Sunscreen/sun/vacation threads

[SeeSea]

I was beaten by my artist to use SPF 50, not rub it in, and wear a rash guard on vacation.

I am wearing my rash guard. On top of my SPF 50.

Yeah, I can't look all hot-mama in my bikini.

I've seen quite a few rash guards that look VERY hot-mamma. The drawback is depriving fellow beach-goers of the back-piece viewing.

(Moving this thread to a better location ...)

Here's as good as it gets on the rash guard front - I'm learning to SUP.

I'd love to share my tattoo on the beach (especially in the crowd of burned-out tribals) but I'm paranoid about screwing up the colors, especially since it's still in progress. Although, I'm thinking about a beach pic when the sun starts going down tonight.

[pidjones]

I thought SUP was done in calm water? I couldn't balance one on dry land!

[SeeSea]

I thought SUP was done in calm water? I couldn't balance one on dry land!

I think mostly they are used in calm water, but we're on the beach and hey, ya gotta get them back to the shore somehow, right? :rolleyes: Let's just say I had a wonderful ride in, but my final landing on shore wasn't exactly graceful. I wish I'd been wearing my long sleeve rash guard instead. :cool:

I was watching a video the other day of people surfing SUP on some of the big waves at Teahupoo. Very impressive.

[marley mission]

some SUP action for me this weekend - i am flat water SUPer - done a little river and bay action - no ocean yet - can be very toough to stay up in heavy chop

lots of fun

i like to cruise swampy lakes and look for turtles and such

[sophistre]

I did this in the ocean and I thought the waves made it pretty fun! Fell in a whole lot at the beginning, but I liked the changing challenge of it. (I think yoga would be out of the question however, aheh.) Made my tummy nice and sore the next day, which is always a bonus.

And I think that rash guard is plenty hot-mama! (though I am fair-skinned enough that short sleeves would produce a very not hot-mama sun line...)

[seattleite]

just wanna point out that i remeber watching a news segment about sunscreen. most people use about a quarter size for a fairly large portion of their body(think as if youre applying regular lotion to your body), and only apply it once every few hours or so. well the doctor on the segment was saying that this is almost useless. people need to be using WAY more than a quarter size, and applying it atleast every 30-60 minutes.

[xcom]

I love the beach. I grew up going to freezing cold ocean beaches on the north shore of Massachusetts; if it wasn't painful, it didn't really count as going for a swim. I love nothing more than swimming in the ocean and coming out covered in salt and seaweed, and getting a basket of fried claims afterward. Nobody gives a shit what you look like on these beaches, either. Going to cover myself in SPF 50 and not worry too much about it.

Sorry, I'm sorta drunk and feel a strong nostalgia for the ocean

+1 this.

I am from PR and there is nothing better than freediving spearfishing! It never gets old. :D

[teeo]

hey guys, quick question;

my artist has told me to wash twice and use really small amounts of bepanthen after wash for 10 days. i got my tattoo 5 days ago. my job involves me being both inside and outside periodically. can i put on both bepanthen and sunscreen or do i just put on sunscreen and leave the bepanthen off? thanks?

[knucklehead211]

Too soon, wear longsleeves!

Edit to elaborate: you need to keep in mind this is an open wound we're talkin about here. Ya know how after a tattoo it usually feels like someone tenderized your arm with a meat hammer? That's basically what happens. A million tiny stabs into your body to get ink into the skin. And just like the sun, sunscreen has a lot of chemicals in it. Some people have actually got cancer from putting on sunscreen they left out by their pools over the summer. I would say wait the same amount of time you would to actually show it off, at least two months. But I err on the side of caution usually. It's going to be on your body forever. You want it to look good, right?

[teeo]

Too soon, wear longsleeves!

Edit to elaborate: you need to keep in mind this is an open wound we're talkin about here. Ya know how after a tattoo it usually feels like someone tenderized your arm with a meat hammer? That's basically what happens. A million tiny stabs into your body to get ink into the skin. And just like the sun, sunscreen has a lot of chemicals in it. Some people have actually got cancer from putting on sunscreen they left out by their pools over the summer. I would say wait the same amount of time you would to actually show it off, at least two months. But I err on the side of caution usually. It's going to be on your body forever. You want it to look good, right?

yes, that's what i thought. i have been wearing long sleeves the last few days but after reading through this thread, it seems that normal clothes don't protect the tattoo? i have to get special uv clothing?

[knucklehead211]

yes, that's what i thought. i have been wearing long sleeves the last few days but after reading through this thread, it seems that normal clothes don't protect the tattoo? i have to get special uv clothing?

Idk. I have only worn a uv shirt once when I went river rafting (too much alcohol to guarantee I'd use sunscreen well). Other than that though, I don't wear much longsleeves outside of work. If you can get away with a sweatshirt that should be perfect. If not, I'd definitely get a shirt with upf whatever just in case, but I've never got a tan through a tshirt. The shirts should be easy enough to find at any dicks or other sporting goods chain.

[SStu]

I've never gotten a burn under a regular t-shirt, either.

[SeeSea]

An update with respect to burning under a reasonably thick cotton T-shirt. Last week my husband had a sunburn and didn't realize it. I asked when he had been out partying in the sun without me, and he said he had been working outside all day sweating his head off. It was surprising to me how red his skin was, and he is Italian. So here's a real life example of burning through a wet T-shirt.

[tatB]

My plan for 4th of July weekend is SPF 50 sun screen applied often + a SPF 50 rashguard shirt

and probably floating under a raft instead of floating on top of it.

[Chemical Burn]

I always wear suncream , even on blank skin, even in the winter when it rains all the time and we get 6 hours of daylight. Sun damage is the primary cause of premature aging.

I have a 50+ regular water resistant cream that goes on every single day, a 50+ oil to stop my skin from dehydrating when there's not much humidity, a 50+ non-greasy fluid for my face, a 50+ spray for my body because that's easier to reapply during the day, a 50+ mist for my face that I can reapply over makeup, and an SPF30 chapstick, only because I can't find a 50+ one. And SPF50+/PA+++ BB and CC creams. The mist is PA+++ too, and I'm looking into replacing everything else with Korean brands because they have a rating system for UVA protection as well as UVB, and Western ones don't.

[joakim urma]

I always wear suncream , even on blank skin, even in the winter when it rains all the time and we get 6 hours of daylight. Sun damage is the primary cause of premature aging.

I have a 50+ regular water resistant cream that goes on every single day, a 50+ oil to stop my skin from dehydrating when there's not much humidity, a 50+ non-greasy fluid for my face, a 50+ spray for my body because that's easier to reapply during the day, a 50+ mist for my face that I can reapply over makeup, and an SPF30 chapstick, only because I can't find a 50+ one. And SPF50+/PA+++ BB and CC creams. The mist is PA+++ too, and I'm looking into replacing everything else with Korean brands because they have a rating system for UVA protection as well as UVB, and Western ones don't.

You must be joking, right? ... right?

Seriously, not that I'm even close to being a scientist, but having all those chemicals on you every day will probably be a bigger danger to your skin and your health than getting a bit of unfiltered sun.

I used to be really paranoid with the sun and my tattoos, and get stressed if I had to be waiting for the bus for 20 minutes in t-shirt and no sunscreen on. It's not worth it, all that stress. Now I cream up when I know that I will be in the sun a lot. Normally I don't bother. It's easier to just move to the shade after a while if there is no 50+ around. Perhaps I tend to wear long sleeve shirts a bit more. I think it's a shame if you let some over-protectiveness around keeping your tattoos pristine stand in the way of having fun and enjoying life. You are going to age, your tattoos are going to age, and you will die eventually.

(Could be that I have this attitude because I never cared about being a lot in the sun, getting a tan or hanging out at the beach anyway. It's not a part of my life, so when I do spend time in the sun I can allow myself without feeling some "guilt" around it. My favorite weather is when it's cold enough for normal length jeans, but you can walk around in a t-shirt if you want to. Oh, and also I live in Sweden so that helps, we only got 6 weeks of summer most years haha..)

[Chemical Burn]

I don't use every single one of them every single day, like. I do wear sun cream every day but I don't spend much time outside most days so it only has to go on once, and then I have the different types depending on what I'm doing. The regular waterproof one and fluid are the only ones I'd normally use. The oil if for when the air is very dry, which doesn't happen often where I live. It's mostly for when I'm away at festivals. Same with the sprays really, I only bring them if I know I'll be out for more than an hour. I'd use BB/CC creams as a base for makeup anyway, so they may as well use high factor ones. Same with lip balm, I'd use it anyway so may as well.

It doesn't get in the way of anything. Cream goes on in the morning with my normal moisturisers, if I'm out that day and need to reapply it it takes all of 30 seconds each time (which is why I have the sprays), and I exfoliate/wash/cleanse every night. It's just part of the routine and takes up maybe an extra 5 minutes a day at most.

[SeeSea]

My plan for 4th of July weekend is SPF 50 sun screen applied often + a SPF 50 rashguard shirt

and probably floating under a raft instead of floating on top of it.

I think Amazon sells SPF 50 inflatable pool lounge chairs, but they're probably more expensive.

[polliwog]

For some people, a small amount of sun exposure (like 5ish unprotected minutes a day) can be a good thing.

[Nina Worthe]

For some people, a small amount of sun exposure (like 5ish unprotected minutes a day) can be a good thing.

isn't this true for all people? Vitamin D and all that?

[joakim urma]

About the Vitamin D. I've heard you need about 20 minutes of sun per day to get your needed amount. But I guess it depends on how strong the sun is and which parts of the skin you expose. I think that the palms and insides of underarms are the best at absorbing. Second best is the upper torso. But a lot also goes in through the eyes, I think about 40 - 60%.

PS. Don't know where I got this information from. Don't quote me on it ;)

[jimmyirish]

@Chemical Burn, all that sun protection...and you live in Ireland!

[polliwog]

@Nina Worthe, another poster mentioned getting hives as a result of sun exposure, so I didn't want to sound like I was admonishing anyone because there are always exceptions. But there seems to be a consensus that a little sun exposure is beneficial for most people -- I was told as much when I was found to have very low vit. D a few years ago and was put on a prescription.

[beez]

I freak out about too much sun, and for the past 9 years I have been really happy with the usually gray Seattle weather.

THIS SUMMER, BROUGHT TO YOU BY GLOBAL WARMING: MY TAN.

I have a tan. This is a once in a lifetime event. (Actually 3rd in a lifetime). I am kind of freaking out over it though? All I'm thinking is SUN DAMAGE and I'VE RUINED MY TATTOOS. And it's actually causing me anxiety.

Reading through this I can see that clearly I just need to relax and enjoy the fact that I've upped my Vit D and my outdoors time, but I do feel the anxiety in the pit of my stomach. Gaaaah.

Thanks for listening, that is all folks.

[Lance]

I freak out about too much sun, and for the past 9 years I have been really happy with the usually gray Seattle weather.

Oh Gray Seattle. A tattoo collector's paradise. I feel Seattle (sans maybe 2 months of summer) and SF have awesome weather for tattoos. LA definitely not.