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I make sure to go out every day. Unlike doctors' recommendations, I never use sun screen unless I know I'm going to be exposed for hours. I never get burned. I

I make sure to go out every day. Unlike doctors' recommendations, I never use sun screen unless I know I'm going to be exposed for hours. I never get burned. I once had a PCP who told me I should alway put sun screen, even on my ears, when going out when it's sunny. I found this suggestion ridiculous. I do understand the skin cancer risks associated with sun exposure, but people need to be exposed to sunlight, just don't be stupid about it (e.g., sitting under the sun for hours to get a tan)

willmw101 5y ago
Hunch is that the fashionable advice to cover yourself in sunscreen every day regardless of how long you'll be in the sun or how sunny it is will be looked back on as insane in a few years. It's amazing how many SPF products are now included in people's daily moisturisers regardless of time of year, proximity to the equator or life-style.
the__alchemist 5y ago
You've thought this through, and I don't mean to detract from your point. Something else to consider - photo-aging is real, and is easy and quicker to observe than skin cancer. It's a cumulative effect, and by the time someone's in their 30s, their relationship with sun and sunscreen shows.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- tinyhouse 5y ago
  I know. I once saw an interview with a women in California in her late 20s I think, who got kidnapped when she was a child and barely left the house for years. She looked so young because of her skin. I'm aware and do it in moderation. I usually wear a hat to protect my head and part of my face. Also where I live (New England) the sun is not as strong as in some other places.
Retric 5y ago
In practice sunscreen use seems to have minimal impact on vitamin D production. There has been several studies looking into it and in a lab you can measure the difference, but at the population level it doesn’t seem important.
micromacrofoot 5y ago
sunscreen protects your skin, it doesn’t block vitamin D production
pjerem 5y ago
Is it a thing in the US (I assume) to use sunscreen every days or did I misunderstood ?
- dwighttk 5y ago
  Not across the entire population, but there are some who claim to use constantly
  - pjerem 5y ago
    Ok, strange. Thank you :)
lobocinza 5y ago
Me too. I expend so little time on the sun that it seems pointless. It might make more sense for me to use a protective lotion to protect from screen burns. But I'm cycling frequently lately and I do have a pretty clear contrast between my torso and arms colors. So...
bloopernova 5y ago
We had to put our dog to sleep a few weeks ago. We've barely left the house since. I definitely want to get out more, but without canine motivation it's been very difficult to remember (Adult executive dysfunction disorder, aka ADHD) We've been lightly hibernating, it seems.
kypro 5y ago
Like with most things moderation is key. Your body doesn't need excessive amounts of sunlight, just enough to fuel it's biological requirements. I don't have anything against sunscreen, but as someone who lives in the UK I find even on the hottest days of summer I rarely need it. However, this last year I was out in the sun during a heat wave and figured I should probably apply some sun screen on this particular occasion just to be safe. The only place I didn't apply sun screen was my ears and that was a mistake I won't be making again. My ears were extremely sore and peeling for weeks after that. Your doctor is giving good advice imo. Ears are surprisingly delicate and tend to be constantly exposed to direct sunlight from above. I agree with you that it's good to get some sun exposure every day though. I'm aware in some skin care communities they take sun avoidance to the extreme and won't even leave the house on an over cast day without applying sunscreen. Some won't even go near windows. Again, it's all about moderation.
swader999 5y ago
Sunrise and sunset great and very safe times for sun exposure.
- willmw101 5y ago
  Neither offer any vitamin D benefit in most geographies though.
  - swader999 5y ago
    True but those wavelengths will maintain your circadian rhythm if you time it correctly. See the Huberman podcast on this: https://youtu.be/nm1TxQj9IsQ https://youtu.be/nm1TxQj9IsQ

willmw101 5y ago

Hunch is that the fashionable advice to cover yourself in sunscreen every day regardless of how long you'll be in the sun or how sunny it is will be looked back on as insane in a few years. It's amazing how many SPF products are now included in people's daily moisturisers regardless of time of year, proximity to the equator or life-style.

the__alchemist 5y ago

You've thought this through, and I don't mean to detract from your point. Something else to consider - photo-aging is real, and is easy and quicker to observe than skin cancer. It's a cumulative effect, and by the time someone's in their 30s, their relationship with sun and sunscreen shows.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
tinyhouse 5y ago
I know. I once saw an interview with a women in California in her late 20s I think, who got kidnapped when she was a child and barely left the house for years. She looked so young because of her skin. I'm aware and do it in moderation. I usually wear a hat to protect my head and part of my face. Also where I live (New England) the sun is not as strong as in some other places.

Retric 5y ago

In practice sunscreen use seems to have minimal impact on vitamin D production. There has been several studies looking into it and in a lab you can measure the difference, but at the population level it doesn’t seem important.

micromacrofoot 5y ago

sunscreen protects your skin, it doesn’t block vitamin D production

pjerem 5y ago

Is it a thing in the US (I assume) to use sunscreen every days or did I misunderstood ?

dwighttk 5y ago
Not across the entire population, but there are some who claim to use constantly
- pjerem 5y ago
  Ok, strange. Thank you :)

lobocinza 5y ago

Me too. I expend so little time on the sun that it seems pointless. It might make more sense for me to use a protective lotion to protect from screen burns. But I'm cycling frequently lately and I do have a pretty clear contrast between my torso and arms colors. So...

bloopernova 5y ago

We had to put our dog to sleep a few weeks ago. We've barely left the house since. I definitely want to get out more, but without canine motivation it's been very difficult to remember (Adult executive dysfunction disorder, aka ADHD) We've been lightly hibernating, it seems.

kypro 5y ago

Like with most things moderation is key. Your body doesn't need excessive amounts of sunlight, just enough to fuel it's biological requirements. I don't have anything against sunscreen, but as someone who lives in the UK I find even on the hottest days of summer I rarely need it. However, this last year I was out in the sun during a heat wave and figured I should probably apply some sun screen on this particular occasion just to be safe. The only place I didn't apply sun screen was my ears and that was a mistake I won't be making again. My ears were extremely sore and peeling for weeks after that. Your doctor is giving good advice imo. Ears are surprisingly delicate and tend to be constantly exposed to direct sunlight from above. I agree with you that it's good to get some sun exposure every day though. I'm aware in some skin care communities they take sun avoidance to the extreme and won't even leave the house on an over cast day without applying sunscreen. Some won't even go near windows. Again, it's all about moderation.

swader999 5y ago

Sunrise and sunset great and very safe times for sun exposure.

willmw101 5y ago
Neither offer any vitamin D benefit in most geographies though.
- swader999 5y ago
  True but those wavelengths will maintain your circadian rhythm if you time it correctly. See the Huberman podcast on this: https://youtu.be/nm1TxQj9IsQ https://youtu.be/nm1TxQj9IsQ