Can anyone else just NOT tan?

[pineapul]

I just can’t tan. I’ve done 3 months in Greece and I return maybe a slight red tinge darker.

My skin is reflective white. Sometimes in overexposed photos I look like a ghost. I’ve had strangers comment on how pale I am. People ask if I feel ok.

I’ve got blue eyes and dark blonde/gingery hair. My parents are both Welsh. My mum tans in 30 seconds and my father never does like me.

Yes. We have exactly the same colouring. Some skins just don't tan.
The upshot is at 52 I have virtually no wrinkles and little sun damage because I've never been motivated to lay in the sun and have had to always use good facial sunscreen.

Lots of people can't. Don't try! It will wreck your skin. Milky pale skin with blonde/red hair sounds beautiful. I wouldn't try to change it if I were you.

Tanning isn't good for you, there's so much education about skin cancer now. Embrace the pale! Or spray tan!

Yep! Everyone in my family does except me. I got all the Celtic colouring. It actually really upsets me when people comment on how pale I am.

I ran in 60 seconds, my dsis is like you and never tans just gets more freckles!
I just say embrace what you have, both pale and tan looks are good in my opinion

I cycle between white, tinge of red, and freckly. I tend to stay out of the sun to be honest, not worth it.

I don't tan well either

I'm in my 50s and I don't want creepy skin round my neck so take care

Tanning isn't healthy but it is what is expected

Yes, of course. I've not bothered trying for decades. I might use a bit of bronzer or fake tan to stop me looking pale blue but not even that for ages. I have a sister who constantly tries to tan, unsuccessfully, every year. She was even hospitalised with sun bun at one point. There is an enormous difference in our skin now we are in our 40's. She is lined with many sun damage marks. Sun screen for the win! Focus on looking your best with the skin you have.

Fitzpatrick scale skin type 1. It’s actually very rare so I’d embrace it!
https://dermnetnz.org/topics/skin-phototype

It really annoys me when people say I should “just do 30 mins without some sunscreen”. Or “try factor 30, you don’t need factor 50” and the likes. Friends have told me to ditch the sun umbrella and sit in the sun on the beach!

I can't tan, everyone always comments on how it looks like I haven't been away or I must of been away somewhere cold, I have dark ginger hair and in summer my freckles come out now I use the dove tinted moisturiser and it's the best thing I now have not an orange tan but I nice glowing tan x

Celtic roots here. Dark brown/black hair, pale skin and freckles. In the sun I don't tan I just get more freckles. I don't enjoy hot temperatures though, so never really go on sunshine holidays.

Red / brown hair, green eyes, freckles and milk bottle white skin under the freckles. I just use Dove fake tanning cream on my legs for the summer to cut down the glare.
My skin looks like a II on the Fitzpatrick scale, but my eyes are definitely green not blue, so maybe I am more like a I.5

Same, I can't tan. I've got very pale Irish skin from my mum! However like other posters, I've always opted for shade and sun screen so have great, wrinkle free skin. Every cloud.

Freckles central here

Fake tan is my friend. I get a spray tan before I go on holiday to try and blend in a bit. Gradual fake tan after shower each morning to maintain. Instant fake tam for the evening

Stay out of the sun. I'm old but my skin is pretty ok and I do nothing for it other than stay out of the sun.

I can't! I'm very pale. I do colour a little (although mostly burn) but because my skin has a sallow tinge, my "tan" is a really unpleasant shade of nicotine yellow. It also won't take fake tan; washes off after about 48 hours.

DS is even worse. His skin is freckly with a rosy tinge. He could get sunburnt in moonlight. Joking apart, we need to be careful with him, DH has the same skin and has been treated twice for squamous cell carcinoma.

I'm Scottish and ginger, draw your own conclusions ...

I can tan, but avoid the sun at all costs. I went away last month and slathered myself in factor 50 everyday and sat in the shade with a hat on! I still managed to get a liver spot on one of my hands 🤨

Dark hair, pale skin. I'm in my 60s and have never tanned. All fake tan is orange on me.
I really don't care. I avoid the sun and love my wrinkle free skin.

Who wants skin cancer though or the pain of sunburn

People who tan easily don't understand

I feel uncomfortable after 5 mins

I'm slightly different in that my legs won't tan, although the rest of me will pick up a bit of colour. I never lie out in it though, just what I pick up bimbling about.

I reckon my legs are the Irish bit of me. I always laugh at Billy Connolly's comment that he's not even white, he's pale blue. Takes him a fortnight to tan up to white.

Dark eyes and hair. The only time I ever tanned slightly was during lockdown 1 when I was out every day. Even got a sock line.

I don't really even burn. I love the sun and will stay in it all day. Still got wrinkles, in spite of f30 and above on my face and wearing a hat all summer.

I have friends who turn brown just by looking at an airport.

I can relate. I'm mousey brown with pale skin and freckles. The only bit of me that does tan (barely) are my forearms. The rest remains stubbornly white. I've learnt to live with it now and stay out of the sun and just fake it when I want to.