Recent sun angst has meant I have stopped enjoying sitting on a beach for any length of time. Holidays have all been about running at the crack of dawn, woodland walks on nature reserves and visits to museums/ castles/ stately homes during the day.

I've been using tan in a moisturiser and it's worked really well

I think people look healthier with a tan too, I’m not sure if this comes from some instinct or engrained cultural conditioning.

i think in years to come we will think it was nuts to avoid the sun altogether and I remember reading some research that some sun (and vitamin D) although it does increase chances of melanoma does decrease the chances of other cancers and heart disease, diabetes etc.

like someone said chocolate and wine are fine in small amounts, I think the sun will be seen a bit like that.

I used to try to tan, I'd wear factor 20 and I'd just get freckles or burn.

Now I wear factor 50 and a bit of fake tan. I use a mitt, keep it fairly subtle and it's hard to tell it's not real.

I don't have a deep tan but look much better with even a slight tan.

I was in a tanning shop the other day (getting my nails done not using the sunbeds) and was really surprised by the number of people coming in to use them. Even the owner said she was really surprised that people use sunbeds in this weather!

I think it's more that we've had a long period of constant sunshine so people who are out and about everyday just walking around will have built up a deeper longer lasting tan.

What I see here is what I saw when I lived abroad for many years and you just had sun exposing through general day to day life.

Melanomas going to mushroom in 20 years isn’t it?

I am the classic pale and pasty to the point I'm translucent type. My legs look lightly tanned, it's fake. My legs and arms look tanned, look closer it's freckles 😂. I've had to accept I don't get a tan and that's fine because I don't want wrinkles and happily throw on the SPF50 every day.
On the other hand DH has been working outside a lot and looks like he's spent two weeks sunning it in Marbella! He just has that kind of skin.

Melanomas going to mushroom in 20 years isn’t it?

I'm not entirely sure. I've read too many conflicting reports. I think it really is a balance. There are so many variables. Don't get me wrong I wear sunscreen, don't tan but that's because I'm fair skinned. Wouldn't tan much anyway. It does strike me that this current message is all very marketable. Sunscreen, all year round, every 2 hours, teaspoon full just for the face, even inside? Hmmm....

My top half is naturally tanned. I'm rarely in the sun and when I am I wear factor 30. I've been working indoors all this week and still seem to be more tanned today despite not being in the sun all week.🤔

If Im wearing shorts or a dress I have to put on instant tan so that my legs match the rest of my body. I use the rimmel sun shimmer instant tan and it matches well to the rest of my body.