4 ms·

I never use sunscreen at the ocean, both because I just hate putting it on and because I always thought it was probably not the best thing to put that crap dire

I never use sunscreen at the ocean, both because I just hate putting it on and because I always thought it was probably not the best thing to put that crap directly into the ecosystem. Unless I'm spending a ton of time at the beach, which rarely happens, I feel like I can deal with an hour or so of that kind of sun exposure every now and then. If one is spending a ton of time in the sun, then yeah, use sunscreen. Since I'm indoors most of the time, I rarely find sunscreen that helpful. Anecdotally, I think I became more sun tolerant after changing my diet. In short, I highly limit eating processed foods and stick to meat and some plants that are low in natural defense chemicals. Since that's a low-inflammatory diet, maybe that explains it. But I'm purely speculating.

fullstop 4y ago
I would look like a tomato if I were exposed to 1 hour of mid-day sun at the beach.
- nkingsy 4y ago
  I burn about as easily as anyone, but 20 mins on each side with my face and neck covered doesn’t result in a burn for me. I do wear mineral sunscreen on my face, neck and arms for normal outdoor activities.
  - fullstop 4y ago
    The sunlight reflecting off of the water and the sand doesn't help.
dymk 4y ago
Getting the sunburn has nothing to do with your body’s inflammatory response. Like, taking aspirin won’t keep you from getting sunburnt. Same way it won't prevent you from getting burned if you touch a hot stove. It makes no sense.
- _yb2s 4y ago
  Actually aspirin totally does have a powerful effect on sunburns... the aspirin probably doesn't actually protect your skin from damage, but it reduces the painful inflammation afterwards, which is the part we actually feel and consider a 'sunburn.' I know several people that take aspirin instead of using sunscreen.
  - NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
    Symptomatic relief is great, but isn't the real worry skin cancer?
- ravenstine 4y ago
  Sunburns are absolutely an inflammatory response. Nearly any given academic literature will state that it is definitively. It's dumbfounding how you state sunburns have "nothing to do with inflammation." Feel free to check out the links I'll add below for more info. Second, yeah, of course aspirin won't stop sunburns. Sunburns, being inflammatory, are caused by damage. In particular, the inflammation is responding to damage from UV radiation. Aspirin can only somewhat reduce inflammation after the damage has taken place, but it can do nothing to prevent the damage itself. As inflammation is a response to damage, and nothing (known) about any diet can stop UV damage, so yeah, you are right that my diet won't prevent sunburn. It's not like I actually said that it would in the first place. The idea is that if one doesn't already have a level of inflammation then something like a sunburn won't get as aggravated or aggravated as quickly. As I said in my original comment, it's speculation. I just don't think it's as farfetched as you seem to believe per your aspirin-stove analogy. --- "Sunburn" (Encyclopedia Britannica) https://www.britannica.com/science/sunburn https://www.britannica.com/science/sunburn > sunburn, acute cutaneous inflammation caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the so-called UVB wavelength band "Sunburn" (National Library of Medicine) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534837/#_article-29684_s5_ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534837/#_article-29684... > UVA and UVB rays both play a role in sunburn, though UVB rays are responsible for directly damaging DNA by inducing the formation of thymine-thymine cyclobutane dimers.[6] When these dimers are formed, the body generates a DNA repair response, which includes the induction of apoptosis of cells and the release of inflammatory markers such as prostaglandins, reactive oxygen species, and bradykinin. This leads to vasodilation, edema, and pain which translates into the classically red, painful skin seen in a sunburn. Additionally, skin exposure to UVB causes an increase in chemokines such as CXCL5 and activates peripheral nociceptors, which results in over-activation of the pain receptors of the skin. "What Inflammation Is And Why Is It Dangerous?" (Harvard Medical Publishing) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-inflammation-and-why-is-it-dangerous https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-infla... > But sometimes this immune response occurs when it shouldn't. It can be triggered, for example, when you are exposed to toxins, and by other causes such as chronic stress, obesity, and autoimmune disorders. In these cases, instead of moving in, healing the problem, and then returning to normal, the inflammation persists over time. It's thought that this chronic state of inflammation can lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer.

fullstop 4y ago

I would look like a tomato if I were exposed to 1 hour of mid-day sun at the beach.

nkingsy 4y ago
I burn about as easily as anyone, but 20 mins on each side with my face and neck covered doesn’t result in a burn for me. I do wear mineral sunscreen on my face, neck and arms for normal outdoor activities.
- fullstop 4y ago
  The sunlight reflecting off of the water and the sand doesn't help.

dymk 4y ago

Getting the sunburn has nothing to do with your body’s inflammatory response. Like, taking aspirin won’t keep you from getting sunburnt. Same way it won't prevent you from getting burned if you touch a hot stove. It makes no sense.

_yb2s 4y ago
Actually aspirin totally does have a powerful effect on sunburns... the aspirin probably doesn't actually protect your skin from damage, but it reduces the painful inflammation afterwards, which is the part we actually feel and consider a 'sunburn.' I know several people that take aspirin instead of using sunscreen.
- NovemberWhiskey 4y ago
  Symptomatic relief is great, but isn't the real worry skin cancer?
ravenstine 4y ago
Sunburns are absolutely an inflammatory response. Nearly any given academic literature will state that it is definitively. It's dumbfounding how you state sunburns have "nothing to do with inflammation." Feel free to check out the links I'll add below for more info. Second, yeah, of course aspirin won't stop sunburns. Sunburns, being inflammatory, are caused by damage. In particular, the inflammation is responding to damage from UV radiation. Aspirin can only somewhat reduce inflammation after the damage has taken place, but it can do nothing to prevent the damage itself. As inflammation is a response to damage, and nothing (known) about any diet can stop UV damage, so yeah, you are right that my diet won't prevent sunburn. It's not like I actually said that it would in the first place. The idea is that if one doesn't already have a level of inflammation then something like a sunburn won't get as aggravated or aggravated as quickly. As I said in my original comment, it's speculation. I just don't think it's as farfetched as you seem to believe per your aspirin-stove analogy. --- "Sunburn" (Encyclopedia Britannica) https://www.britannica.com/science/sunburn https://www.britannica.com/science/sunburn > sunburn, acute cutaneous inflammation caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of the so-called UVB wavelength band "Sunburn" (National Library of Medicine) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534837/#_article-29684_s5_ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534837/#_article-29684... > UVA and UVB rays both play a role in sunburn, though UVB rays are responsible for directly damaging DNA by inducing the formation of thymine-thymine cyclobutane dimers.[6] When these dimers are formed, the body generates a DNA repair response, which includes the induction of apoptosis of cells and the release of inflammatory markers such as prostaglandins, reactive oxygen species, and bradykinin. This leads to vasodilation, edema, and pain which translates into the classically red, painful skin seen in a sunburn. Additionally, skin exposure to UVB causes an increase in chemokines such as CXCL5 and activates peripheral nociceptors, which results in over-activation of the pain receptors of the skin. "What Inflammation Is And Why Is It Dangerous?" (Harvard Medical Publishing) https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-inflammation-and-why-is-it-dangerous https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-is-infla... > But sometimes this immune response occurs when it shouldn't. It can be triggered, for example, when you are exposed to toxins, and by other causes such as chronic stress, obesity, and autoimmune disorders. In these cases, instead of moving in, healing the problem, and then returning to normal, the inflammation persists over time. It's thought that this chronic state of inflammation can lead to numerous health problems, including heart disease, arthritis, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and even cancer.