It's Bikini Season!
 

And you know what that means....taking a dip into the pool, heading to the beach. How many of you actually wear sunscreen EVERY time you go out? I know I was guilty of this skin sin. Skipping spf. And then one spring break, two years ago, I went to Disney World with two girlfriends and fell asleep outside in the sun. I spent the rest of my spring break in the hospital in Orlando.

I got sun poisoning, second degree burns on 40% of my body, was sick as a dog, could not move. It was excruciatingly painful.. It felt like my blood was boiling under my skin. I got suna blisters everywhere, my skin turned out permanently darker than it shouldve been. I looked like a monster. And the worst part was that the moles on my chest changed color and shape, and I thought I had skin cancer. Had to face that possibility for weeks until the doctors told me I got lucky.

Nowadays I wear a moisturizer with spf 30 every single day, and even more spf now that its so hot and sunny. However I have bumps and marks I have to live with for the rest of my life. Ladies, I really just want to stress the importance of wearing sunscreen. It will save your life! Pleeease don't skip it! :D I love you all too much to hear that you guys got burned and sick for the sake of being tan!

I couldn't agree with you more...! :thumbup:

Not me, but my daughter....she went on holiday to Thailand about 10 years ago. She too fell asleep in the sun (why did no-one wake her? :confused:) with her arms folded up behind her head.

She had sunscreen on (almost!) every part of her body....except that soft, pale, vulnerable bit on the inside of her underarm, just underneath the armpit.

She ended up in a Thai hospital with severe burns - completely out of it and vomiting. She was in there for days.

To this day, there are white triangle shaped marks on her perfect body. Please beware....:) Sally x

This is very good reminder. I was so guilty of tanning when I was younger. I am fair skinned. got burned really bad. So I went to the tanning booth every day for 30 minutes each time.

I stopped doing it, and I haven't been sunning for almost 25 years now.


I am now paying for it. I was Dx's with a skin cancer (a melanoma) the bad kind on my forearm this past October.
I thank heavens the surgery got it all. But I have to be checked every 3 months now.

It's so not worth it.

No bikinis for this person. Haha.

Anyway, glad you are thinking about sunscreen. Wish I had used more when I was younger.

I am also now paying for being in the sun, when I was younger. I actually had to have a little piece of my ear removed last year to get rid of the cancer. Doesn't that sound awful? If nothing else, I hope my confession helps someone thing about the potential damage.

Oh my! What a good reminder! I no longer suntan, but I am guilty of not putting on sunscreen it I am out in the sun. However, I am usually covered up in long pants and a t shirt, no tank tops for me anymore. And while I work a lot, am hardly out in the sun for long periods of time. Hope that past tanning doesn't get me. I did lay out a lot and go to tanning salons in my 20s. =/

There is still a part of me that wants to be nice and tan, it hides so much imperfections, but really not worth it in the long run. My gpa did get a little bit of skin cancer on top his head (from being bald and not wearing a hat) but they got that a long time before he eventually passed.

There are AMAZING Self tanners nowadays! Ones that wont make you orange or streaky. Right now I'm using a lotion that builds a tan gradually so you can stop when you think youre tan enough, and its firming too. Reduces the appearance of cellulite :D annd best part..cancer free!!! :D

What brand is it, bc I've tried every brand (in the drugstore LOL) and I still thought I saw orange.

I hate also how when you wash your hands, the underside of your wrists the color comes off and it's super pale, lol and I think everyone can tell. :rolleyes:

It's Jergens natural glow daily moisturizer, the firming one :D And yeah I hate having orange hands, soo much!

That's awful about your sun poisening!!!!!! I'm really pale and burn instantly, I can't tan at all (for the better I suppose). So I have SPF in my moisterizer, and when I know I'm going to be out in the sun for a prolonged period of time I use spf 85. LOL everyone thinks i'm crazy!!!!

Oh its okay, I just spent like $50 in sunscreen yesterday. SPF 100+ for my body, and a really expensive one for my face, and a spray for my scalp, and chapstick with spf in it, etc etc. I'm sooo paranoid about getting sun damage now!! Sometimes I'm even tempted to spray Luma with it although I know she has all that hair and I'm sure it isnt safe for her skin, I worry about her getting sun damage too lol!

Geez! Treating yourself to some nice sunscreen :D. I HATE putting sunscreen on my scalp. It makes me look like I haven't showered in days, gross! I always forget the tips of my ears though, so if I get burned, that's where it happens. lol Luma will be fine, get her some doggles to protect the eyes :cool:

Hats are a great idea too. I'm going out shopping this week to find some nice summer hats. I of course have about 3 baseball caps, but I want something nicely floopy to go over my forehead and nose etc.

I had this exact thing happen to me. Only I went for a week-end in Panama City when I was a freshman in high school - with a friend and her big sister. Spring Break. We did not wear sunscreen.

I was sick as a dog and had to be taken to the ER when I got home. I had to shower to get my clothes off -they were stuck to all my blisters. My face was swollen horribly - it was awful.

I'm fair complected - so in one fell swoop - I just greatly increased my chances of skin cancer.

Yes, I wear 25/30 SPF every single day - winter, summer, rain or shine!

I have a sunroof in my car and lately found this spot on my scalp . . . I'm a little scared about it and have been covering up the sunroof as well.

Be careful out there.

I tried the Jergens before, I didn't really notice any change, and it's so much more expensive than regular Jergens. Maybe I will try again.

I had a few bad sunburns as a kid so now because I am so pale and burn so easy I always put it on plus if I don't put a special type on I get hives because of how one of my meds reacts to the sun. My grandpa and mom have both had skin cancer so I try to be very careful.