16 year old getting fried to a crisp on holiday

[Frugalgal]

My 16 year old son is on a post GCSE holiday in Greece with his girlfriend and her family. He's fair skinned and we have always made an effort with sun protection,as you do. Her family , on the other hand, are the type to sit out all day on sunbeds and fry themselves to a crisp. His girlfriend loves the sun and has turned dark brown in the couple of days they've been there.

He on the other hand, we can see from the odd photo we've been sent, is burned bright red already..He's spending all day in the pool and of course the factor 50 will just wash off. We pleaded with him to wear a t shirt and/or reapply sunscreen..but he's clearly not and not a bit bothered.

I despair. Is there anything I can say to him besides threatening him with skin cancer while he's enjoying his well earned break?

Yeah we see and hear this all the time here in Australia …

I’m currently in Morocco. It’s ridiculously hot and there are so many British people lying out for hours with almost white skin and frying. So much sun burn on show.

Ive sat in the shade covered in factor 30 the whole time and have tanned perfectly well.

Well, some damage is done but there are several days to go, during which he will be piling damage upon damage...

To be honest, he wouldn't know the difference between factor 5 and factor 50 in order to be embarrassed and he does use it here in the UK before he goes out and about on hot days.

Tried that, was met with 'I tried' and laughing emojis 🙄. Part of the problem is he's in the pool/sea all day so it's washing off.

I was also this daft as a teen - every sunny day, my best friend and I used to get naked, smother ourselves in cooking oil (I know…) and lie out in it for hours.

I am now 50 and have had two BCC’s.

Why wouldn’t you respond

”I’m sorry but it isn’t amusing. He needs to cover up before serious damage is done. Please make sure he is wearing a t shirt even in the pool.”

Hes 16. The relationship is highly unlikely to last, if they are frosty with you so what.

I would directly message your son and say he will ruin everyone’s holiday if they have to sit in A & E so he better get his tshirt on.

Being in the pool and sea is part of a holiday, of course he wants to enjoy himself rather than sit in the shade the whole time. That’s why protective clothing is best like rash vests and swim tops.

Yeah - this.

At 16 he's still your responsibility and if those who are in your place aren't doing their job, and you know that very well, then you have to advocate for him. Even if it's awkward.

Message and sound cross.

Ohh i can understand your worry. We love the sun and are quite dark skin tone but son is just back from Greece took his factor 30 and used it. Friend who is pale didn't and had an intresting trip to urgentncarw in Greece. I'd maybe contact gf parents and ask them to encourage use. I would, but then I adopt a mediteranian approach on holiday and sit in the shade 1 til 4, with factor 30.

My daughter went on her first holiday without us (with friends) last year and got unbelievably burnt. Her skin was almost purple. She is very fair skinned and had put sun screen on but I think she put cream on when sitting down and then lay out in the sun and exposed areas that were crunched up when sitting IYSWIM
. A year later the marks are still there

Sorry ment to add can he get some of the p45 stuff you only put on once? It sells in most pharmacies. I hadn't seen the post re the.parents comments and second the no it will be an issue response

It sounds like he is going to have to learn his lesson the hard way, @Frugalgal - I just hope it isn’t too seriously hard.

He needs a rash vest and boardies and good quality waterproof sunblock.

we used to do a lot of watersports holidays in places like Turkey and Greece. No one was ‘embarrassed’ by applying lashings of waterproof factor 50 at least twice a day, with rash vest and boardies and a cap on while out on the water.

the ambre solaire spray is really easy to apply on arms and legs, and then just need a decent cream for the face.

Factor 15 is so useless I'm surprised you can even buy it these days.

Yep,
'its fine'
'I'm not that burnt'
'wont happen to ne'
are the responses I am getting.

Teenagers think they're invincible.

unfortunately skin damage is permanent and when people get problems when they are older, they are asked about sun exposure when younger. There’s nothing you can do about it, but maybe mention that.

Do you think maybe its the factor 50? I never give my teens this even for their faces as they glow white so tend to avoid it. I'd be messaging the mum and asking her to help him buy a sun vest and say you'll repay her. With her involvement she'll be inclined to encourage him to wear it

DS will apply it though and does so here in the UK when it's hot, albeit sometimes upon being reminded.

is burned bright red already.

If he's burned bright red, surely he's in pain? Is he sitting out in the sun again bright red, in pain and with no suncream at all?

If he's getting burnt he must be feeling poorly from the sun too.
His girlfriends parents sound like idiots.
One of my DC's mates sometimes comes to our running group. He's 18 and I still check he has hat / sunglasses and water when we head out in the evening. I don't care if I'm embarrassing.

Funnily enough, I’ve just come back from MOHs surgery this morning to remove my 5th Basel cell carcinoma in 7 years.

I’m just over 60, fair and go red in sun. I hate heat and hate sun and always have. I’ve been sleeve person for decades, and hat with wide brim for last decade even on mildly sunny days

The only time I got prolonged exposure to sun was age 11 (mums fault 😯) when she didn’t take sun cream (ok were tlaking early 1970s tbf). And then again at age 21 interailing.

and I m prescribed high vitamin d due to chronic low levels to rub salt into my wounds

it’s taken 40 years for the cancers to appear. Yep, they’re the “mild form of skin cancer BUT

• have 2 inch scar from my eye to my cheek,
• a skin graft scar on my scalp with a bald patch I have to cover up,
• a small scar around my ear about 1 cm long,
• and am now sporting my latest scar on my upper lip about 1.5 cm long.
• They also did a biopsy on another suspicious lump on my nose this morning which may come back as another BCC that results in yet another scar on my nose

Ok, I’m not going to die of BCCs, but I’m not yet in my mid sixties and my face is already scarred a lot, and I fear I will continue to get these things and more scars for years to come. I’ve become paranoid about every lump forming on my aging face and take pics to monitor all the time.

on the other hand, he’s young, and telling him my story will be water of ducks back probably.

I won’t send pics- a bit graphic frankly.

I suspect he won't. As soon as he puts clothes on or lies down in bed he will be in major pain, and he won't want to increase that.

Because the parent is likely to point out that she can't physically force OP's idiot son to do anything, and shouldn't be expected to parent him?

Of course she's expected to parent him! She's in loco parentis!
Honestly this is mad - I'd be furious with them.