Sun exposure not so bad after all.

[Brandane]

Researchers at Edinburgh University have found that the benefits of sun exposure may well outweigh the risks of skin cancer. BBC article.

I am in two minds about this. I spent much of my youth living in tropical climates when the risks of sun exposure were not so well known, other than sunburn was painful! Consequently we were left to play out in the sun all day, every day, with minimal protection from the sun. Same applies when I later joined the merchant navy and found myself working out on deck for days on end exposed to the sun. As a pasty faced Scotsman with fair skin and freckles, I must be in a fairly high risk group, and I am always knocking at my Doctors door at the first sign of any unusual marks appearing on my skin.

Having said that, I love to be out in the sun, but these days I am a bit paranoid and tend to cover any exposed bits in factor 15 (or more) sun cream. Good to hear that it might all be doing me some good though! How can you possibly be a cyclist and not expose yourself to the sun now and again, even where I am in the west of Scotland? Yesterday was the first really good day of the year and I cycled about 55 miles down to Ayr and beyond, before getting the train home. Needless to say, it's back to wind and rain today, and for the foreseeable future according to the forecast.

 

[ianrauk]

Factor 50 for me thanks.....

 

[400bhp]

Doesn't it depend upon the frequency of the particular UV?

Seems the usual bollox BBC story.

 

[biggs682]

Factor 50 for me thanks.....

and me

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I once used sun tan lotion in Spain but I've never used it elsewhere, relying on gradual acclimatisation. I'll let you know whether I live to regret this when I'm 80.

 

[Deleted member 20519]

Didn't use sun cream yesterday, was only out in the sun for two hours. Factor 50 for me now too!

 

[threebikesmcginty]

^ Looks like a bar of nougat (pronounced nuggit, natch), the Barratt stuff not that fancy foreign muck.

 

[cyberknight]

I am lucky enough not to burn easily and i go brown rather than lobster , mind you i went to cyprus once and although i did not burn i got sunstroke walking round some ruins.

 

[fossyant]

You do actually need some sun exposure to boost your Vitamin D.

Very comon in the UK now, is Vitamin D deficiency. Certainly protection if out in it a long time, but get a bit now and again without too much covering up.

 

[Shortmember]

I've always regarded the dire warnings about the dangers of over exposure to the sun with scepticism. After all, before the invention of comfy offices and other sheltered workplaces most people worked or hunted out in the open all day,every day, with only their naturally acquired suntan to protect them, and the human race somehow managed to survive quite well.

 

[pauldavid]

Didn't use sun cream yesterday, was only out in the sun for two hours. Factor 50 for me now too!

View attachment 22991

Why did you only have half of your penis out for two hours?

 

[threebikesmcginty]

i got sunstroke walking round some ruins.

Culture has the same effect on me.

 

[ColinJ]

I've always regarded the dire warnings about the dangers of over exposure to the sun with scepticism. After all, before the invention of comfy offices and other sheltered workplaces most people worked or hunted out in the open all day,every day, with only their naturally acquired suntan to protect them, and the human race somehow managed to survive quite well.

... but life expectancy was only 30 or 40 so they normally died of something else first!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

You do actually need some sun exposure to boost your Vitamin D.

Very comon in the UK now, is Vitamin D deficiency. Certainly protection if out in it a long time, but get a bit now and again without too much covering up.

There's probably an app for Vitamin D these days but I'll put my money on a bit of sunshine.

 

[vernon]

Factor 50 for me thanks.....

I don't bother