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Limited exposure every couple of days, to allow UV to induce adaptation (melanin production) without too much damage, which makes it worse and sets you back (an

Limited exposure every couple of days, to allow UV to induce adaptation (melanin production) without too much damage, which makes it worse and sets you back (and is dangerous). 11 minutes between 10a and 2pm is even too much in the summer if you're out of hibernation. Maybe also explore medium SPF sunscreen. For me personally (not Scandinavian roots) after hibernation the first few exposures are key, and I try to be very conservative. Then I let myself recover for at least a day in between sun sessions. If I'm on vacation and I can't escape sun, then my recovery means high spf sunscreen. I treat it similar to exercise recovery - stress, rest, adaptation cycle.

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smeej 2y ago
I appreciate your and other commenters suggestions, but I've been down all these roads. I spent a whole summer slowly "working my way up," 5 mins a day the first week, 6 mins a day the 2nd week, 7 the 3rd, etc. It doesn't matter. As soon as I hit 12 minutes once, I turn bright red. I can do 11 for as many days as I care to and my skin looks like I've not been outside in months. I know it's not just subtly changing either, because I don't end up with tan lines even though I always wear the same basic swimwear. I've also tried dminder, low SPF, all kinds of things. As far as I know, there isn't anything congenitally "wrong" with me or anything, but I wouldn't know what to look for to rule it out. I even had someone tell me the GAPS diet would fix it, but I did that for two (very boring) years, and it didn't help either. It could be that it's just hopeless, but it's bizarre to me that I should end up so evolutionarily unfit for my home planet.
- lamp_book 2y ago
  I would look at a UV index chart for your area and act accordingly - e.g. deliberate sun exposure soon after sunrise and soon before sunset. But you might just be SOL, it sounds like you have skin type I on the Fitzpatrick scale which is no ability to tan or extremely difficult to tan. Something I considered is considered personally is moving somewhere further north and probably cloudier, just reality. Where I live now our max UV today is extreme - nearly 12. There is also supplementation you can look into but the science for isn’t concrete. I know there’s a thread on the tanning subreddit near the top of all time with a list of them and how they might help.
  - smeej 2y ago
    I just checked and the nearest city I could find results for and we have zero extreme days, 25ish very high, and more than half the year very low. Unfortunately (for this purpose; I generally love it here), I'm about as far north as I can get without moving to Alaska or another country. I think I just have to choose between the risks of skin cancer and the risks of whatever else might happen if I don't get enough sunshine. The latter is a bit more nebulous for the time being, so I guess I'll just keep making sure I don't go out without clothing coverage or high SPF.

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smeej 2y ago

I appreciate your and other commenters suggestions, but I've been down all these roads. I spent a whole summer slowly "working my way up," 5 mins a day the first week, 6 mins a day the 2nd week, 7 the 3rd, etc. It doesn't matter. As soon as I hit 12 minutes once, I turn bright red. I can do 11 for as many days as I care to and my skin looks like I've not been outside in months. I know it's not just subtly changing either, because I don't end up with tan lines even though I always wear the same basic swimwear. I've also tried dminder, low SPF, all kinds of things. As far as I know, there isn't anything congenitally "wrong" with me or anything, but I wouldn't know what to look for to rule it out. I even had someone tell me the GAPS diet would fix it, but I did that for two (very boring) years, and it didn't help either. It could be that it's just hopeless, but it's bizarre to me that I should end up so evolutionarily unfit for my home planet.

lamp_book 2y ago
I would look at a UV index chart for your area and act accordingly - e.g. deliberate sun exposure soon after sunrise and soon before sunset. But you might just be SOL, it sounds like you have skin type I on the Fitzpatrick scale which is no ability to tan or extremely difficult to tan. Something I considered is considered personally is moving somewhere further north and probably cloudier, just reality. Where I live now our max UV today is extreme - nearly 12. There is also supplementation you can look into but the science for isn’t concrete. I know there’s a thread on the tanning subreddit near the top of all time with a list of them and how they might help.
- smeej 2y ago
  I just checked and the nearest city I could find results for and we have zero extreme days, 25ish very high, and more than half the year very low. Unfortunately (for this purpose; I generally love it here), I'm about as far north as I can get without moving to Alaska or another country. I think I just have to choose between the risks of skin cancer and the risks of whatever else might happen if I don't get enough sunshine. The latter is a bit more nebulous for the time being, so I guess I'll just keep making sure I don't go out without clothing coverage or high SPF.