Being in the sun a lot and getting toasted

personally i'm more of an indoor person than outdoors, but we all have our preferences! @Sugarshack

i'm somewhat sensitive to the sun and my mum actually gets allergic reactions when she's exposed in the sun too long... so here's some things we've picked up about in terms of ways to prevent sun-related harm: applying sunscreen every 4hrs, covering up more/wearing long sleeved clothes to avoid direct sunlight contact, avoiding black clothes as it absorbs more heat, using an umbrella where you can, wearing hats or scarves to protected your head and neck, etc.

the sun at certain UVs can be good for you, whereas higher UVs are potentially harmful if you're not wearing sunscreen, etc. typically early mornings, like 5am-10am tend to have a healthy level of UV (depends on the season and place). so you could look into the UV rating in your area and see what times are the best for outdoor work?

Thankyou @rav3n for the practical tips. I used to be goth and was pale from head to toe, and I used to get burned in about 10 minutes of sun exposure. Now, I have higher tolerance but can you expand on the allergy thing? Last Summer I was getting so tired from doing outdoor work, but there was better money and I love the actual work. But I feel as though I can feel the sun on my skin once the UV gets to a certain level and it feels horrible.

I feel as in a contradiction because when I stay inside I am always comfortable for the environment, but then I get additional health issues which add up and are worse than sun exposure.

@ArraDreaming what happens to your eyes? I can see better when I go outside but if i stay too much inside I get weak eyes and I cant see anything, very well and everything feels too bright.

gotta run ty all will be back later

I have eye conditions made worse by sun exposure have had surgery twice @Sugarshack

@Sugarshack the humidity in Australia can be pretty intense! the one good thing is, the severe heat usually lasts for 3 months, and the rest of the year tends to be more bearable and safer in terms of UV?

it's tricky cos i'm a big believer in 'follow your passion/love/interests' but sometimes, following the things we love do come with some consequences. i guess, do you feel the pros outweighs the cons in your situation?

as for the sun allergy - i don't have it but my mum does. she doesn't have a formal diagnosis or anything, but whenever her skin is in contact with sunlight particularly in summer, she gets rashes. that's why in summer, she's always wearing full sleeved clothes and a scarf to cover her neck and head.

@rav3n @Sugarshack @ArraDreaming

i landed in Sydney 1988 and struggled with its humidity always have crazy though i think 32 35 was making headlines 40 was not fathomable now its how many tines a sunner we hit 40 olus

id rather snow personally

decades of working in it has taken its mark on the eyes defineyely arradreaming i strain in bright anything and these led lights in cars are worse than high beam it feels like.

skin definetly ages @Sugarshack the ink om my fore arms is lifetimes older tham above the elbows despite being newer ive had a few things cut out both fore arms now that have been sun cancers just not the fatal one.

i never vbeen able to do beaches lover here in summer, i did once not being real switched on about anything other than holding posture hahya and 3 hrs later had blisters on nose ears scalp and shoulders.

add concete beneath in a work environment and things are so much hotter plus glare, these days there should be access to shade and cool water for employees on site

dust sticki9ng to sweat & grinding dust,welding all fun of working outside.\

over years id settle fpr controlled environment these days if have xhoice

that been said hope your having good week so far and your extra effort has been heloing

@REDLINEZ750 ohh yes i forgot about the dust!! one time, i'd spent a whole day outdoors in a somewhat bush-like area, and it was hot and windy day - i ended up having black mucus that night due to breathing in too much dust 😅

Wow thanks everyone your responses make sense and I thank you for them, it makes me think twice about the bigger picture as my grandfather had quite severe melanoma in his later life. I believe that all things considered, it's only October and I will think of the big picture coming into Summer. After a bad day yesterday my aunty said something very important which I have never really considered: "You have to put your own wellbeing first". And, the environment is very challenging there, it is very hot. Thankyou everyone for responding, I am very tired and have to get to bed, not to be dismissive but wishing you all well and thankyou for honest statements it is slightly concerning. [name edited by moderator]

@Sugarshack

I am more of an indoor city person generally, rarely having a backyard as a kid, but also walking a lot and having some early good outdoor bush and farm experiences. I love your opening post. It makes sense you are sensitive emotionally to the issues around excess sun and cancer watching your uncle suffer.

I love how you used the adjective schizzy and also gave good advice about dealing with it in the family, on another thread. I took very similar approaches to my 2 siblings who also had serious mental health diagnoses. I could relate to a lot on that post, which was a very long hard road to hoe, though I have a more laid back approach to being in the sun, than you. I noticed the recent UV lotion recalls, and thought, yep, more evil capitalism. I don’t give a toss about vanity, have relaxed skin care routine, but reasonable skin for my age. A few freckles. I do know people getting lots of skin removal. It mainly depends on your skin and activity and location. Just do due diligence.

I followed the sun a bit as a young adult, encouraged my kids to get out and about in it for decades on holidays. Yes, slip, slop slap for them but not for me. Too exhausted to bother much for myself once kids were sorted.

I have a friend atm, who obsesses about the UV levels. It’s a thing for her, a way of feeling control, sounding scientific, and bringing her parasol, and connecting to her dead father who worked in meteorology.

I have no need to worry as much, though have similar northern European complexion. I did sciences young and am pretty reflective ( regarding thinking, not weird lizard skin or metal robot type) lol.

Nowadays, I get into the garden and pop outside as often as possible, using the vitamin d as a good justification…lol…I don’t spend hours out in it like you do, as I am still more indoors.

My youngest brother grew up in Sydney ( with foster family) where I only spent from ages 6 to 10 there. Interestingly he ended up being the best tanner in our family. I am guessing it was from the latitude and overall sun exposure. As we were put into “ care” due to incompetent guardianship and neglect, as both our parents were diagnosed with schizophrenia. I am reflective on mental health and genetics. He ended up getting colorectal, not skin cancer. I see cancer as also due to stress load.

tbh, I have often felt sidelined, even on the forum, cos it is not as easy to discuss the more complex mental health issues, because of over focus on recovery. I have tried to tread very carefully.

I had a friend who was big on baby oil and tanning in the 70s. She was also stubborn about continuing to smoke. She caught another type of cancer, not skin or lung.

@rav3n @ArraDreaming @REDLINEZ750

Hello @Appleblossom thankyou for a pragmatic and well considered response. 1-2 weeks later I have just been covering myself to no end and thinking that I (still) like my job and I don't want to go backwards in life, I dont want to be controlled by fear/anxiety SO I am just going to put up with the sun situation as many others do the same in outdoor work, and from there hopefully I will end up in a more indoor role some time in the future.

I appreciate what you say about your own brother and kids, and friends, we sound similar in that we tend to view those people and perhaps step back a bit, try to be a bit less extreme.

In regards to extremism I hear you about the complex vs recovery type situation and the relative mindsets and the difficulty in speaking "facts and opinions" vs "being nice" type approach. At one point I was going to quit this forum as I kept getting my posts taken down, I was seething and then I came to the conclusion that.....real life is and can be a no-mans-land and, all types of mental health services etc have a duty of care for ALL PEOPLE involved. So when I had a good hard think, it occurred to me that 'strong people', mature people etc can tolerate a broad range of opinions and realise it comes from the other person, words can't hurt etc.

But on this forum and other spaces i came to realisation that a lot of/some people might be treading and coping by denial tactics, and that perhaps strong facts/opinions can disrupt their peace by way of denial and therefore it would be my goal to learn how to communicate in a less abrupt fashion while still expressing my point. I also struggle with that in real life and in real life, I have the option, which I frequently do to just remove people out of my life if they can't handle it.

Point is I know my own level of intensity and I love it when others meet me there. But I have also alienated certain people in my real life who prefer to live in lala-land...in real life...GOOD. I don't want those type of Denialists around me. But on a public forum that's not mine that is registered to a well known charity I have learned and are learning I have a responsibility to tread around those whom might get upset by me, and over time as has happened is I will find my own forum mates (hello friends!) and that they will read through the lines and other people can also live their own reality, and thats the difference between public/open spaces and, closed ones.

So yeah stay awesome it sounds like you too have a very strong mind and pragmatic way of viewing things. I find it VERY INTERESTING now to be in my 40s and to track how various people turned out in life. I often think, jeez I am happy that I hit rock bottom young as it allowed a lot of opportunities to open up that, if I had stayed within the comfort zone of others I would still be stuck in a rut, puffing a pack a day like my mum and blaming the world for an unfair life. Instead I am hashing out the details with other people and not wasting my time on denialism 🙂