Question

INTERPRETING THE REAL LIFE STORY: Karen’s Experience

I always disliked how my skin would get pale in the winter because I know I looked better with a tan. During the summer, my friends and I would lie out by the pool in our bathing suits. We wouldn’t even mind if we got a little sunburned, because we would just say “the burn will turn into a tan!” Before our senior prom, we all went to the tanning salon and used the tanning beds. I never thought anything of it, because that was what everyone was doing. But then my older sister was diagnosed with melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. She was only in her early thirties. It turns out that the repeated sunburns she had gotten in the past, and the fact that she spent a lot of time hiking and doing other outdoor activities without ever using sunscreen, had caught up to her. She had to have surgery and go through six months of treatments that made her feel like she had the flu and caused a lot of her hair to fall out. It was a really scary time for our entire family: We didn’t know if she would live. Thankfully, my sister recovered. Now, everyone in our family tries to spread the word about sun safety and reducing the risk of skin cancer. My friends now call me the “sunblock police,” because I am always reminding everyone to use sunscreen when we are out in the sun for an extended period of time. People may think that a tan looks good, but in the end it is just not worth the risk of getting cancer.

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What would you say to a friend that has a habit of “tanning”—spending extended amounts of time in the sun without sunscreen? What about a friend who is using tanning beds because he or she thinks they are healthier than being in the sun?

2. How many hours per week do you spend in the sun? Are you in the habit of using sunscreen when you are in the sun for extended periods?

3. Do you understand how to get daily safe sun exposure to facilitate the production of Vitamin D without putting yourself at risk for skin cancer?

Answer 1

Answer 1.

It is an old saying that an excess amount of anything or more than specified limits always brings trouble. The tanning or sunbathing is a very good source of Vitamin D and especially in the western countries where most of the seasons of a year are mostly cold. It is important to get out in the sun, enjoy a little warmth in the sun. For example, you like to cook pizza in the oven. A right amount of heat brings out the flavour and best out of it. But overheating it not only causes it to burn but also makes it aesthetics looks bad, colourless and unpleasing. Therefore, spending more time in the sun especially to a limit when you are getting sunburns are not a wise choice and hence should be avoided at any cost.

Answer 2.

Maximum an hour a day or two or weekly 7-10 hours of sunbath should accumulate enough Vitamin D for your body and it will provide sufficient warmth in cold days. Using more sunscreens or cosmetic products degrades the natural quality of the skin and lead to necessities for hiding such things over a layer of cosmetics. To avoid any skin infections, these cosmetics are recommended for limited usage under a specific controlled set of environments. No company recommend using tons of sunscreen to spend hours in the sun to take a passive approach to skin protection.

Answer 3.

Yes, it is important to take vitamin D for the well-being and as necessary health requirements. But taking sunbath for long-duration might cause skin irritation, skin burns and ultimately can lead to skin cancer also. Sunscreen helps in protecting skin from UV-rays and sunburns for a limited amount of time and that time window should be sufficient enough for Vitamin D intake from the sun along with warmth in colder days. Other gears such as sunglasses should be worn to protect eyes from direct sunlight on a sunny day.