To Burn or Not to Burn: The Sunblock Dilemma
Everyone has their own excuses. For me, it’s my Portuguese heritage. Sure, I can’t even tell how far back down the line you have to go to find that Portuguese, but I know its there. And it’s the reason that I simply don’t get sunburned. I can sit outside all day without sunblock and I get nothing but a nice tan.
45 minutes later,I notice my charred, bright red skin.
Okay, so I guess sometimes I do get sunburned. But it’s nothing bad. It will fade into a tan by tomorrow
2 days later, I notice the chunks of skin peeling off of my face and shoulders.
Okay, so that time was bad. But if I put on sunblock, even if it’s just 15 spf, I won’t get even the slightest hint of a tan!
1 hour later, I notice my darkly tanned skin.
No one likes to hear it, but sunblock is a good thing. And you should wear it. Even if you have that strong Portuguese heritage like me… I’m not saying that college-aged students should stop trying to get tan in the summer, because obviously that’s like asking college students to stay in on Friday nights so they can be well-rested for homework on Saturday morning. But it is still very possible to get that sexy tan while wearing sunblock.
So really, it’s a no brainer. Wearing sunblock allows you to get a tan, while also avoiding the burn. Avoiding the burn means that you are less likely to get wrinkly skin as you age. Avoiding the burn also means that you can take a shower without breaking down in tears every time the water touches you. Avoiding the burn also means that you can avoid the oh-so-sexy peeling skin look. Avoiding the burn also reduces your risk of skin cancer.
That skin cancer thing is a big one. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States. Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to the age of 65 will get skin cancer at least once.
Yes, that’s right, 1 out of every 2 of you who live to retirement will get skin cancer. Sure, sure, but skin cancer isn’t really that bad right? Right in that it is one of the less lethal types of cancer, but wrong in that it can easily kill you. It is estimated that 65,000 people die each year due to melanoma. And even if you don’t die, the medical bills might just do you in anyways.
So if you don’t wear sunblock, you might get a tan, or you might get a bad sunburn which would result in: pain, the unattractive lobster look, peeling skin, premature wrinkles, more freckles, and an increased risk of skin cancer.
If you do wear sunblock you can still get a tan, and decrease you risk of the less than desirable side effects. It’s your call.
And please don’t even get me started on using tanning beds. Unless you are actively seeking skin cancer. In that case, be my guest.
