New Tricks: Sunscreen
Feb. 6th, 2019 11:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
livingdebWhat I used to think:
Especially in these days of disappearing ozone, the sun is dangerous, and we should wear sunscreen at all times while outside. When that leads to Vitamin D deficiency, you should take a supplement, because it's hard to get in food.
What I now think:
But this article seems very convincing. (I can't tell what it's called. On the web page, it says "Is Sunscreen the New Margarine?" but the title on a link made on Facebook is "The Shady Link Between Sunscreen and Your Health.")
Short summary: "Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor of a similar magnitude as smoking, in terms of life expectancy."
Longer summary: People with low blood levels of Vitamin D have significantly higher rates of many health problems, but Vitamin D supplements have no effect on the problems that have been tested (except helping with calcium absorption). So it's probably sun exposure that causes both the higher levels of Vitamin D and the health benefits.
Increased sun exposure does lead to more nonfatal skin cancers, but also to fewer fatal skin cancers.
What I'm changing:
I'm going to go back to the way I used to wear sunscreen which is to only wear it when I'm going to be out all day for the purpose of preventing sunburn. I will not put it on all the time. I will continue taking one or two 20-minute walks outside per day, but be more careful about the timing.
I will now consider having a tan to be a sign of success rather than a sign of failure.
What I'm not changing:
I'm still wearing sunscreen on my face because I don't want any more skin cancer on my face. (After all the sunburns of my youth, this may be like closing the barn door after the horses have escaped, but I think a couple of the horses may have been napping and are still in there.)
And I'm still wearing a hat because the heat fries my brain, by which I mean that hats prevent headaches when it's really hot.
And I'm still getting UV protection on my glasses, because I still think eyeballs need protection.
And I'm still taking Vitamin D supplements to help ensure that the calcium in my diet is absorbed because I am at high risk for osteoporosis.
Especially in these days of disappearing ozone, the sun is dangerous, and we should wear sunscreen at all times while outside. When that leads to Vitamin D deficiency, you should take a supplement, because it's hard to get in food.
What I now think:
But this article seems very convincing. (I can't tell what it's called. On the web page, it says "Is Sunscreen the New Margarine?" but the title on a link made on Facebook is "The Shady Link Between Sunscreen and Your Health.")
Short summary: "Avoidance of sun exposure is a risk factor of a similar magnitude as smoking, in terms of life expectancy."
Longer summary: People with low blood levels of Vitamin D have significantly higher rates of many health problems, but Vitamin D supplements have no effect on the problems that have been tested (except helping with calcium absorption). So it's probably sun exposure that causes both the higher levels of Vitamin D and the health benefits.
Increased sun exposure does lead to more nonfatal skin cancers, but also to fewer fatal skin cancers.
What I'm changing:
I'm going to go back to the way I used to wear sunscreen which is to only wear it when I'm going to be out all day for the purpose of preventing sunburn. I will not put it on all the time. I will continue taking one or two 20-minute walks outside per day, but be more careful about the timing.
I will now consider having a tan to be a sign of success rather than a sign of failure.
What I'm not changing:
I'm still wearing sunscreen on my face because I don't want any more skin cancer on my face. (After all the sunburns of my youth, this may be like closing the barn door after the horses have escaped, but I think a couple of the horses may have been napping and are still in there.)
And I'm still wearing a hat because the heat fries my brain, by which I mean that hats prevent headaches when it's really hot.
And I'm still getting UV protection on my glasses, because I still think eyeballs need protection.
And I'm still taking Vitamin D supplements to help ensure that the calcium in my diet is absorbed because I am at high risk for osteoporosis.