[fnordpiglet]

This is why, even though as a programmer I’m congenitally unfit for it, I go outside sometimes. Sunlight also gives you vitamin D, and has all sorts of other benefits. As I don’t go outside often I’m not particularly concerned about skin cancer and am generally skeptical of the idea that terrestrial life is maladapted to the Sun. I buy over exposure has bad long term effects, but the current view seems to be you need to wear sunblock for any level of exposure. That just seems wildly unlikely and the fact the body needs sunlight to produce essential stuff like vitamin D further reinforces my belief that we are over correcting into unhealthy zones.

[Azure88]

As a person not from america, the fact that this is the main view is worrying to me. Over here in the UK it's 100% normal to just use the rule of thumb that as long as you try not to get burnt, it's healthy to get some sun. No sunblock needed unless you know you'll be out in it for many hours without shade like if you go to the beach or a long walk.

[petesergeant]

The UK is much higher North than most of the US, and as a result the UV Index is pretty different:

https://www.grida.no/resources/7130

Note that it’s the same as Spain in the northern-most of the continental US, same as Morocco in the middle, and same as Dubai in the south.

Americans have far more need for sun-screen than Brits do

[jb1991]

In general, norther countries need more protection from the sun, not less. The rates of skin cancer go up significantly as you move north. My guess is partly cultural, but I don't know for sure the cause. When it is dark all winter, people want to spend as much time in the sun as they can during summer, perhaps. The fact that you also get more natural summer exposure due to longer days is probably part of it.

[jb1991]

This is a very common attitude in northern Europe, but it’s dangerous. I recently saw a dermatologist, I live at approximately the same latitude as the UK, east of there. He strongly advised sunblock, especially for children. You so very rarely see children wearing it during the summer. You are really playing with your health if you ignore these dangers.

Here are some maps of the effect of sun exposure on skin cancer as you move north through Europe: https://ecis.jrc.ec.europa.eu/pdf/factsheets/Melanoma_cancer...

[sacnoradhq]

This is how to get skin cancer like malignant melanoma and how to age one's skin.

Anyone not intent on looking old prematurely uses sunscreen.

[mtlmtlmtlmtl]

Looking "young" past a certain age just looks weird and creepy anyway.

[zeristor]

I went for a six hour walk in the rain in April and got sunburnt in the UK.

I was surprised.

[sacnoradhq]

Clouds attenuate UV-A in unexpected ways. UV-B and -C leads to aging and skin cancer.

UV light is also bad for the eyes.

https://www.americanscientist.org/article/sunshine-on-a-clou...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10872925/

[News-Dog]

Healthy Sun Exposure[1,2] depends on your Latitude[3], Hemisphere[4,5], Time of Day (Dawn & Dusk),

Exposure Time, Skin and Eye Type[6], Coverings (Clothing, Sunscreen, UV Filtering Glasses)[7,8]

[1] Health Effects of Sunlight Exposure : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_sunlight_exp...

[2] Ultraviolet - Human Health-related effects : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet#Human_health-relat...

[3] Latitude : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latitude

[4] Ozone Depletion - Effects : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone_depletion#Effects

[5] NASA - Ozone Watch : https://ozonewatch.gsfc.nasa.gov/

[6] Health Effects of Sunlight Exposure - Benefits of Optic Exposure & Effects on Eyes

: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_sunlight_exp...

[7] Sunscreen : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunscreen

[8] Ultraviolet - Sunscreen Safety Debate : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet#Sunscreen_safety_d...

[sacnoradhq]

Ozone: hey, at least we managed to ban CFCs internationally.

If we can do that, it's confusing how we can't incrementally tackle climate change with selective international agreements that would make the most impact for the socio-economic burden.

[latchkey]

> Ozone: hey, at least we managed to ban CFCs internationally.

Ban doesn't mean they aren't still produced.

https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2843/...

[News-Dog]

The Ultraviolet Index, or UV Index : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_index

UV Index - The Sun Safety Scale - Forefront Dermatology (2017)

: https://forefrontdermatology.com/uv-index-sun-safety-scale/

A Guide to the UV Index (PDF) : https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/documents/uviguid...

Ultraviolet Index - External links - 'UV Index Forecast' - 'Real-time Global Ultraviolet Index'

: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultraviolet_index#External_lin...

The Fitzpatrick Scale (aka) Fitzpatrick Skin Typing test; or Fitzpatrick phototyping scale

: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fitzpatrick_scale

Developed in 1975 by American dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick,

as a way to estimate the response of different types of skin to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Season : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Season

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder

Light Therapy : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_therapy

Vitamin D : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D

Vitamin D Deficiency : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_D_deficiency

Vitamin D Toxicity (aka) Hypervitaminosis D : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypervitaminosis_D

[dkrest]

But longer UV-A wavelengths can help with progressing myopia https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28063778/

Black-and-white thinking is unsciеntific.

[fnordpiglet]

The dermatologist cartel in the US advices zero unprotected sun exposure. There’s evidence this is a contributor to high cholesterol levels in the US.

[red-iron-pine]

The high cholesterol level is likely correlated to vitamin d.

A lot of these studies came out of heart disease investigations within the black community. In the US there is just more compared to West Africa, and after controlling for weight, income, diet, etc., they guessed the difference was likely sunlight and outdoor time.

Followup studies found similar findings, albeit less pronounced with white and middle eastern people.

[borski]

Ah yes, the “dermatologist cartel” of untrustworthy white coats. rolls eyes

Please provide sources for the evidence you speak of.

[toolz]

It's really not a hard thing to google.

> Sunscreen also blocks our skin from making vitamin D, but that’s OK, says the American Academy of Dermatology, which takes a zero-tolerance stance[1] on sun exposure: “You need to protect your skin from the sun every day, even when it’s cloudy,” it advises on its website. Better to slather on sunblock, we’ve all been told, and compensate with vitamin D pills.

-- https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/sunscreen-sun-...

1: https://www.aad.org/media/stats-vitamin-d

[borski]

The vast, vast majority of Google results do not support your claims. I’m glad you found one that did, and I’m all for more studies, but “it’s really not that hard to google” is both condescending and doesn’t move the argument forward. You are the one making an argument against the established widespread medical opinion; the onus is on you to prove your argument, not on me to prove your argument for you.

https://www.thechildren.com/health-info/conditions-and-illne...

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30945275/

“ There is little evidence that sunscreen decreases 25(OH)D concentration when used in real-life settings, suggesting that concerns about vitamin D should not negate skin cancer prevention advice. However, there have been no trials of the high-SPF sunscreens that are now widely recommended. What's already known about this topic? Previous experimental studies suggest that sunscreen can block vitamin D production in the skin but use artificially generated ultraviolet radiation with a spectral output unlike that seen in terrestrial sunlight. Nonsystematic reviews of observational studies suggest that use in real life does not cause vitamin D deficiency. What does this study add? This study systematically reviewed all experimental studies, field trials and observational studies for the first time. While the experimental studies support the theoretical risk that sunscreen use may affect vitamin D, the weight of evidence from field trials and observational studies suggests that the risk is low. We highlight the lack of adequate evidence regarding use of the very high sun protection factor sunscreens that are now recommended and widely used.”

[toolz]

What exactly do you think my claims are? I'm not the one who made the original claim, only supported the claim that american dermatologists have a zero tolerance policy for sun exposure.

Either you think there's a more representative opinion for American dermatologists than the AAD or what seems more likely is that you don't understand the argument that I was supporting.

[myshpa]

And now show us list of their sponsors. I'll bet there will be several sunblock manufacturers on it.

[toolz]

I just criticized someone for not doing their own simple google search and now you're asking me to google for you as well? I'm really not sure what result you're hoping for here.

You really shouldn't be so sure of anything you're too lazy to validate yourself. If you're too lazy now, chances are you were too lazy to validate it when you formed the opinion to begin with.

[karlzt]

>> You need to protect your skin from the sun every day

Agree

>> even when it’s cloudy

Bullshit.

[fnordpiglet]

There’s a lot of doctor cartels in the US that emphatically force singular ideologies - babies sleeping on bellies die instantly, mothers who can’t nurse are creating sickly autistic monsters, everyone must take statins, etc. See parallel comment for source, or visit a dermatologist.

[borski]

There is no cartel that says babies sleeping on their bellies die instantly, or that mothers who don’t breastfeed are creating sickly autistic monsters. Literally not a single doctor who should be allowed to practice has said any of that, as it is far too extreme and one sided.

Investigating those issues? Sure. Possibly even believing it’s safer to sleep a baby not on their belly, or that mothers should breastfeed if they can because it is likely to be healthier for the baby? Absolutely.

But almost the entirety of your comment is an appeal to extremes, which is a logical fallacy.

[jb1991]

This is not an American centric view. Dermatologists in many countries throughout Europe, especially northern countries, strongly advise the use of sunblock.

[Sammi]

The 1903 Nobel was given to a guy who showed that light cures Lupus, a terrible skin disease. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niels_Ryberg_Finsen

It it very well established in science that light is good for you in some many different ways.

[xupybd]

I live in NZ. The rest of the planet doesn't live this close to the ozone hole. We have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. We need to use sun protection at all times.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300553551/nz-has-the...

[drbaba]

My understanding is that the main correlation between sunlight and skin cancer is for sudden exposure to strong sun. If you go outside all year without sunblock (as people used to do back in the day), and thus build up and maintain a natural tan, the cancer risk is very low. But if you sit inside all year and then suddenly go to the beach,l in July, the risk increases.

[mharig]

I do not know a single person who died from skin cancer. And only a few who had skin cancer. The prevalence cannot be sufficiently high to justify a hysteria.

[jiggawatts]

I saw a summary of an extensive series of studies where the punchline was: "Yes, exposure to the Sun will increase your risk of cancer. Do it anyway."

[borski]

Sunblock doesn’t block those beneficial benefits from sunlight; it blocks getting burnt, which can lead to cancer.

[Auracle]

You sound awfully certain of that, when some evidence definitely points the other way. This isn’t the article I was looking for but it touches on it:

https://www.outsideonline.com/health/wellness/sunscreen-sun-...

[borski]

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=36108241

[sacnoradhq]

UV-A, -B, and -C are bad in different ways. Sunburns skew towards UV-A, while cancer and aging tends to be from UV-B and -C. Vitamin D synthesis results from UV-B exposure.

[borski]

Sure, but as discussed elsewhere in this thread, the studies (at present, which doesn’t mean we won’t learn more in the future) do not support the assertion that sunblock prevents Vitamin D synthesis in any meaningful way, despite what a random blog post might tell you.

[sacnoradhq]

Amen. :) You're preaching to the choir. Health and wellness blogs generally service the theater of the placebo and hivemind ignorance bordering on mysticism.