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The amount of sun exposure needed to max out skin-produced vitamin D in sunny regions during the summer (which is where/when most people would use sunscreen) is
by _delirium 12y ago
The amount of sun exposure needed to max out skin-produced vitamin D in sunny regions during the summer (which is where/when most people would use sunscreen) is very low anyway. Somewhere around 30 minutes of exposure per week does it. People usually put on sunscreen when intending to be out in the sun for hours, and there is definitely no need to have hours of exposure to summer sun from the perspective of Vitamin D production.
- jobu 12y agoIsn't that for adults though? My understanding is that kids tend to need much more vitamin d than adults (for growing bones).
- _delirium 12y agoIt's not really how much you need in terms of a volume, but just how long it takes to get to maximum blood concentrations. In direct sunlight in the summer you get to maximum concentrations very quickly, like <15 minutes timescale. And staying out in the sun longer doesn't raise levels further. So if you just semi-regularly get 30 minutes of sun (possibly less), the blood concentration will stay maxed out. (In other words, some sun every day or two might help, but 8 hours of exposure on one day does no more good than much less exposure would.)
- purephase 12y agoYou said exactly what I was trying to point out. I wouldn't put sunblock on my daughter or myself for <20min exposure. That just seems extreme. When I apply it, we're heading out for hours, or all day. This also doesn't account for skin variances. We're extremely fair-skinned and burn easily. There is no way, even through clothing coverage, I would risk the possible burns that I've seen other children have.