As a very pale skinned Brit, I stay out of the sun otherwise my English rose complexion rapidly takes on all the charm of an over ripe tomato. More importantly, the worry of skin cancer is another motivating factor to maintain that 'white as a sheet' look us Brits often get teased about.
While I moved to the country with the highest rate of skin cancer in the world, Australia is not alone in facing the battle with this cancer. Even my fellow Brits back in the home country are now experiencing higher rates of skin cancer.
I'd like therefore to draw your attention to a key study currently being undertaken to examine how we behave in the sun and our attitudes towards tanning and skin cancer.
You can read more about the study here. If you have 20 minutes to spare, I urge you to please consider spending on this survey. Someone in the future may well thank you for it.
Disclaimer: Any resemblence to HP in the above picture is purely coincidental. :)
6 comments:
Even in Blighty I live in the shelter of a 30 sunblock and hat. Despite this, I still make mistakes. I remember when I put my hair up to participate in Frisbee in the park and forgot to put the block on the part of my neck and back that were usually covered by my hair. For 10 days I was sloughing rolls of skin and leaving it trailing behind me in a manner that was disgustingly akin to a slug's slime trail.
I've paled so much since I was a kid! I used to have a much darker complexion but I guess my "white" genes took over? I burn so easily now. Sunblock all the way! I actually can't stand just lying there trying to tan anyway. I get bored silly. Attention span *this* (pinches finger and thumb together) long.
Hey Psychosomartyr,
I have to say last time I came home, it was a blistering hot summer. I was suffering without air conditioning.
Used to be that the peeling skin was a badge of honour. The flipside now is an increase in vitamin D deficiency (me included) so balance is everything (as always!)
Hi Patient Anonymous,
Same here. I used to tan easily as a kid, now I just turn beetroot. I've never been a fan of tanning since I got a bad case of heat stroke in Tunisia. That cured me!
Ugh, heatstroke. Had a couple of times as a child and yes, cured me of "sunburns" ever since!
I am fair like you and have never enjoyed the sun. I burn and break into hives if I'm in direct sunlight for too long.
PS: Love your wit!
Hi Patient Anonymous,
It's definitely a cure for sunbaking. My brain was so fried, I was speaking German to fellow Brits who were trying to help me!
Hi Deborah,
Hives? That's nasty. Make sure you keep your vitamin D up.
Post a Comment