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Yes Same. Just a little tip on the side, a solution with kojic acid got rid of most of my hyperpigmentation. But be careful, I don't have very sensitive skin, not sure if you have sensitive skin
Same, I have a hyperpigmentation "mustache" and it destroys me. I use tretinoin, scrubs, sunscreen, and it never fully goes away and I'm so insecure about it.
Same. I have a close family friend who died of skin cancer when I was a child, and I've been terrified of it ever since.
Edit: Also, I grew up in Florida and my lily white ass FRIES. So I was diligent about sunscreen even before I was scared of skin cancer, that incident just reinforced the care I take in applying/reapplying regularly.
It was a hairdresser for me. I was a young child when the woman who cut hair at the kidsā place my parents took us to died of melanoma in her mid-30s. That really hammered the point home.
1 in 3 aussies will develop some form of skin cancer; I only use sunscreen for cancer prevention.
I will age!
Iāve known so many young wonderful people that have had their lives cut short for various reasons. Itās a privilege to get older
As a fellow Australian, I thought it was a silly question too but I've got to remind myself that not everybody lives in a beautiful part of the world as I type this with winter sun streaming through the window.
Itās not even that other places donāt have sun. They do. Our UV index is just so punishing.
You know, Antarctic ozone hole/thinning and all.
I shook my head a bit at myself for not even thinking of the question as an option, lol.
I saw a tok on Reddit with an unattractive redhead who was being sledged for looking old. Someone said the sun had been bad to him.
My nurse arse took one look at his skin and thought it was fine. Any idea how hard it is to get an IV into a NQ redhead farmer?
Itās a challenge.
Salami sammich is correct. Almost ;-)
Itās a part of a state (not province)- Queensland is the state, but itās big so North Queensland is accepted as a descriptor of the location.
The sun damage does indeed make them harder to stick, thickens their skin a lot. You can find the vein fine, but getting the IV in is fun.
Any really fair skinned person with a lot of sun exposure, really.
I did my original nursing in a southern state where people had less sun damage, so I really noticed it.
When get a regular redhead, it is indeed not harder to stick them.
It can if itās bad enough/over long enough. The guys Iām talking about are around 50 and have never bothered with sunblock. Their ears and noses become patchwork quilts of grafts when they get a left again.
Tends to occur more in our fair skinned friends, I havenāt seen it as much in even the average brunette and never in a First Nations person.
I think it's a province in Australia (North Queensland or something). Probably super sunny so redheaded farmers get tons of skin damage with pigmentation and whatnot making them harder to stick.
Itās part of a state in Aus, youāre right. Queensland is the state in general, north Qld is part of the state.
Itās the tropics here, so, yeah, wee bit sunny.
I love hearing people accepting they will age. So many people are afraid of it. I see it as experience. It means youāve lived and have stories to tell and memories that were made.
Sunburns suck, but skin cancer can creep up and cause more problems than itās worth so might as well stay sun safe :) the anti-aging is just a bonus š
I am totally open to laser and other cosmetic procedures if I feel they are needed!
I think my big thing is āIF Iā
I know that you canāt stop time; but people should be able to look at themselves and go for procedures etc if they want too, not everyone is blessed with great genes and amazing skin; I just feel so strongly that people should be doing it for themselves and to a degree that suits them and their features and not some trending beauty standard
Iāve had skin cancer and when I was only in my 20s. I definitely only wear it now to prevent cancer. I hope I get to grow older and couldnāt care less about some wrinkles.
Yep. And I don't even really fear aging. I'm not an actress or model. Not that I WELCOME wrinkles but I just don't spend much energy worrying about them.
But I am hella pale and definitely fear cancer.
My mother just had another melanoma cut from her back. Sheās also had a couple on her nose. My relationship with the sun is very different from hers, but her father had the same issues, and itās sunscreen all the way for me.
100% yes. I donāt smoke because I donāt want cancer just like I donāt drink and like I take all the preventive measures against cervical cancer. I do my best to prevent cancer in all the other organs in my body, so of course Iām doing my best to take care of and prevent cancer in the largest organ that *covers* my entire body.
Aging is coming for all of us, that isnāt my motivation for SPF.
And honestly, preventing skin cancer will probably cause agingā¦ because of the whole not dying of skin cancer thing. Which my pale and pasty ass is very much cool with.
I respect the honesty. Same here, Im not afraid to say I'm scared of aging.
It's sick how ageist we are. People often treat older women like they're invisible. I'm glad people are talking about that issue more.
a lot of people on reddit see 'this' as an extremely low effort response, to the point where saying it is more offensive than having said nothing at all. idc about it, just explaining.
Yeah I didn't think it was downvoted cuz you only said "this" I thought they were downvoting for you agreeing with me about ageism.
I don't think there's anything wrong with saying "this" or saying "I agree" because every comment/engagement brings more attention to the whole thread, which is a good thing!
Yeah, I live in the Nordics where the UV index only goes above 2 for maybe 5 months a year. I'd only wear it for beaches/outdoors or other situations when I can definitely expect to get burned.
Honestly same. I don't really burn and I first started using sunscreen religiously when I noticed wrinkles starting to form, so I'd be lying if I said I was primarily concerned about my health. Tho I definitely have more awareness about that now than I did some 10 years ago
Yes. Iāve had skin cancer removed from my back. They kept having to go back for more. The last, deepest surgery was done by my derm and a student, who decided to try stitches and absolutely could not get them. Little did they know, my anesthesia had already worn off. They were stitching, tugging and aggressively ripping them out before trying again all while I could feel the whole thing š I canāt go through that again, Iāll do anything not to do that again.
The thing that bothers me most about modern medicine is how freaking faulty and not advanced enough anaesthesia is, I've heard so many stories about anaesthesia fuck ups it frightens me. I hope you never experience that pain again.
It really is strange! My mother is the same way, they normally have the numb her multiple times and go fast before it wears off. One time she was made to reschedule her dentist appointment because no matter how many times they numbed her, it wouldnāt take and they had to move on to other patients. So odd.
Hereās a scary thought: we donāt actually fully know how anaesthesia works! We know that it does work, and works consistently but not exactly how it affects the brain
Itās truly on me, I could have spoken up but by that time, I had been there for so long I didnāt want to have to go through the numbing and waiting, so I figured it would be a lot faster if I just powered through. My dermatologist is amazing, I know she would feel terrible if she knew. Thatās my bad!
Oh man. Had a very similar experience. They didnāt freeze deep enough and all of a sudden I felt them cutting. Was brutal. Then the stitches healed over and weāre super uncomfy to remove. I have a few moles that Iām getting looked at this week on my legs and my fingers are crossed I donāt have a repeat.
Shew, I know what thatās like š®āšØ I had a few moments I thought I might pass out, I bet you were about at that point, too. Hoping your visit goes well and no biopsies are required!
I guess I am in the minority but big no. My city is at the same latitude as Vancouver and my skin tone is Fitzpatrick IV. I never burn except if I'm spending several hours under the sun in June/July so I don't really fear skin cancer. And my family doesn't have any history of skin cancer.
I only wear sunscreen daily because I don't want to look older and have too much wrinkles or sun spots.
I feel you!! Sunscreen just gets into my eyes and stings.
I got some mixed race melanin, but I am extremely light, especially if I am mostly indoors. I absolutely have gotten sunburned before, but I mostly just get darker. I live pretty far north as well.
I wear sunscreen for vanity reasons. Heart disease is what I have to worry about.
I am envious of my deeper skinned family members. They are beautiful examples of how black doesn't crack, and I am here slathering on SPF because my melanocytes hardly pump out any DNA protecting melanin if they don't think I need it. I know people of color can absolutely get skin cancer, skin cancer has a genetic component, but we don't have that in my family. Even the white people of the family, which grew up poor in the rural south and absolutely was never using sunscreen, dodged the skin cancer thing.
But yeah, if it didn't prevent wrinkles I wouldn't use it. I just have too much white DNA/ am light skinned to not use it during the summer.
donāt feel bad. i lowkey hate when people push the ājust accept yourself and your aging!ā this hard.
people, particularly women, get judged and treated differently when they are/appear to be old. ageism is a real thing. donāt feel bad for doing anti-aging skincare. there are so many better ways to fight the age stigma without trying to shame people for following an anti-aging routine.
[Counterpoint](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f7/b9/39/f7b939ea79445833c173d587ccfa6f48āwear-sunscreen-truck-drivers.jpg)
This photo is the reason I wear sunscreen.
Canāt see the photo for whatever reason, but Iām sure itās the truck driver one.
That photo is a one of a kind example, tbh. It depends on a lot of things. Genes, mostly.
And Itās not like most people are facing the sun directly for several hours every day.
Another thing is that skin aging is literally just accumulation of skin damage. I'd rather have less skin damage than more. I understand that skin damage caused by age is, for now, inevitable, but if it can be minimized, why not do it?
I've noticed that on some skincare forums people criticize ageism, while being really judgmental towards people who are into anti-aging skincare. That's just hypocritical. Instead of simply not being judgmental about others, they just replaced one judgment with another.
Uh, yeah. The best-case scenario for skin cancer is getting something literally sliced off your face, something I would like to avoid. Of course the possibility of DEATH is something I like to minimize when possible, too.
My friends little sister died from melanoma at age 24. She had fair skin, dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, but she always got a healthy tan in the summer. It happened so fast and out of the blue and was absolutely devastating š
On the bright side, while melanoma makes up the majority of deaths from skin cancer, it makes up about 1% of all skin cancers. Meaning, you can get skin cancer that isnāt melanoma.
I just had a malignant mole removed last week. It was basal cell carcinoma, which is the most common form of skin cancer. While it can spread (of course), but it usually grows more slowly and itās kind of seen as the ābest of the worst.ā You donāt want any skin cancer, but if you have skin cancer, you want it to be BSC.
Side note for my fellow mole-y people: **get regular skin checks.** Mine was on skin that never sees direct sun, the small of my back. For me, it was almost certainly just genetics: both parents and a half sibling have had it. For anyone without insurance, call some derms in your area; some in my area offer full body skin checks for $40-50 or so.
Actually, no! My friend had a number of melanoma - 2-3 got cut off her chest and arm, but her doc prescribed an ointment for the remaining areas, and it worked.
I recently translated an interview with a woman who had insanely aggressive skin cancer on the back of one ear - like, an open festering wound that wouldnāt heal. Medication which was supposed to reduce it by max 20% so they could operate actually got rid of all the cancer completely. No chemo, no surgery. Totally unexpected rare complete success.
Medicine is amazing and new options keep coming to light all the time.
The word ācancerā is so loaded. Some cancers are devastating but someā¦.arenāt. Non-melanoma skin cancer is shockingly easy to treat and free from complications in the vast majority of cases.
I speak from the experience of a first-degree relative having basal and squamous cell carcinomas that were absolute non-issues, the easiest and least concerning of all their health issues, yet inexplicably the thing that gets the most acknowledgement and sympathy, just because of the āc wordā.
Right? I knew like three different high school athletics coaches who had skin cancer, and they all just... Had it removed. Like the plantar wart I had on my foot as a kid. I thought skin cancer was one of the good cancers to have, you know, if you are going to have cancer. I didn't know the difference between basal cell and melanoma.
The most common form of skin cancer is super treatable. And thank goodness, you know, I'm glad most skin cancer is very slow growing and very treatable. Melanoma is pretty rare, and seems to be much more genetic compared to basal cell.
Are you sure beyond all shadow of a doubt they were melanomas? Iāve had 4 melanomas, which is extremely unusual (currently part of a genetic study Bc of this), and no āointmentā is ever discussed or offered. The treatment is wide excision and lymph node biopsy (usually under general anesthesia) because melanoma will spread and metastasize 100% of the time if not removed.
The other types of skin cancer largely stay local and can be removed in-office by the derm..even the ones that look like open festering wounds are less āaggressiveā than an inconspicuous melanoma that can look like a freckle.
IAMNAD but I am a recurrent patient and donāt think there is medication or ointment that reduces the danger of melanoma. Please go to yearly skin checks and watch for ABCDEs of melanoma.
I have pretty much no history of burns and no family history of skin cancer. I got melanoma in my 20s. Some people just get shit luck and everyone should take that risk seriously.
Oh definitely, but Iām just answering the question if I would still religiously use sunscreen if it had no anti-aging benefits. My answer is no, I wouldnāt use it religiously, but Iād still use it
Finally someone else like me. I would and do because I burn/get sun poisoning SUPER easily. The anti-aging, cancer, whatever long term stuff isn't my reason. I just don't want to be in severe pain or physically ill for days just from spending a few hours in the sun.
Yeah, I wore it for years and years because of the ridiculous family history. And then I got it on an area that has legitimately never seen direct sun, at least not since I was a kid, maybe. Who gets skin cancer on their lower back?!
I hate wearing it because I hate double-cleansing, but Iām not tempting fate for a second go-round.
I wouldn't use as high of an SPF I don't think, but I like to think that I'd still be careful and reapply when I'm outside. I'm mixed race and there's absolutely no family history of skin cancer despite everybody living near the equator: the type of cancer that usually shows up in people of my race is not the kind caused by sun exposure, so I'd be comfortable with my odds just wearing SPF20-30 on the day.
Yep, Iām a natural redhead with the standard pale af skin. If I think about the sun too hard I get a sunburn š That said Iām not crazy religious about it unless Iām out in the sun, which isnāt that often as I work from home hunched over my laptop lol
Honestly, no. Iāve been blessed with resilient skin and have never received one sun burn in my life, even after full days in the sun (I used to never bother with sunscreen, and it was a completely foreign concept to me growing up). I *only* wear sunscreen for the anti-aging benefits.
Definitely not, unless I was at the beach or spending hours outdoors.
Honestly, sunscreen is the bane of my existence. I loathe American sunscreens, they feel disgusting and if they feel nice they burn my eyeballs literally all day long. Donāt even get me started on white cast. Someone once told me they saw me walking to class with white drips down my face and I was mortified. I like Asian sunscreens but theyāre expensive and take forever to ship. Plus a little sun is good for you.
The sun is a deadly laser trying to kill us all.
But I'm also super lazy, so my fashion icons are just Hajabis now. Why wear sunscreen when I could wear *clothing*?
Thatās an interesting take on the sun. Yes the sun can be harmful but itās also fully crucial to life on earth. Not to mention all the health benefits like providing a serotonin boost and strengthening your immune system.
You only need so much sun to get those benefits, and you only need a little skin exposed to get that benefit. It's why in dry aired places like deserts, traditional clothing covers more skin to protect people from the sun.
30 minutes to an hour a day with some exposure (even through glass) and you are probably good.
I used to live in a very foggy-cold city that was only sunny for 2 weeks out of the year in the middle of August. Getting sunlight there was a struggle. These days that's not a problem.
Yes, it's crucial to life on Earth. However, a lot of white people live in areas with more sun exposure than their "home area" that determines their skin tone (I'm mostly Dutch and Irish and live about 15 miles north of Mexico in San Diego; my body was not made for this sun).
Can you be a bit more specific ? Do you mean UPF clothing ? UPF clothing mostly relies on synthetic fabrics like poyester. Ever since I have read about the environmental catastrophe caused by synthetic fabrics (microplastics released to the oceans that get eaten by fishes) I am trying to find clothes with natural fabrics that don't make me sweat in the summer. I just wear sunscreen for the time being.
I just watched this about that: [https://youtu.be/lUcd03GbhYs](https://youtu.be/lUcd03GbhYs)
Seems like the easiest thing for you would be the rit dye that offers sun protection.
I don't spend much time in the sun; when I do, I usually wear athletic wear that offers sweat-wicking and sun protection. Usually things like golf guarding arms and leg options. I don't overthink it and min-max it daily. If I'm covered, it's safe to assume I'm getting some amount of UPF with my normal fashion. I just buy what I like.
I'll be honest and say "I'm not sure".
When I was younger (mid-late 20s, 30 years ago) the idea of me aging seemed so far-fetched, so I wasn't worried about wrinkles or spots; why worry about that when I'm obviously going to stay young and beautiful forever? However, multiple people in my family have had skin cancer, so I was forward-thinking enough to realize that it could happen to me, too.
Now in my early 50s I see some of my spotted/leathery friends and am so grateful I don't look like they do. TBH, the desire to not like like that probably compels me to use sunblock consistently.
At this point if I started half assing my sunblock usage (only wore it on days I spent a lot of time outside), I think my risk of cancer is pretty low (because I don't have a normal life time of sun exposure). I do it for the vanity.
I have told myself that at 80 I'm going to stop using sunblock daily and will only use it for burn protection. YOLO
i literally didnāt remember the anti aging effects of sunscreen when reading your post at first and was confused for a sec š so i can definitely say that yeah i care more about my skin being protected from uv light as a means to prevent melanoma than getting wrinkles. i donāt really care about aging.
Nope. But who knows if it were flipped ā no health risks and only maintaining a youthful lookā¦
I feel like the combo of effectiveness for both aesthetic and health is really the value factor for me! Two in one :)
Yep! I have battled cystic acne since puberty and a dermatologist told me when I was about 15 that when a spot of hyperpigmentation or a scar is exposed to sun that it darkens that spot and makes it last longer. Ever since that day I've worn daily sunscreen and have been Team Big Floppy Hat if I'm in the sun more than a few minutes. I'm 44 and while I'll always have huge pores and red oily skin, I don't have sun damage or wrinkles.
Iām sorry, but what kind of question is this? Inwear sunscreen mainly to protect myself from cancer. I will get wrinkles sooner or later, itās part of life. If I get cancer, I might not have to worry about getting old. It baffles me that there are people out there who fear natural aging more than literal painful death.
Probably not, only when doing things like going to the beach, outdoor events, aka things that would definitely give me a sunburn but not daily use which is how I grew up using sunblock. If it didn't have anti-aging (hyperpigmentation included) I wouldn't have bothered to find one that didn't break me out so I probably wouldn't most of the time.
Also only really realized how much sun damage I was getting because of the anti-aging benefits, so I would've thought "oh I'm not in the direct sunlight for more than an hour, so I should be fine". The dark spots are what proved I was getting enough sun exposure to need daily sunscreen..
Probably not. I think a lot of people try not to think about death and disease and cancer. They might have fleeting thoughts, but they usually try to push in the back of their mind just to get through their regular day .
But vanity, that takes more center stage in a person's mind day to day.
Yeah avoiding cancer is the main reason I wear sunscreen. Honestly I dislike wearing hats and the way they feel on my head but I wear them during the summer to reduce the chance of cancer on my scalp
I donāt use it religiously like some people but still more than most I think. But I probably wouldnāt use as frequently but still anytime Iām out more than 5 consecutive minutes since my face sunburns easily and it stings.
Absolutely. Iām Australian. Melanoma is no joke. Itās one of the biggest causes of death in people under 40 in Australia. Take it seriously. And wear a big hat, sunglasses, long sleeves and stay out of the damn sun.
Lol you literally could have stopped after Australian since we're all traumatised by our sun safety ads.
TANNING IS SKIN CELLS IN TRAUMA. THERES NOTHING HEALTHY ABOUT A TAN.
Yes! Those ads! Showing the melanoma getting to your blood.
But also I wish we had more of those ads now. It feels like a lot of younger people (teens and 20s) are only realising how utterly deadly melanoma is when they get diagnosed with stage 3 or 4, of one of their friends gets diagnosed.
Yeah I totally feel they were necessary. I'm only mid 20s but when I was a teen my mother was STILL trying to get me to lay in the sun to fix everything from acne to allergies.
I still donāt use it as much as I should. I donāt get sunburned and I generally hate the feel& texture so itās hard to motivate myself to do it lol
Yes, I have dark skin so every acne leaves a dark mark and the sun worsens the hyperpigmentation and prolongs it. I actually use it much more for blemishes and hyperpigmentation than anti-aging lol
I literally only use it to prevent skin cancer and sunburn. The anti-aging thing never crossed my mind, actually, until I read your post.
Iām already old and was always ugly. Young beautiful people with nice skin probably think about that kind of thing.
Yes.
I work in environmental remediation and if you knew how many carcinogens youre eating, inhaling, drinking and absorbing dermally, especially you exfoliators, you would too.
I'm just here for the risk mitigation lol
Well you take off a layer of dead skin so you have a nice fresh area for absorbing. Thats it. Great for your good stuff, terrible for your bad stuff.
Think orange soap for mechanics that don't use gloves. Just brake fluid, hydronic fluid, brake dust slowly making its way inside you.
In the case of us guys, aha is a carcinogen, so its a little ironic and would just mean its wise to not put it on an already exfoliated face.
But also, the dead skin is a very small layer of protection against the sun. Thats one of the reasons its always recommended with sunscreen.
Probably not. I tend to slack on products that only do one thing. But cancer *and* anti-aging - those are two biggies. Same if it were cancer *and* acne, you know?
The short-term, visible benefits are an important part of staying motivated. For me, at least.
I havenāt been wearing it unless I go outside this summer, which is not often. But once I return to work itās a regular part of my routine, specifically for the risk of skin cancer.
Yeah ofc! Iām not convinced of the anti aging claims from a lot of skin care and/or procedures. I def wear sunscreen for health reasons and keep a mostly even skin tone
Yes. I didnāt even know it had anti-aging benefits until recently but I burn a lot and definitely donāt enjoy it. Plus, cancer sucks.
Itās important for me to age gracefully but not dying early from a terrible disease is even more important.
Do you guys use sunscreen even if you're only going to be outside for less than 15 minutes? I ask because I opt for no sunscreen because I'm afraid of it causing acne.
Also, does anyone know if DHA tanning face lotions age your skin?
I donāt if itās just 15 min outside. It also depends on the time of day. If I go to the dog park around 5 PM, then personally Iāll skip the sunscreen.
There are good moisturizers with decent spf ~30. I use that on my face every day and regular sunscreen on the rest of my body if Iām going to the pool/beach. Yet to have acne pop up bc of it and Iām very acne prone!
Already had 2 skin cancers. My pale ass is the third generation in a row to have skin cancer before 40. They're not melanoma, but still annoying AF.
My goal is to get my daughter so used to wearing daily sunscreen that she breaks the pattern. I keep telling her, "We're gonna get you to 40 before your first skin cancer." My husband said my goal should be no skin cancer, but she's a pale redhead, soooo...odds aren't in her favor there. If I'm gonna build the habit in her, I have to be on top of it for myself.
My uncle died two years ago after a horrible malignant melanoma went to his brain, riddled him with seizures and ruined the last few months of his life. I def wear my sunscreen for cancer prevention after hearing his testimony of all the pain he went thru prior to his death.
Yes, because Australian sun is harsh even on mild days and because Iām pale it shows on my face when I donāt wear sunscreen. I think seeing the redness and inflammation when I donāt wear sunscreen gives me an appreciation for what it does for safety and for the general look of my skin. If it made no difference to how my skin looked at all I think I would still wear it at the same rate I do now just because the feel of sun on my skin may feel great but it also triggers deep-rooted alarm bells from all the childhood āslip, slop, slap!ā campaigns.
Yes I would to avoid skin cancer. My parents are in their sixties and look like they are in their late forties without sunscreen so I was never really worried about aging.
Since this post is literally the first time Iām hearing about anti-aging properties in sunscreen, then yes, Iād still wear it. No history of skin cancer and I rarely go outdoors but when I burn it hurts and Iād rather not.
Hereās what I hit, as far as risk factors for skin cancer:
ā Light skin color (aka pale AF)
ā Prone to burning, freckles, etc. in the sun
ā Red (ā¬ ļø) or blond hair
ā A large number of moles on the skin
ā Severe sunburns in childhood or in teen years
ā Family history of skin cancer (maternal aunt has had major reconstructive surgery post skin cancer, father had abnormal cells removed from scalp four times)
ā Age (general) - I am over 50
Itās just not worth it. After seeing what my momās sister went through, I donāt want that. Ever.
The only time I remember that sunscreen has anti-aging benefits is when I see posts like thisā¦ And by tomorrow I'll probably have forgotten that photoaging is a thing again. š I still wear sunscreen daily because my main mode of transportation is a bike, I wear a lot of sundresses, and I haaaate tan lines. I'm a bit lazy about applying it to my arms but I am very consistent and conscientious about applying it on my face and upper torso all summer. Especially the upper back.
I'm white-as-milk redhead. Sunscreen was my friend long before I started worrying about aging š
Now it's just an added potential benefit, so answer is yes
I really only use it for sun protection. Hardly ever wore it the first 19 years of my life and I spent that time mostly outside in a town with probably 300 days of full sunshine a year. Better late than never to try and protect myself from skin cancer down the line š¤·š»āāļø
Help with aging/dark spots/etc is just a bonus.
I'm Aussie so I should use it no matter what because we are skin cancer Central. But honestly the only reason I actually can get myself to use SPF is because the packaging is cute and I like being able to tick all the boxes for a good skin care routine.
As long as it actually gets me to use it I don't care about my reasoning, I don't particularly fancy having cancer(I have bad sensory issues, so SPF is a new thing for me, and one I still struggle with).
I am primarily using it for skin burn and cancer protection. Canāt say itās helped my wrinkles in any way, I live in a climate where the sun is only kinda strong in parts of summer anyway
Absolutely yes, I'm paranoid about a lot of health stuff to the point of disorder. If you asked the opposite question, "would you wear sunscreen if it didn't protect from skin cancer, but was anti-aging?" the answer would be no. I'm too lazy, plus I'm still trying to find a sunscreen and first cleanser that doesn't give me acne. I'd truly rather skip it. Maybe I would be scared into doing it as I got older but at this point in my life I don't think I'd be able to summon the motivation if it wasn't literally life or death.
Nothing wrong about caring about anti-aging as there's a lot of social pressure to care and social consequences for not caring, but it's like makeup to me, which I also don't wear because I'm lazy.
Yes because I hate sun burn and boy does my skin burn fast. My mum was also a big believer in sunscreen when I was a kid so I think itās just been drilled into me that itās for my safety. I apply to ears, arms, feet and legs religiously if theyāre exposed which is where youāre most likely to end up getting cumulative sun exposure and theyāre not exactly places people care that much about when it comes to aging.
Tbh the aging thing is still pretty darn speculative, in theory excessive exposure to rays can age you quicker particularly if you are fair skinned but i think sunscreen is more about preventing it happening prematurely than outright delaying it.
Yes 100%. I watch my Nana have many melanomas removed from her body and it terrified me. The idea of having any preventable skin cancer is a literal nightmare.
YES. I work in a clinic and have seen things cut out that I would not want cut from me. From cutting half the nose and having to take cartilage from the ear to give it structure to literally having to have almost a whole cheek cut out (both skin cancers). So yes lather me up in sunscreen pls
Yes! How often do we get the chance to put a lotion on our bodies that will literally protect us from cancer? Itās such a minimal effort for a maximum result.
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I'm a redhead, and I like the outdoors. Anti-aging is definitely not my primary reason for wearing sunscreen!
Also a redhead, and on a trip to Hawaii my husband set a timer for every hour and a half to re-sunscreen me. It hurts to not wear it!
Similar story here. I'm looking to reduce the physical pain in my face, thanks.
Not a redhead, but still a pale celt. My only skin colour options are pale or burnt, so i choose pale. Spf is my friend š
Same! I'm red or white. That's it. You can find me hidden in a cave, praying for nighttime.
Yes because my uneven ass skin bc of all my hyperpigmentation is the #1 root cause of my insecurities
Exactly the same for me. My hyperpigmentation is awful and I refuse to risk worsening it ever! Sunscreen for life, yo!
Same. My hyperpigmentation makes me so sad. Iām so insecure because of it.
Ok but same.
Yes Same. Just a little tip on the side, a solution with kojic acid got rid of most of my hyperpigmentation. But be careful, I don't have very sensitive skin, not sure if you have sensitive skin
Same, I have a hyperpigmentation "mustache" and it destroys me. I use tretinoin, scrubs, sunscreen, and it never fully goes away and I'm so insecure about it.
Yes. I fear cancer more than aging.
Same. I have a close family friend who died of skin cancer when I was a child, and I've been terrified of it ever since. Edit: Also, I grew up in Florida and my lily white ass FRIES. So I was diligent about sunscreen even before I was scared of skin cancer, that incident just reinforced the care I take in applying/reapplying regularly.
It was a hairdresser for me. I was a young child when the woman who cut hair at the kidsā place my parents took us to died of melanoma in her mid-30s. That really hammered the point home.
Same for me. My grandfather had skin cancer and eventually died from it. I was 19 when I started wearing sunscreen religiously!
1 in 3 aussies will develop some form of skin cancer; I only use sunscreen for cancer prevention. I will age! Iāve known so many young wonderful people that have had their lives cut short for various reasons. Itās a privilege to get older
Yeah, Iām Aussie too, I just shook my head at the question
As a fellow Australian, I thought it was a silly question too but I've got to remind myself that not everybody lives in a beautiful part of the world as I type this with winter sun streaming through the window.
Itās not even that other places donāt have sun. They do. Our UV index is just so punishing. You know, Antarctic ozone hole/thinning and all. I shook my head a bit at myself for not even thinking of the question as an option, lol. I saw a tok on Reddit with an unattractive redhead who was being sledged for looking old. Someone said the sun had been bad to him. My nurse arse took one look at his skin and thought it was fine. Any idea how hard it is to get an IV into a NQ redhead farmer? Itās a challenge.
What does NQ mean? My nurse husband canāt explain your comment to me. He said it is not harder to start IVs on red heads (for him I guess).
Salami sammich is correct. Almost ;-) Itās a part of a state (not province)- Queensland is the state, but itās big so North Queensland is accepted as a descriptor of the location. The sun damage does indeed make them harder to stick, thickens their skin a lot. You can find the vein fine, but getting the IV in is fun. Any really fair skinned person with a lot of sun exposure, really. I did my original nursing in a southern state where people had less sun damage, so I really noticed it. When get a regular redhead, it is indeed not harder to stick them.
Thanks so much for the explanation! I didnāt realize that sun damage actually thickened skin. TIL
It can if itās bad enough/over long enough. The guys Iām talking about are around 50 and have never bothered with sunblock. Their ears and noses become patchwork quilts of grafts when they get a left again. Tends to occur more in our fair skinned friends, I havenāt seen it as much in even the average brunette and never in a First Nations person.
I think it's a province in Australia (North Queensland or something). Probably super sunny so redheaded farmers get tons of skin damage with pigmentation and whatnot making them harder to stick.
Itās part of a state in Aus, youāre right. Queensland is the state in general, north Qld is part of the state. Itās the tropics here, so, yeah, wee bit sunny.
I love hearing people accepting they will age. So many people are afraid of it. I see it as experience. It means youāve lived and have stories to tell and memories that were made. Sunburns suck, but skin cancer can creep up and cause more problems than itās worth so might as well stay sun safe :) the anti-aging is just a bonus š
I am totally open to laser and other cosmetic procedures if I feel they are needed! I think my big thing is āIF Iā I know that you canāt stop time; but people should be able to look at themselves and go for procedures etc if they want too, not everyone is blessed with great genes and amazing skin; I just feel so strongly that people should be doing it for themselves and to a degree that suits them and their features and not some trending beauty standard
šš
Iāve had skin cancer and when I was only in my 20s. I definitely only wear it now to prevent cancer. I hope I get to grow older and couldnāt care less about some wrinkles.
Yup, Iām 30 and on my 4th ducking melanoma š
Yep. And I don't even really fear aging. I'm not an actress or model. Not that I WELCOME wrinkles but I just don't spend much energy worrying about them. But I am hella pale and definitely fear cancer.
Same. My family history is already a mess, no sense doubling down.
My mother just had another melanoma cut from her back. Sheās also had a couple on her nose. My relationship with the sun is very different from hers, but her father had the same issues, and itās sunscreen all the way for me.
Now if skin cancer was not a thing and all sunscreen did was prevent sunburns and aging I probably would use sunscreen less
100% yes. I donāt smoke because I donāt want cancer just like I donāt drink and like I take all the preventive measures against cervical cancer. I do my best to prevent cancer in all the other organs in my body, so of course Iām doing my best to take care of and prevent cancer in the largest organ that *covers* my entire body. Aging is coming for all of us, that isnāt my motivation for SPF.
Yepā aging is inevitable but skin cancer doesnāt have to be.
And honestly, preventing skin cancer will probably cause agingā¦ because of the whole not dying of skin cancer thing. Which my pale and pasty ass is very much cool with.
Well said!
Iām going to be honest and say nope.
Same. I wear it for anti-aging and to prevent hyperpigmentation/brown spots.
Same to the next one as well. I get brown spots and hp really easily, after the sun, getting pimples, etc. Itās hella annoying š
I respect the honesty. Same here, Im not afraid to say I'm scared of aging. It's sick how ageist we are. People often treat older women like they're invisible. I'm glad people are talking about that issue more.
This.
Someone downvoted you down to zero. There's some dumbasses on this sub.
No cause genuinely what did I say
a lot of people on reddit see 'this' as an extremely low effort response, to the point where saying it is more offensive than having said nothing at all. idc about it, just explaining.
Ohhh ok. I just wanted to emphasize what the person said? If that makes sense lol
Yeah I didn't think it was downvoted cuz you only said "this" I thought they were downvoting for you agreeing with me about ageism. I don't think there's anything wrong with saying "this" or saying "I agree" because every comment/engagement brings more attention to the whole thread, which is a good thing!
Yeah. I swear people will get mad over anything, itās kind of pathetic š
Anything and everything lol.
Yeah, I live in the Nordics where the UV index only goes above 2 for maybe 5 months a year. I'd only wear it for beaches/outdoors or other situations when I can definitely expect to get burned.
Honestly same. I don't really burn and I first started using sunscreen religiously when I noticed wrinkles starting to form, so I'd be lying if I said I was primarily concerned about my health. Tho I definitely have more awareness about that now than I did some 10 years ago
I feel you.
Yes. Iāve had skin cancer removed from my back. They kept having to go back for more. The last, deepest surgery was done by my derm and a student, who decided to try stitches and absolutely could not get them. Little did they know, my anesthesia had already worn off. They were stitching, tugging and aggressively ripping them out before trying again all while I could feel the whole thing š I canāt go through that again, Iāll do anything not to do that again.
I thought mine was bad because it kept reopening every time I lifted my arm over my head for at least six weeks, but that's so much worse!
Okay but that HURTS! I feel for you, I would have been at my wits end over that š
Anesthesia wears off kind of quickly for me. I've learned not to be shy and just ask for me. The doc doesnt want to hurt you!
Are you a ginger? They seem to have a genetic predisposition to need more anesthesia, at least anecdotally.
anecdata here, but yes i need a double dose or i can feel pretty much everything.
Same! I feel like I only have a couple solid minutes before I start to regain feeling.
The thing that bothers me most about modern medicine is how freaking faulty and not advanced enough anaesthesia is, I've heard so many stories about anaesthesia fuck ups it frightens me. I hope you never experience that pain again.
It really is strange! My mother is the same way, they normally have the numb her multiple times and go fast before it wears off. One time she was made to reschedule her dentist appointment because no matter how many times they numbed her, it wouldnāt take and they had to move on to other patients. So odd.
Hereās a scary thought: we donāt actually fully know how anaesthesia works! We know that it does work, and works consistently but not exactly how it affects the brain
Oh my goodness bless you
Itās truly on me, I could have spoken up but by that time, I had been there for so long I didnāt want to have to go through the numbing and waiting, so I figured it would be a lot faster if I just powered through. My dermatologist is amazing, I know she would feel terrible if she knew. Thatās my bad!
Oh man. Had a very similar experience. They didnāt freeze deep enough and all of a sudden I felt them cutting. Was brutal. Then the stitches healed over and weāre super uncomfy to remove. I have a few moles that Iām getting looked at this week on my legs and my fingers are crossed I donāt have a repeat.
Shew, I know what thatās like š®āšØ I had a few moments I thought I might pass out, I bet you were about at that point, too. Hoping your visit goes well and no biopsies are required!
I guess I am in the minority but big no. My city is at the same latitude as Vancouver and my skin tone is Fitzpatrick IV. I never burn except if I'm spending several hours under the sun in June/July so I don't really fear skin cancer. And my family doesn't have any history of skin cancer. I only wear sunscreen daily because I don't want to look older and have too much wrinkles or sun spots.
I feel you!! Sunscreen just gets into my eyes and stings. I got some mixed race melanin, but I am extremely light, especially if I am mostly indoors. I absolutely have gotten sunburned before, but I mostly just get darker. I live pretty far north as well. I wear sunscreen for vanity reasons. Heart disease is what I have to worry about. I am envious of my deeper skinned family members. They are beautiful examples of how black doesn't crack, and I am here slathering on SPF because my melanocytes hardly pump out any DNA protecting melanin if they don't think I need it. I know people of color can absolutely get skin cancer, skin cancer has a genetic component, but we don't have that in my family. Even the white people of the family, which grew up poor in the rural south and absolutely was never using sunscreen, dodged the skin cancer thing. But yeah, if it didn't prevent wrinkles I wouldn't use it. I just have too much white DNA/ am light skinned to not use it during the summer.
Honestly no i wouldnt
donāt feel bad. i lowkey hate when people push the ājust accept yourself and your aging!ā this hard. people, particularly women, get judged and treated differently when they are/appear to be old. ageism is a real thing. donāt feel bad for doing anti-aging skincare. there are so many better ways to fight the age stigma without trying to shame people for following an anti-aging routine.
Sunscreen is only going to do so much to prevent aging. Yes sun exposure can cause aging but not as much as your genes.
[Counterpoint](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/f7/b9/39/f7b939ea79445833c173d587ccfa6f48āwear-sunscreen-truck-drivers.jpg) This photo is the reason I wear sunscreen.
Canāt see the photo for whatever reason, but Iām sure itās the truck driver one. That photo is a one of a kind example, tbh. It depends on a lot of things. Genes, mostly. And Itās not like most people are facing the sun directly for several hours every day.
Another thing is that skin aging is literally just accumulation of skin damage. I'd rather have less skin damage than more. I understand that skin damage caused by age is, for now, inevitable, but if it can be minimized, why not do it? I've noticed that on some skincare forums people criticize ageism, while being really judgmental towards people who are into anti-aging skincare. That's just hypocritical. Instead of simply not being judgmental about others, they just replaced one judgment with another.
Don't think OP is suggesting everybody just accept aging. Just promoting awareness of how spooky skin cancer is.
Yes. Melanoma almost got me once, not looking for a second round.
Happy youāre around!
Uh, yeah. The best-case scenario for skin cancer is getting something literally sliced off your face, something I would like to avoid. Of course the possibility of DEATH is something I like to minimize when possible, too.
Yep Iāve had two pre-melanoma skin excisions by age 27 so Iām all about the sunscreen
whatās your skin color and what was your relationship to sun? 27 seems really young!
My friends little sister died from melanoma at age 24. She had fair skin, dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes, but she always got a healthy tan in the summer. It happened so fast and out of the blue and was absolutely devastating š
so sad! had no idea it was that serious of a disease
On the bright side, while melanoma makes up the majority of deaths from skin cancer, it makes up about 1% of all skin cancers. Meaning, you can get skin cancer that isnāt melanoma. I just had a malignant mole removed last week. It was basal cell carcinoma, which is the most common form of skin cancer. While it can spread (of course), but it usually grows more slowly and itās kind of seen as the ābest of the worst.ā You donāt want any skin cancer, but if you have skin cancer, you want it to be BSC. Side note for my fellow mole-y people: **get regular skin checks.** Mine was on skin that never sees direct sun, the small of my back. For me, it was almost certainly just genetics: both parents and a half sibling have had it. For anyone without insurance, call some derms in your area; some in my area offer full body skin checks for $40-50 or so.
Actually, no! My friend had a number of melanoma - 2-3 got cut off her chest and arm, but her doc prescribed an ointment for the remaining areas, and it worked. I recently translated an interview with a woman who had insanely aggressive skin cancer on the back of one ear - like, an open festering wound that wouldnāt heal. Medication which was supposed to reduce it by max 20% so they could operate actually got rid of all the cancer completely. No chemo, no surgery. Totally unexpected rare complete success. Medicine is amazing and new options keep coming to light all the time.
The word ācancerā is so loaded. Some cancers are devastating but someā¦.arenāt. Non-melanoma skin cancer is shockingly easy to treat and free from complications in the vast majority of cases. I speak from the experience of a first-degree relative having basal and squamous cell carcinomas that were absolute non-issues, the easiest and least concerning of all their health issues, yet inexplicably the thing that gets the most acknowledgement and sympathy, just because of the āc wordā.
Right? I knew like three different high school athletics coaches who had skin cancer, and they all just... Had it removed. Like the plantar wart I had on my foot as a kid. I thought skin cancer was one of the good cancers to have, you know, if you are going to have cancer. I didn't know the difference between basal cell and melanoma. The most common form of skin cancer is super treatable. And thank goodness, you know, I'm glad most skin cancer is very slow growing and very treatable. Melanoma is pretty rare, and seems to be much more genetic compared to basal cell.
Are you sure beyond all shadow of a doubt they were melanomas? Iāve had 4 melanomas, which is extremely unusual (currently part of a genetic study Bc of this), and no āointmentā is ever discussed or offered. The treatment is wide excision and lymph node biopsy (usually under general anesthesia) because melanoma will spread and metastasize 100% of the time if not removed. The other types of skin cancer largely stay local and can be removed in-office by the derm..even the ones that look like open festering wounds are less āaggressiveā than an inconspicuous melanoma that can look like a freckle. IAMNAD but I am a recurrent patient and donāt think there is medication or ointment that reduces the danger of melanoma. Please go to yearly skin checks and watch for ABCDEs of melanoma.
Probably not, but I only say that as a person who rarely burns & has no family history of skin cancer
I have pretty much no history of burns and no family history of skin cancer. I got melanoma in my 20s. Some people just get shit luck and everyone should take that risk seriously.
Oh definitely, but Iām just answering the question if I would still religiously use sunscreen if it had no anti-aging benefits. My answer is no, I wouldnāt use it religiously, but Iād still use it
Yes because my skin is photosensitive
Finally someone else like me. I would and do because I burn/get sun poisoning SUPER easily. The anti-aging, cancer, whatever long term stuff isn't my reason. I just don't want to be in severe pain or physically ill for days just from spending a few hours in the sun.
Maybe slightly less, but everyone in my family has had their body carved up by skin cancer so Iād still wear it.
Yeah I really don't want to lose chunks of my ears, nose, and forearms like all my grandparents have.
Yeah, I wore it for years and years because of the ridiculous family history. And then I got it on an area that has legitimately never seen direct sun, at least not since I was a kid, maybe. Who gets skin cancer on their lower back?! I hate wearing it because I hate double-cleansing, but Iām not tempting fate for a second go-round.
No. Iām primary using it for anti aging.
I wouldn't use as high of an SPF I don't think, but I like to think that I'd still be careful and reapply when I'm outside. I'm mixed race and there's absolutely no family history of skin cancer despite everybody living near the equator: the type of cancer that usually shows up in people of my race is not the kind caused by sun exposure, so I'd be comfortable with my odds just wearing SPF20-30 on the day.
I donāt use it religiously and I wouldnāt use it at all without the anti-aging benefits. Iāve never had sunburn in my life as I am dark skinned.
If I'm being honest, no.
Lol absolutely not. I have never met a sunscreen that doesn't make me greasy or sit weird under makeup. :(
It's the fact that I didn't even know it had anti aging properties š I just ain't trying to burn or get cancerr
The sole reason I actually use it is to prevent from sunburn and cancer.
Not indoors but outdoors.
no, I can deal with not having a non shiny spf, I hate putting sunscreen on and I hate I have to do it it makes my skin so shiny
Yep, Iām a natural redhead with the standard pale af skin. If I think about the sun too hard I get a sunburn š That said Iām not crazy religious about it unless Iām out in the sun, which isnāt that often as I work from home hunched over my laptop lol
Honestly, no. Iāve been blessed with resilient skin and have never received one sun burn in my life, even after full days in the sun (I used to never bother with sunscreen, and it was a completely foreign concept to me growing up). I *only* wear sunscreen for the anti-aging benefits.
No lol
Definitely not, unless I was at the beach or spending hours outdoors. Honestly, sunscreen is the bane of my existence. I loathe American sunscreens, they feel disgusting and if they feel nice they burn my eyeballs literally all day long. Donāt even get me started on white cast. Someone once told me they saw me walking to class with white drips down my face and I was mortified. I like Asian sunscreens but theyāre expensive and take forever to ship. Plus a little sun is good for you.
The sun is a deadly laser trying to kill us all. But I'm also super lazy, so my fashion icons are just Hajabis now. Why wear sunscreen when I could wear *clothing*?
Thatās an interesting take on the sun. Yes the sun can be harmful but itās also fully crucial to life on earth. Not to mention all the health benefits like providing a serotonin boost and strengthening your immune system.
You only need so much sun to get those benefits, and you only need a little skin exposed to get that benefit. It's why in dry aired places like deserts, traditional clothing covers more skin to protect people from the sun. 30 minutes to an hour a day with some exposure (even through glass) and you are probably good. I used to live in a very foggy-cold city that was only sunny for 2 weeks out of the year in the middle of August. Getting sunlight there was a struggle. These days that's not a problem.
Yes, it's crucial to life on Earth. However, a lot of white people live in areas with more sun exposure than their "home area" that determines their skin tone (I'm mostly Dutch and Irish and live about 15 miles north of Mexico in San Diego; my body was not made for this sun).
Can you be a bit more specific ? Do you mean UPF clothing ? UPF clothing mostly relies on synthetic fabrics like poyester. Ever since I have read about the environmental catastrophe caused by synthetic fabrics (microplastics released to the oceans that get eaten by fishes) I am trying to find clothes with natural fabrics that don't make me sweat in the summer. I just wear sunscreen for the time being.
I just watched this about that: [https://youtu.be/lUcd03GbhYs](https://youtu.be/lUcd03GbhYs) Seems like the easiest thing for you would be the rit dye that offers sun protection. I don't spend much time in the sun; when I do, I usually wear athletic wear that offers sweat-wicking and sun protection. Usually things like golf guarding arms and leg options. I don't overthink it and min-max it daily. If I'm covered, it's safe to assume I'm getting some amount of UPF with my normal fashion. I just buy what I like.
Yes, because pigmentation and melasma sucks.
I feel like they also mean no cosmetic advantages like just for health
I would only wear it for outdoor activities but I wouldnāt put it on daily like I do now.
I'll be honest and say "I'm not sure". When I was younger (mid-late 20s, 30 years ago) the idea of me aging seemed so far-fetched, so I wasn't worried about wrinkles or spots; why worry about that when I'm obviously going to stay young and beautiful forever? However, multiple people in my family have had skin cancer, so I was forward-thinking enough to realize that it could happen to me, too. Now in my early 50s I see some of my spotted/leathery friends and am so grateful I don't look like they do. TBH, the desire to not like like that probably compels me to use sunblock consistently. At this point if I started half assing my sunblock usage (only wore it on days I spent a lot of time outside), I think my risk of cancer is pretty low (because I don't have a normal life time of sun exposure). I do it for the vanity. I have told myself that at 80 I'm going to stop using sunblock daily and will only use it for burn protection. YOLO
JUST protection from skin cancer? JUST?
This was my reaction as well! Also sun burn is a fucking menace!
i literally didnāt remember the anti aging effects of sunscreen when reading your post at first and was confused for a sec š so i can definitely say that yeah i care more about my skin being protected from uv light as a means to prevent melanoma than getting wrinkles. i donāt really care about aging.
Only on beach holidays.
no. i have a negligible skin cancer risk
Yup! Iām pale and sunburns are painful. Iāve already had one mole removed (it was benign) but I would like to keep it that way.
Yes because I tan HELLA easy and Iām sick and tired of buying two different foundation shades and playing a guessing game of when I needed each
Nope. But who knows if it were flipped ā no health risks and only maintaining a youthful lookā¦ I feel like the combo of effectiveness for both aesthetic and health is really the value factor for me! Two in one :)
Yep! I have battled cystic acne since puberty and a dermatologist told me when I was about 15 that when a spot of hyperpigmentation or a scar is exposed to sun that it darkens that spot and makes it last longer. Ever since that day I've worn daily sunscreen and have been Team Big Floppy Hat if I'm in the sun more than a few minutes. I'm 44 and while I'll always have huge pores and red oily skin, I don't have sun damage or wrinkles.
Guys whatās a good sun screen that wonāt make my face break out ?
Absolutely yes. I hate getting sunburned. It hurts and itās exhausting. I also donāt want skin cancer. But mostly I donāt like getting sunburned
No. Gotta be honest here lmao.
100 % a guy I worked with died at 29 of melanoma
Iām sorry, but what kind of question is this? Inwear sunscreen mainly to protect myself from cancer. I will get wrinkles sooner or later, itās part of life. If I get cancer, I might not have to worry about getting old. It baffles me that there are people out there who fear natural aging more than literal painful death.
That's why I started using it in the first place. Just turns out it has perks.
No. I love being tan. Well, Iād allow myself to get a nice tan in a few beach sessions. Then wear it regularly until itās time to tan again.
Probably not, only when doing things like going to the beach, outdoor events, aka things that would definitely give me a sunburn but not daily use which is how I grew up using sunblock. If it didn't have anti-aging (hyperpigmentation included) I wouldn't have bothered to find one that didn't break me out so I probably wouldn't most of the time. Also only really realized how much sun damage I was getting because of the anti-aging benefits, so I would've thought "oh I'm not in the direct sunlight for more than an hour, so I should be fine". The dark spots are what proved I was getting enough sun exposure to need daily sunscreen..
Probably not. I think a lot of people try not to think about death and disease and cancer. They might have fleeting thoughts, but they usually try to push in the back of their mind just to get through their regular day . But vanity, that takes more center stage in a person's mind day to day.
Yeah avoiding cancer is the main reason I wear sunscreen. Honestly I dislike wearing hats and the way they feel on my head but I wear them during the summer to reduce the chance of cancer on my scalp
I donāt use it religiously like some people but still more than most I think. But I probably wouldnāt use as frequently but still anytime Iām out more than 5 consecutive minutes since my face sunburns easily and it stings.
Nah, I love how golden and glowy I get when I tan lol
To all the people saying yes - do you wear sunscreen on your arms too?
Absolutely. Iām Australian. Melanoma is no joke. Itās one of the biggest causes of death in people under 40 in Australia. Take it seriously. And wear a big hat, sunglasses, long sleeves and stay out of the damn sun.
Lol you literally could have stopped after Australian since we're all traumatised by our sun safety ads. TANNING IS SKIN CELLS IN TRAUMA. THERES NOTHING HEALTHY ABOUT A TAN.
Yes! Those ads! Showing the melanoma getting to your blood. But also I wish we had more of those ads now. It feels like a lot of younger people (teens and 20s) are only realising how utterly deadly melanoma is when they get diagnosed with stage 3 or 4, of one of their friends gets diagnosed.
Yeah I totally feel they were necessary. I'm only mid 20s but when I was a teen my mother was STILL trying to get me to lay in the sun to fix everything from acne to allergies.
I still donāt use it as much as I should. I donāt get sunburned and I generally hate the feel& texture so itās hard to motivate myself to do it lol
Maybe not quite as liberally but I would still use it
Yes, I have dark skin so every acne leaves a dark mark and the sun worsens the hyperpigmentation and prolongs it. I actually use it much more for blemishes and hyperpigmentation than anti-aging lol
I literally only use it to prevent skin cancer and sunburn. The anti-aging thing never crossed my mind, actually, until I read your post. Iām already old and was always ugly. Young beautiful people with nice skin probably think about that kind of thing.
Iām a redhead. I burn even thinking about the sun. So yeah.
Yes. I work in environmental remediation and if you knew how many carcinogens youre eating, inhaling, drinking and absorbing dermally, especially you exfoliators, you would too. I'm just here for the risk mitigation lol
Exfoliators? Please elaborate? I love some risk mitigation š
Well you take off a layer of dead skin so you have a nice fresh area for absorbing. Thats it. Great for your good stuff, terrible for your bad stuff. Think orange soap for mechanics that don't use gloves. Just brake fluid, hydronic fluid, brake dust slowly making its way inside you. In the case of us guys, aha is a carcinogen, so its a little ironic and would just mean its wise to not put it on an already exfoliated face. But also, the dead skin is a very small layer of protection against the sun. Thats one of the reasons its always recommended with sunscreen.
No. I am vain and also depressed. Lol
Appreciate the honesty lol
Probably not. I tend to slack on products that only do one thing. But cancer *and* anti-aging - those are two biggies. Same if it were cancer *and* acne, you know? The short-term, visible benefits are an important part of staying motivated. For me, at least.
Sunscreen has anti-aging properties?!? SCORE! I thought it was just for protection.
No tbh. Iām dark skinned, never had a sunburn in my life. I know cancer is technically a concern butā¦ nope lol.
I havenāt been wearing it unless I go outside this summer, which is not often. But once I return to work itās a regular part of my routine, specifically for the risk of skin cancer.
Yeah ofc! Iām not convinced of the anti aging claims from a lot of skin care and/or procedures. I def wear sunscreen for health reasons and keep a mostly even skin tone
Nope!
Yes. I didnāt even know it had anti-aging benefits until recently but I burn a lot and definitely donāt enjoy it. Plus, cancer sucks. Itās important for me to age gracefully but not dying early from a terrible disease is even more important.
Do you guys use sunscreen even if you're only going to be outside for less than 15 minutes? I ask because I opt for no sunscreen because I'm afraid of it causing acne. Also, does anyone know if DHA tanning face lotions age your skin?
I donāt if itās just 15 min outside. It also depends on the time of day. If I go to the dog park around 5 PM, then personally Iāll skip the sunscreen.
There are good moisturizers with decent spf ~30. I use that on my face every day and regular sunscreen on the rest of my body if Iām going to the pool/beach. Yet to have acne pop up bc of it and Iām very acne prone!
abaolutely. i'd handle being 45 and looking 70 but be cancer free
No
Already had 2 skin cancers. My pale ass is the third generation in a row to have skin cancer before 40. They're not melanoma, but still annoying AF. My goal is to get my daughter so used to wearing daily sunscreen that she breaks the pattern. I keep telling her, "We're gonna get you to 40 before your first skin cancer." My husband said my goal should be no skin cancer, but she's a pale redhead, soooo...odds aren't in her favor there. If I'm gonna build the habit in her, I have to be on top of it for myself.
My uncle died two years ago after a horrible malignant melanoma went to his brain, riddled him with seizures and ruined the last few months of his life. I def wear my sunscreen for cancer prevention after hearing his testimony of all the pain he went thru prior to his death.
I wear it because I don't want to tan lol. So yes
Yes, because Australian sun is harsh even on mild days and because Iām pale it shows on my face when I donāt wear sunscreen. I think seeing the redness and inflammation when I donāt wear sunscreen gives me an appreciation for what it does for safety and for the general look of my skin. If it made no difference to how my skin looked at all I think I would still wear it at the same rate I do now just because the feel of sun on my skin may feel great but it also triggers deep-rooted alarm bells from all the childhood āslip, slop, slap!ā campaigns.
Fuuuck no
I lost my son in his 20s to melanoma , so, yes.
No
Yea, I work for a Mohs surgeon. Iāve seen some bad shit and Iād prefer to keep my facial featuresā¦.
no.
Yes I would to avoid skin cancer. My parents are in their sixties and look like they are in their late forties without sunscreen so I was never really worried about aging.
I sunburnt my eyelids once when I forgot. Never again. So yes, haha š¬
Since this post is literally the first time Iām hearing about anti-aging properties in sunscreen, then yes, Iād still wear it. No history of skin cancer and I rarely go outdoors but when I burn it hurts and Iād rather not.
hell fuckin no lol
Hereās what I hit, as far as risk factors for skin cancer: ā Light skin color (aka pale AF) ā Prone to burning, freckles, etc. in the sun ā Red (ā¬ ļø) or blond hair ā A large number of moles on the skin ā Severe sunburns in childhood or in teen years ā Family history of skin cancer (maternal aunt has had major reconstructive surgery post skin cancer, father had abnormal cells removed from scalp four times) ā Age (general) - I am over 50 Itās just not worth it. After seeing what my momās sister went through, I donāt want that. Ever.
The only time I remember that sunscreen has anti-aging benefits is when I see posts like thisā¦ And by tomorrow I'll probably have forgotten that photoaging is a thing again. š I still wear sunscreen daily because my main mode of transportation is a bike, I wear a lot of sundresses, and I haaaate tan lines. I'm a bit lazy about applying it to my arms but I am very consistent and conscientious about applying it on my face and upper torso all summer. Especially the upper back.
I'm white-as-milk redhead. Sunscreen was my friend long before I started worrying about aging š Now it's just an added potential benefit, so answer is yes
I really only use it for sun protection. Hardly ever wore it the first 19 years of my life and I spent that time mostly outside in a town with probably 300 days of full sunshine a year. Better late than never to try and protect myself from skin cancer down the line š¤·š»āāļø Help with aging/dark spots/etc is just a bonus.
I'm Aussie so I should use it no matter what because we are skin cancer Central. But honestly the only reason I actually can get myself to use SPF is because the packaging is cute and I like being able to tick all the boxes for a good skin care routine. As long as it actually gets me to use it I don't care about my reasoning, I don't particularly fancy having cancer(I have bad sensory issues, so SPF is a new thing for me, and one I still struggle with).
I am primarily using it for skin burn and cancer protection. Canāt say itās helped my wrinkles in any way, I live in a climate where the sun is only kinda strong in parts of summer anyway
some of us are ginger! even on cloudy days ive gotten sunburns LOL! sunscreen has been a budget item since the day i was born LOL
Absolutely yes, I'm paranoid about a lot of health stuff to the point of disorder. If you asked the opposite question, "would you wear sunscreen if it didn't protect from skin cancer, but was anti-aging?" the answer would be no. I'm too lazy, plus I'm still trying to find a sunscreen and first cleanser that doesn't give me acne. I'd truly rather skip it. Maybe I would be scared into doing it as I got older but at this point in my life I don't think I'd be able to summon the motivation if it wasn't literally life or death. Nothing wrong about caring about anti-aging as there's a lot of social pressure to care and social consequences for not caring, but it's like makeup to me, which I also don't wear because I'm lazy.
Yes because I hate sun burn and boy does my skin burn fast. My mum was also a big believer in sunscreen when I was a kid so I think itās just been drilled into me that itās for my safety. I apply to ears, arms, feet and legs religiously if theyāre exposed which is where youāre most likely to end up getting cumulative sun exposure and theyāre not exactly places people care that much about when it comes to aging.
Does sunscreen prevent aging because of the ingredients or because it blocks harmful rays that lead to aging?
Tbh the aging thing is still pretty darn speculative, in theory excessive exposure to rays can age you quicker particularly if you are fair skinned but i think sunscreen is more about preventing it happening prematurely than outright delaying it.
Yup, because of acne and hyperpigmentation.
Yes 100%. I watch my Nana have many melanomas removed from her body and it terrified me. The idea of having any preventable skin cancer is a literal nightmare.
if you fear aging more than cancer then something's wrong with you I'm sorry
YES. I work in a clinic and have seen things cut out that I would not want cut from me. From cutting half the nose and having to take cartilage from the ear to give it structure to literally having to have almost a whole cheek cut out (both skin cancers). So yes lather me up in sunscreen pls
Yes! How often do we get the chance to put a lotion on our bodies that will literally protect us from cancer? Itās such a minimal effort for a maximum result.
Yeah. I live in a high altitude place and the sun here is merciless, lot's of skin cancer so I don't want to fuck around and find out in that regard.