From about age 9 to about age 20, I regularly got sunburns (at least 1 a year) and tanned religiously (mostly outdoors, but one year I did the tanning bed thing). I've had 2nd-degree burns on my shoulders and back, and I think I've burned myself so much that my skin actually won't tan at all anymore. I'm very pale (with blue eyes and light brown hair), and I used to tan nicely, but the last year I tanned was in the tanning bed, and after 40 minutes in the bed, I was getting NO color. So I gave up.
When I was 20, I had a bit of an epiphany. I figured I didn't want to end up with skin cancer and horribly wrinkled, and dangit, sunburns hurt! At that point, I became religious about sunscreen and covering up, and I've been that way for 8 years. SPF 45 every day on my face/neck/ears and hands, and whenever any part of me will be exposed for more than about 5 minutes, I use my SPF 75 spray about every hour.
Now, at 28, I'm dealing with lesions and weird growths all over me, several of which have been tested and so far, thank goodness, I've been clear. I have several that I currently need to have removed and tested by my dermatologist, and I've been doing yearly skin cancer screenings for about 4 years now. It's scary, because I'm a realist, and the fact is that with that much skin damage, skin cancer is very likely going to happen, it's just a matter of when (plus, both of my grandfathers and one great-grandfather that I know of had extensive skin cancer).
Now my sisters and my husband tease me for my bottles of sunscreen, big hats and sunglasses, but I hose them down with SPF 75, too. They complain, but they understand where I'm coming from. One day they'll thank me!!
In hindsight, all that sunbathing to "look cute" wasn't worth it. I wish my mother had been more insistent that I take care of my skin, because I feel like a ticking time bomb.
For those of you who've caught it, congratulations! I'm glad to hear you're all ok. Now educate those around you!!
MC
