Sunscreen?

[sunlver]

I know this question has been discussed before. I just dont get the
"my kids are tan so I dont use it?"
I mean..cant u still get skin cancer even if u have tan skin???

WHen we go to the pool, I make sure my kids (WHo are VERY well tanned)have sunscreen on from head to toe and reapply after about 2 hours.
I just dont get how parents dont consider skin cancer important enough to put sunscreen on their kids???

 

[Christine]

I know this question has been discussed before. I just dont get the
"my kids are tan so I dont use it?"
I mean..cant u still get skin cancer even if u have tan skin???

WHen we go to the pool, I make sure my kids (WHo are VERY well tanned)have sunscreen on from head to toe and reapply after about 2 hours.
I just dont get how parents dont consider skin cancer important enough to put sunscreen on their kids???

Yep--if you're tan the damage is done. I guess some people think a tan is a "protective barrier" of some sort.

 

[dejr_8]

But only if you are careful to chose a diverse group for your sampling. I have seen polls where the results turned out to be quite inaccurate because they were done in a a particular geographic location and then the results were applied to the nation as a whole.

In the case of sunscreen, I would imagine if I were to poll 1000 individuals in Yuma, Arizona and then poll 1000 individuals in Anchorage, Alaska my results would be very very different.

In the previous presidential election our newspaper ran polls several times trying to predict the winner of the race. Not surprisingly our extremely conservative, extremely Christian little town predicted over and over a Republican victory. Not enough diversity in their sampling.

Correct. But the OP said they didn't believe the poll because of the size. Not because of the diversity of the sample group.

 

[smb6]

I lather myself and the kids up only if we are going swimming- which is atleast twice per week. I have a facial moisturizer that contains sunscreen and I put that on almost daily in the mornings. We are all very dark skinned (American Indian heritage) and never burn, so it's not used as much as it should be....

I do believe we still need sunscreen even though we are tan. My quote says we lather up everytime we go swimming. I just don't use it daily for just being outside because (even though we should, as I said) we are so dark.

AND we are tan weather we are inside or outside (like I posted were American Indian).

I know this question has been discussed before. I just dont get the
"my kids are tan so I dont use it?"
I mean..cant u still get skin cancer even if u have tan skin???

WHen we go to the pool, I make sure my kids (WHo are VERY well tanned)have sunscreen on from head to toe and reapply after about 2 hours.
I just dont get how parents dont consider skin cancer important enough to put sunscreen on their kids???

 

[Sorsha]

Correct. But the OP said they didn't believe the poll because of the size. Not because of the diversity of the sample group.

Hi! It's me. I am the OP... and the PP. I'm EVERYWHERE... *cue creepy music*

Anyhow, I still believe it would be easier to get a more diverse sampling if a larger group were used, provided, of course, that the larger group were drawn from many differing populations. Just my opinion!

 

[golfgal]

I voted for the "when necessary". I don't use it every day but if golfing or going to the lake I will use it.

 

[disney1990]

I once had a female doctor that put sunscreen on herself and her 2 children (on all exposed parts) every single day of the year. I can't imagine done that.

So far, 3 people said that they used sunscreen everyday. Do you or anybody else do it to this extent every single day?

 

[mhsjax]

I use it after a while in the sun. My Dr told me that because of all the use of sunscreen that most of us are severely vitamin D deficient. I saw my lab results wow, I was way under what I should be. She told me to get at least 15 minutes a day with no sunscreen, then put it on.

I have a friend whose cousin is in med school, she is going to be a dermatologist. She said their thinking is switching to the same thought, people are way too vitamin D deficient and they are starting to encourage people to get about 10 to 15 minute without sunscreen.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Sunscreen is worthless if not reapplied regularly. I'd apply it daily if I only had to do it once. As it is, I do apply SPF on my face and neck daily (but fail to reapply often throughout the rest of the day). It just is not practical
at all.

If I am to be out in the sun for extended periods of time--we do apply it.

 

[Sorsha]

So far then, here's how the Dis numbers line up with the national average, as predicted by their poll. 77 Dis'sers have taken our poll, as of the time of this post. Come on Dis board members, we need about 900 more people to take the poll! LMAO

Use sunscreen everyday: National average 9% / Dis average 7.8%

Use sunscreen most of the time: National average 20% / Dis average 14.3%

Use sunscreen a few days a year: National average 30% / Dis average 70%

Use sunscreen never: National average 40% / Dis average 2.6%

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I know this question has been discussed before. I just dont get the
"my kids are tan so I dont use it?"
I mean..cant u still get skin cancer even if u have tan skin???

WHen we go to the pool, I make sure my kids (WHo are VERY well tanned)have sunscreen on from head to toe and reapply after about 2 hours.
I just dont get how parents dont consider skin cancer important enough to put sunscreen on their kids???

If you look at skin cancer rates, they are significantly different for people with lighter skin, and for people with a history of sunburns. Yes, any sun exposure can cause skin cancer, but people who burn easily (like me, I'm approximately the color of Casper the Friendly Ghost) are at much higher risk than dark skinned people like my son, who is approximately the color of a bar of milk chocolate.

On the other hand, the risks, mostly unknown, of covering yourself with chemicals probably stay the same regardless of the color of your skin.

In our family that means I weigh the risks against each other. For something with intense sunlight -- daytime skiing, the beach, the pool, hiking in the mountains, I cover part of my child with clothing or a rash guard, and put sunblock on what is exposed. But for waiting for the school bus, 20 minutes of recess in November, or soccer practice at 6 p.m.. No, I don't think it's neccessary -- I think the risk to him of the chemical exposure outweighs the tiny risk of skin cancer in those circumstances.

 

[disneydreamersx4]

I said other b/c I only put sunscreen on us if we are going to be at the pool, beach or an activity that has us in the sun like at the baseball game we went to recently. Or if the kids are going to play outside. Also I put it on the kids during the month of june when they are at school because they go outside for recess. I think we need some of the sun without having sunscreen on for the vitamin D.
I'm going to start using my face moisturizer again that has spf 15.

 

[Magpie]

I live in Canada. We don't get that much direct sunlight, especially further up North.

I'm more worried about lack of Vitamin D, than I am about skin cancer.

The sunscreen goes on whenever I think there is a reasonable risk of burning (ie, we're spending all day at the Toronto Zoo). Otherwise I don't bother. My kids have never had a sunburn in their lives, and I think that will likely protect them more from skin cancer than using sunscreen every day ever will.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

I live in Canada. We don't get that much direct sunlight, especially further up North.

That's interesting . . . I moved from the U.S. (Washington DC) to Canada (Ottawa) in high school, and got so many sunburns when I first moved up there, because the air was cleaner and let more sun shine through. At least that was my theory, I can't think of another reason.

If I get skin cancer in my old age, I'm blaming you Canadians, how dare you not pollute the air to an acceptable level!

 

[Thumper_Man]

I also said only when necessary. If I know I'm going to be outside for an hour or longer, I will put it on.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

.

 

[mhsjax]

All the time. Death from skin cancer is a lot more common than you think. I got melanoma when I was 23. People as young as 15 have died from skin cancer. A lady on a swap board I belong to got it and died at 31 - and she'd never spent a day in the sun, no history of skin cancer, etc. I found these interesting stats which show "hotter" states don't have the highest rates of skin cancer or death from skin cancer (maybe because we've wised up and started wearing more sunblock):

http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/state.htm

Makes you wonder, we are wearing more sunblock but as you say this woman died and didn't spend any time in the sun. I just don't believe all the sunscreen hype. I do wear it because I burn like crazy, but I didn't as a teenager and nothing has come up yet. My dad lived in the sun and they found a very small area on his ear at the rip old age of 78. They cut it out and he still lived in the sun, and not another spot ever popped up.

Like I said, I do wear it, but I think some people are going over board, We need the vitamin D from the sun and most people aren't getting it. This can cause real problems too.

 

[JulielovesDisney]

I only use sunblock if I'm going to be in direct sunlight for an extended period of time, such as sitting on the beach for an afternoon.

If I know I'm going to be in and out of the sun, I won't put any on. Like when I'm at Disney. I'm in and out of stores/buildings all day, and I'm hardly in direct sunlight for a long period of time. I don't burn easily either, so I usually don't both. I know it's still bad for my skin, but I don't know. It's just not something I think about.

 

[rumrunnergirl]

.

 

[ilovejack02]

I wear sunscreen on my face , neck and chest everyday, 365 days a year. I am a bit vain, lol gotta keep the wrinkles at bay. THe rest of my body I put it on if I will be outside working in yard, longer than about 30 mins.

DS7 wears if going to be outside, helping in garden, playing , swimming etc. If we are just out shopping for day I don't put it on him, nor do I put it on him to go to school, unless I know there is a day he will be outside for more than 15 mins.