That Glorious Sun Tan!

That summer sun feels good when you are at the pool or at the beach! So many of us enjoy getting a little sun during the summer months. But, oh that sun can be damaging and deadly!

Prior to the 20th century, having the whitest skin possible was the ideal in many cultures. The English and French monarchies would whiten their skin and wear powdered wigs. The implication was that the whiter your skin the more upper class you were. The term "blue bloods" came into being as a compliment to those who had skin so pale that you could see their veins coursing with blue blood. At the time, only laborers who worked outside had tans and were looked down upon as a lower class. 

The industrial revolution came about and changed some ways of thinking as the working class often moved indoors with their jobs in factories and away from the sun. In 1925 Coco Channel ushered in the suntan age by sporting a tan and inventing a dark tanning gel. During World War II, silk stocking became impossible to find as the silk was being used to make parachutes for the military. Women found a way to get around this issue by tanning their legs with tea or other substance and painting or marking a faux seam along their leg.

In 1944 Coppertone sun tan lotion originated. During the 50's and 60's, suntans became the norm with the beach culture of the time. Suntans were sported in movies and advertisements everywhere. In the 70's and 80's, suntanning hit it's peak with the invention and use of indoor tanning beds. I remember laying on a plastic, blow up, raft in our above ground pool in the mid 80's and soaking up the sun. I've always had a darker complexion and rarely get a sunburn. In the 90's tanning beds were beginning to be looked at as being dangerous, to your skin and your health, and began declining in use. Also in the 90's and 2000, the skin damage done to skin was being studied more and more with warnings being issued to use sunscreen. 

People have been protecting their skin from the sun for a very long time. Ancient Egyptians used a variety of products such as rice, jasmine and lupine to protect their skin from the sun. Ultraviolet rays were discovered around 1801 by a German scientist and his information was later used to refine sunscreen lotions. In the 30's, sunscreen was used in Australia and then spread to France and in 1936 L'Oreal began to produce a line of sunscreen products. In 1969, Hawaiian Tropic began to produce a fragrant coconut oil for tanning. That smell still makes me think of the beach and summer! Sunscreen evolved into some waterproof lotions and began to be marked with SPF ratings. In 2018, Hawaii banned the use of some sunscreens that have harmful chemicals that damage coral reefs and marine life.

I enjoy getting out in my pool and soaking up a little sun. It feels great to take a dip in the pool then lay on a float and slowly dry in the sun. This year, I have tried to step up my use of sunscreen and have been floating a little more in the shade than the sun. As I get older, I may be getting a little wiser and I realize that the sun is not my friend. I have been using some SPF 50 sunscreen spray and my skin is still getting tan. I don't think I can ever be a "blue blood" nor do I really want to look so pale that my veins all show.  I need to be more careful with my skin. Often, when doing yardwork or just being outside I don't think to put on sunscreen. I need to protect my skin much better than I currently do.

Skin cancer is a big issue in today's world. Skin cancer primarily occurs on skin that has been exposed to the sun over the years such as the face, neck, ears, arms, and hands. I saw something recently that reported that skin cancer is a result of damage to the skin's DNA. One recent study says 1 in every 5 people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Some risk factors that increase your risk of skin cancer include having fair skin, having a history of sun burns, excessive sun exposure, living at higher altitudes, having many moles, having a family history of skin cancer, having a weakened immune system and exposure to radiation. To combat the risk of skin cancer, the medical industry recommends limiting exposure to the sun, avoid tanning beds, use sunscreen and check your skin regularly and notify your doctor of any changes.

There is a lot of information on the internet describing the different kinds of skin cancer, symptoms and treatments. I encourage you to check out the information to become as well informed as possible on this important subject. 

Are you a child of the tanning era? Have you enjoyed a nice healthy tan in the past only to realize you may have damaged your skin? Have you experienced skin cancer in any way? Has your thinking changed towards a "healthy tan" as you get older? What steps are you taking today to prevent additional damage to your skin?

It's time to spray on some sunscreen and head to a shady area of my pool for the afternoon! I may have to sneak in a few minutes of full sun to get my daily vitamin D. Have a great and safe sunny summer!