Melanoma Rise - What says the hive?

[SailorMom]

I'm wondering if this is tied to the use of sunscreen. I slathered my kids trying to keep them safe only to find out now that all I was doing was exposing them to more rays because the sunscreen didn't allow them to burn when they should have.....

 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/02/melanoma-rates-increase-dramatically-among-young-adults/

 

I'm sure tanning booths aren't good for you - but they've been around forever, and these rates are going up very fast.....

[Jennifer in MI]

I'm wondering if this is tied to the use of sunscreen. I slathered my kids trying to keep them safe only to find out now that all I was doing was exposing them to more rays because the sunscreen didn't allow them to burn when they should have.....

 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/02/melanoma-rates-increase-dramatically-among-young-adults/

 

I'm sure tanning booths aren't good for you - but they've been around forever, and these rates are going up very fast.....

 

I didn't read the article, but I've long been leery of sunscreen. My family is very, very pale and we rarely wear any. We stay out of the sun when possible. And, when we go out in the sun, we get the organic sunscreen. But, I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't use chemicals in my house or on my body or in my food. :)

[ktgrok]

I think the problem with sunscreen is the false sense of security. People stay out in the sun for many hours, and think it is ok because they don't get burnt. But the rays that cause cancer are still hitting them. If you don't use a lot of sunscreen you learn to stay out of the sun during the main part of the day, protecting yourself from the cancer causing rays.

 

We prefer to limit sun exposure to normal amounts. If we feel we need sunscreen we take that as a hint that we probably shouldn't be out that much in the first place. However...sometimes life happens and I do carrry a small thing of sunscreen for those rare times when we are doing a day at the beach or theme park.

 

But for normal use no, we don't use it. It takes away the early warning signs that you are in the sun too much.

 

(I also feel tanning beds are a HUGE part of the increase in skin cancer in young people).

[SailorMom]

I didn't read the article, but I've long been leery of sunscreen. My family is very, very pale and we rarely wear any. We stay out of the sun when possible. And, when we go out in the sun, we get the organic sunscreen. But, I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't use chemicals in my house or on my body or in my food. :)

 

 

Well - if your walls are painted, if you have carpet or upholstery, if you buy clothing or other soft goods (ie sheets, blankets), you've already let them in in large amounts :)

 

As for not slathering yourself with them or eating them, we try not to as well. But many of us had sunblock preached to us as young moms - and many of us were made to think it was tantamount to abuse not to cover our kids when we went to the beach. It was only a few years ago that the "oh we may be wrong" stuff came out in the news.

 

This is one of the reasons I try to tell new moms not to just swallow what they are told by their pediatricians. They'll just change their minds in 10 years anyway.

[Parrothead]

I didn't read the article, but I've long been leery of sunscreen. My family is very, very pale and we rarely wear any. We stay out of the sun when possible. And, when we go out in the sun, we get the organic sunscreen. But, I'm one of those weirdos who doesn't use chemicals in my house or on my body or in my food. :)

:iagree: I always wondered how one made Vit D properly with all that sun screen on so it is rarely used here.

 

In my unscientific opinion one should take in some sunshine daily, but one should wear a large brim hat and cover up during the hours of noon to 4p if one is outside.

[SailorMom]

My mom had melanoma and we have a good friend (father of two, great guy, great husband) die of it a few years ago.

 

We still use sunscreen, but we use the stuff that has more of a broad spectrum coverage. The stuff we used years ago did not have that....

[Jennifer in MI]

Well - if your walls are painted, if you have carpet or upholstery, if you buy clothing or other soft goods (ie sheets, blankets), you've already let them in in large amounts :)

 

.

 

I know. Believe me, I do. We do use the "safer" paint. And, we have no carpet in the house. I look for organic bedding. This is a bit of an obsession of mine! :001_smile:

[kroe1]

The people who are getting melanoma now are mostly in their thirties and above. When these adults were kiddos, hardly any used sunscreen on a regular basis. They were also the first generation to use tanning beds.

 

In regards to sunscreen, it's only been about 10 years since parents have become diligent in using it on their kiddos every single time. Those kiddos are not in the melanoma age bracket yet. Time will tell.

 

Tanning beds and sunburns have already been tested in multiple studies, all with the same horrifying results in regards to increased melanoma risk. I am not aware of any studies showing a relationship between melanoma and sunscreen use. Therefore, I will take my chances with sunscreen since we are outside most of the day.

 

Again, why would anyone want to start false accusations about sunscreen? If sunscreen even remotely is a culprit, then we should find an even further rise in melanoma in the then thirty year olds in about 10 years. I suspect we'll start seeing a decrease.

 

:)

[itsheresomewhere]

The only time we use sun screen it is a certain brand that is certain chemicals free. I have always been leary of it.

[itsheresomewhere]

The people who are getting melanoma now are mostly in their thirties and above. When these adults were kiddos, hardly any used sunscreen on a regular basis. They were also the first generation to use tanning beds.

 

In regards to sunscreen, it's only been about 10 years since parents have become diligent in using it on their kiddos every single time. Those kiddos are not in the melanoma age bracket yet. Time will tell.

 

Tanning beds and sunburns have already been tested in multiple studies, all with the same horrifying results in regards to increased melanoma risk. I am not aware of any studies showing a relationship between melanoma and sunscreen use. Therefore, I will take my chances with sunscreen since we are outside most of the day.

 

Again, why would anyone want to start false accusations about sunscreen? If sunscreen even remotely is a culprit, then we should find an even further rise in melanoma in the then thirty year olds in about 10 years. I suspect we'll start seeing a decrease.

 

:)

 

They are seeing a increase in twenty-late thirties age bracket. I think about a year ago, they wanted to start a study to see why.

[Lolly]

Sunscreen is not the problem and tanning bed use is on the rise fast among young people.

 

Please d not spread ridiculous false info that sunscreen is problematic. melanoma is a horrible disease.

 

There is good info here

 

http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-06-16/suncreen-labels-and-skin-cancer

 

http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-06-14/entertainment/29437747_1_retinyl-palmitate-skin-cancer-cancer-link

 

http://www.aolnews.com/2010/05/24/study-many-sunscreens-may-be-accelerating-cancer/

 

That is only two. There are plenty of others at your dispose with Google. It isn't ridiculous and it isn't false. It also isn't new news. It simply hasn't been accepted. People like being able to spend large quantities of time out in the sun in the middle of the day without being burned. Fact is that burning is the way our bodies tell us to STOP. If we were smart, we would listen to them. We need sunlight. We don't operate properly without it, but we should be going about it in an intelligent manner. The human being in its great brain state decided that slathering on chemicals to stop the burn was the way to accomplish this feat. Those chemicals DO have consequences.

[Michelle in AL]

You'll find lots of helpful, scientific studies if you do a googlescholar search. The findings there from scientific studies show that sunscreen is still effective at preventing melanoma, and that the increase in cases is due to better screening methods, public awareness, increased incidence of sunburn, and tanning beds.

[In The Great White North]

The people who are getting melanoma now are mostly in their thirties and above. When these adults were kiddos, hardly any used sunscreen on a regular basis. They were also the first generation to use tanning beds.

 

In regards to sunscreen, it's only been about 10 years since parents have become diligent in using it on their kiddos every single time. Those kiddos are not in the melanoma age bracket yet. Time will tell.

 

That's about 10 - 15 years off. I'm almost 50 and tanning beds were around when I was a teen and parents were diligent about slathering the kids with sunscreen least 20 years ago when ds was born.

 

Sunscreens have changed over time though. Back in the day, the best available was 15. Now 15 isn't even available but you can get up to 70. I suspect the actual chemicals in them, as well as the concentration, has changed.

[BMW]

I"ve had melanoma... twice. Clark's level 4. Systemic (reach my circulation system). It is a big deal. I've tried to stay out of the sun for years. I did not grow up using sunscreen. I got melanoma at about 26 years of age. I did burn easily as a child. My children burn easily. They cannot use sunscreen and not burn, they are THAT easily burned... so they have to limit their sun exposure. I cannot advise someone else if they should or should not use sunscreen, I can only do my own research (I haven't researched the recent information).

 

To wrap it up... melanoma is serious. I was given 3-5 years to live in 1999. I will only wear sunscreen from trader joe's that has zinc in it... the other popular sunscreens have never kept me or my kids from burning...

 

Please research... follow reliable links...

[TCB]

Not sure about the safety or otherwise of sunscreen - but I don't understand how you can read the initial article about Melanoma and leap off to blaming sunscreen.:confused: If anything, the article seemed to implicate tanning beds.

[bzymom]

Malignant melanoma is horrific. My father died from it. He never wore sunscreen, nor did we as children. I wear it, my children wear it and we will continue to wear it. I have read more studies and reports on this than nearly any other topic in my life.

 

A broad spectrum sunscreen is the choice if you need to be in the sun, and there are times we are in the sun for longer than we would like. Son or daughter has a sports game outside mid-day, for example. It is nearly impossible to avoid any exposure, and sunscreen helps reduce the damage to your cells. Any tan is damage. Any burn is damage. Had a blistering burn/sun poison as a child? Huge increase in risk.

 

I will continue to watch developments in prevention and treatments so I make the best decisions for my family, but as of now, we will wear sunscreen.

[gardening momma]

Not sure about the safety or otherwise of sunscreen - but I don't understand how you can read the initial article about Melanoma and leap off to blaming sunscreen.:confused: If anything, the article seemed to implicate tanning beds.

I was wondering too, where she got that from, but reading her later posts, I believe she was saying that when you use sunscreen that allows harmful rays to go through, then you don't get out of the sun when you should. Normally people get out of the sun when they burn (the problem there is that you often are burned long before you know you are). When you use sunscreen that still allows harmful rays to go through, the sunscreen allows you to stay out longer and get more exposure to those rays.

[SueinNC]

Not sure about the safety or otherwise of sunscreen - but I don't understand how you can read the initial article about Melanoma and leap off to blaming sunscreen.:confused: If anything, the article seemed to implicate tanning beds.

 

:iagree:

 

 

ETA: Evidently we misconstrued and op's topic wasn't really about the link she added. I read the link thinking it was more condemning information leading to why sunscreen (chemicals used to make it) is bad.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Caledonia Academy

[kroe1]

I do not believe I am 10 years off since I am in my 50s and used the first tanning salon in our town. And my DS, who is now 31 did not get sunscreen until he was in his teens. i bet he had hundreds of burns before then.

 

I had my first case of skin cancer in my 30s, although not melanoma. I lost about 1/4 of my face to skin cancer in my early forties. Fortunately, after 5 surgeries and the miracles of plastic surgery, I am down to one large scar.

 

I can only dream about what my facewould look like if I had had sunscreen. I worry daily for my son.

[beaners]

The people who are getting melanoma now are mostly in their thirties and above. When these adults were kiddos, hardly any used sunscreen on a regular basis. They were also the first generation to use tanning beds.

 

In regards to sunscreen, it's only been about 10 years since parents have become diligent in using it on their kiddos every single time. Those kiddos are not in the melanoma age bracket yet. Time will tell.

 

Tanning beds and sunburns have already been tested in multiple studies, all with the same horrifying results in regards to increased melanoma risk. I am not aware of any studies showing a relationship between melanoma and sunscreen use. Therefore, I will take my chances with sunscreen since we are outside most of the day.

 

Again, why would anyone want to start false accusations about sunscreen? If sunscreen even remotely is a culprit, then we should find an even further rise in melanoma in the then thirty year olds in about 10 years. I suspect we'll start seeing a decrease.

 

:)

 

I do not believe I am 10 years off since I am in my 50s and used the first tanning salon in our town. And my DS, who is now 31 did not get sunscreen until he was in his teens. i bet he had hundreds of burns before then.

 

I had my first case of skin cancer in my 30s, although not melanoma. I lost about 1/4 of my face to skin cancer in my early forties. Fortunately, after 5 surgeries and the miracles of plastic surgery, I am down to one large scar.

 

I can only dream about what my facewould look like if I had had sunscreen. I worry daily for my son.

 

 

I am 26. I, and every one of my friends, was slathered with sunscreen from the moment we stepped out of the front door, as far back as I can remember. I can recall my mother putting lotion on me before sending me off to play at nursery school when I was 3. (That strong scent is connected to a lot of memories if I think about it. Wow!)

 

Perhaps sunscreen wasn't common in your neck of woods, but it absolutely was common more than ten years ago in other places. I have never used a tanning bed in my entire life though.

[Unicorn.]

They are seeing a increase in twenty-late thirties age bracket. I think about a year ago, they wanted to start a study to see why.

 

Which is the age group of the huge tanning bed revolution. Sunscreen wasn't the hugely popular thing to do yet w/ this group. I don't think it's the sunscreen. I think it's the tan worshipping, along w/ eating a diet rich in processed foods, and not eating a diet rich in natural vitamins (especially C).

[Lolly]

It is ridiculous and it is false. Its bad science and those sources are unreliable, non scientific and inaccurate.

 

My link will take you to experts in SCIENCE AND MEDICINE not rumour and hysteria.

 

It is wise to be concerned about chemical exposure, but it is NOT WISE to allow conspiracy minded foolishness to convince you to NOT PROTECT YOUR CHILDREN"S SKIN.

 

I watched my mother die of malignant melanoma at 49 yrs old. I have an 80% increased risk of contracting it. My kids are darker skinned and I feel les at risk for them but I assure you my education on the matter is comprehensive and no article in the DAILY NEWS would be more accurate than info I can provide.

 

Eh, we disagree. And, I have been successful at protecting my children's skin. They are very, very fair. Using old fashioned methods of protection, I have been able to keep them from being burned much better than the people I know who have slathered sunscreen on daily. We do use sunscreen when we are unable to follow my other methods (hey, life sometimes doesn't allow staying inside during the high points of the day). Me, I think it is STUPID AND FOOLISH to to slather chemicals all over yourself if it isn't necessary.

 

editing to add: Please excuse the tone; I seem to have developed a tonal echo in this post.

 

The people who are getting melanoma now are mostly in their thirties and above. When these adults were kiddos, hardly any used sunscreen on a regular basis. They were also the first generation to use tanning beds.

 

In regards to sunscreen, it's only been about 10 years since parents have become diligent in using it on their kiddos every single time. Those kiddos are not in the melanoma age bracket yet. Time will tell.

 

Tanning beds and sunburns have already been tested in multiple studies, all with the same horrifying results in regards to increased melanoma risk. I am not aware of any studies showing a relationship between melanoma and sunscreen use. Therefore, I will take my chances with sunscreen since we are outside most of the day.

 

Again, why would anyone want to start false accusations about sunscreen? If sunscreen even remotely is a culprit, then we should find an even further rise in melanoma in the then thirty year olds in about 10 years. I suspect we'll start seeing a decrease.

 

:)

 

Your timing is off. I have an almost 20 yo. I can guarantee that every parent was extra vigilant about putting sunscreen on from that time. I worked with children for 5 years before that, those parents were also being quite vigilant. Those kids were not infants; therefore, I think you could safely go back even further. I'd say at least the last 30-35 years sunscreen usage has been widespread.

Edited April 2, 2012 by Lolly

[jewellsmommy]

Ok....I just made an appt. with the dermatologist. I had been putting it off due to the other stuff going on in life. But, I just felt God jerk me out of my complacency through you ladies. I have had some disturbing changes and a new mole come up. I am 32 and burned to a crisp as an adolescent on several occasions even while using sunscreen (I didn't re-apply as I should have). I knew I needed to go in, but like I said....life...sigh. Anyway, I described what's going on and they are going to see me Wed.

 

Thank you ladies.

[Jane in NC]

One of the other issues with sun screen is that many of these products were formerly not water resistant. So while people coated themselves with sun screen before going to the beach or outdoor pool, they would then wash it off in the water and not reapply.

 

Whether one wishes to accept or ignore the various studies, I think it is wise to have a dermatological exam at some point to have one's "spots" examined. It is much easier to deal with keratosis than cancer.

[SailorMom]

I'm wondering if this is tied to the use of sunscreen. I slathered my kids trying to keep them safe only to find out now that all I was doing was exposing them to more rays because the sunscreen didn't allow them to burn when they should have.....

 

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/04/02/melanoma-rates-increase-dramatically-among-young-adults/

 

I'm sure tanning booths aren't good for you - but they've been around forever, and these rates are going up very fast.....

 

I guess I have to quote myself...

I said "I'm wondering if this is tied to the use of sunscreen". Meaning - the rise in melanoma and that they are ONLY mentioning tanning booths. I did not claim it was in the article, I didn't recommend not using sunscreen, I didn't say that melanoma wasn't bad.

 

When I was growing up - we did not use sunscreen at all. We limited sun exposure or got burned..

 

There have been PEER REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ARTICLES stating that the sunscreens without the broad spectrum coverage do not protect the way they thought they would, and that in some cases their skin was being damaged without a sunburn - so the person didn't know that they were getting the skin damage. So - perhaps it is better to avoid too much sun than to rely on the sun screen.

 

I had no idea this thread would get hostile. At least some of you sound hostile. I mean, really, people..... I guess almost anything on these boards can get those kinds of posts.

[SailorMom]

"Medical organizations such as the American Cancer Society recommend the use of sunscreen because it prevents the squamous cell carcinoma and the basal cell carcinoma.[3] However, the use of sunscreens is controversial for various reasons. Many sunscreens do not block UVA radiation, which does not cause sunburn but can increase the rate of melanoma, another kind of skin cancer, and photodermatitis, so people using sunscreens may be exposed to high UVA levels without realizing it.The use of broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreens can address this concern."

 

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14678916

 

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2006:265:0039:0043:EN:PDF

 

"Although we cannot exclude the presence of an unknown confounding factor, our results support the hypothesis that sunscreens do not protect against melanoma, probably because of their ability to delay or avoid sunburn episodes, which may allow prolonged exposure to unfiltered ultraviolet radiation. Serious doubts are raised regarding the safety of sunscreens containing psoralens. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc."

 

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.2910610602/abstract

[Jane in NC]

I guess I have to quote myself...

I said "I'm wondering if this is tied to the use of sunscreen". Meaning - the rise in melanoma and that they are ONLY mentioning tanning booths. I did not claim it was in the article, I didn't recommend not using sunscreen, I didn't say that melanoma wasn't bad.

 

When I was growing up - we did not use sunscreen at all. We limited sun exposure or got burned..

 

There have been PEER REVIEWED SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ARTICLES stating that the sunscreens without the broad spectrum coverage do not protect the way they thought they would, and that in some cases their skin was being damaged without a sunburn - so the person didn't know that they were getting the skin damage. So - perhaps it is better to avoid too much sun than to rely on the sun screen.

 

I had no idea this thread would get hostile. At least some of you sound hostile. I mean, really, people..... I guess almost anything on these boards can get those kinds of posts.

 

I think that your initial comment was misconstrued. Were you saying that people who use sunscreen are overly confident in their feeling of protection from the sun or were you saying that the sunscreens themselves were directly contributing to melanoma because of their nature as chemical compositions? There seemed to be two interpretations as I read through the thread.

 

That said, I think all parties will agree that limiting sun exposure is wise. I will argue that people should get a dermatological baseline at some point. And I will send out hugs to those who have suffered from skin cancer or whose family members have. And to the OP too who was musing and not looking for an argument.

 

Hugs,

Jane

[SailorMom]

I was thinking more along the lines of of being in the sun too much because of the lack of burning.

BTW - if it wasn't noticed before, my mom had melanoma, and it was the hereditary kind - so I do have a horse in this race.... As do my kids.

[lea1]

The people who are getting melanoma now are mostly in their thirties and above. When these adults were kiddos, hardly any used sunscreen on a regular basis. They were also the first generation to use tanning beds.

 

In regards to sunscreen, it's only been about 10 years since parents have become diligent in using it on their kiddos every single time. Those kiddos are not in the melanoma age bracket yet. Time will tell.

 

Tanning beds and sunburns have already been tested in multiple studies, all with the same horrifying results in regards to increased melanoma risk. I am not aware of any studies showing a relationship between melanoma and sunscreen use. Therefore, I will take my chances with sunscreen since we are outside most of the day.

 

Again, why would anyone want to start false accusations about sunscreen? If sunscreen even remotely is a culprit, then we should find an even further rise in melanoma in the then thirty year olds in about 10 years. I suspect we'll start seeing a decrease.

 

:)

 

:iagree: I am 49 years old and I would consider myself in the category of those who, when children, were not protected enough. I am fair and have had many bad sunburns when I was younger, both when I was a child and during my 'stupid' years. I also used tanning beds when I was 'stupid'. So I am definitely at risk of having skin cancers. Just last week I had to have a small skin cancer cut out of my forehead (eyebrow) and still have 13 stitches now.

 

For many years now, I have been better at protecting myself against the sun. I have some sunproof clothing, I wear good sunscreen and hats and sit under umbrellas, etc. I am thankful for good sunscreens. They may not protect 100% but they certainly do help.

[swellmomma]

I think the problem with sunscreen is the false sense of security. People stay out in the sun for many hours, and think it is ok because they don't get burnt. But the rays that cause cancer are still hitting them. If you don't use a lot of sunscreen you learn to stay out of the sun during the main part of the day, protecting yourself from the cancer causing rays.

 

We prefer to limit sun exposure to normal amounts. If we feel we need sunscreen we take that as a hint that we probably shouldn't be out that much in the first place. However...sometimes life happens and I do carrry a small thing of sunscreen for those rare times when we are doing a day at the beach or theme park.

 

But for normal use no, we don't use it. It takes away the early warning signs that you are in the sun too much.

 

(I also feel tanning beds are a HUGE part of the increase in skin cancer in young people).

 

:iagree: DS13 is at higher risk of skin cancer than your average teen. He was born 2 two moles, 1 huge on on his foot that has already been biopsied, and 1 on his eye ball (not the lid, but on the eye ball). He has to wear sunscreen 365 days a year even in the dead of winter during a blizzard. Just because he has sunscreen on though does not mean he gets to spend hours upon hours in the sunlight. Regular precautions are still taken of wearing hats, staying out of the sun as much as possible during 10-2 etc.

 

I think the false sense of security people get fromt eh subscreen and then not following other exposure precautions along with tanning beds is what is leading to the increase not the use of sunscreen alone.

[TravelingChris]

The huge rise in Melanoma in young adults is tied to tanning beds. And yes, everyone should use broad spectrum sunscreen and avoid direct sun.

[Education Explorers]

Ok....I just made an appt. with the dermatologist. I had been putting it off due to the other stuff going on in life. But, I just felt God jerk me out of my complacency through you ladies. I have had some disturbing changes and a new mole come up. I am 32 and burned to a crisp as an adolescent on several occasions even while using sunscreen (I didn't re-apply as I should have). I knew I needed to go in, but like I said....life...sigh. Anyway, I described what's going on and they are going to see me Wed.

 

Thank you ladies.

 

I am very happy to read your response to this thread. Whenever someone finds out that I had melanoma they start pulling up their shirt to show me a mole. :tongue_smilie: I always say the same thing, "Whenever you have a concern you should see a dermatologist and have it checked out." I then share my personal motto, "When in doubt, cut it out." If it is gone, it cannot later turn into something.

 

One of the other issues with sun screen is that many of these products were formerly not water resistant. So while people coated themselves with sun screen before going to the beach or outdoor pool, they would then wash it off in the water and not reapply.

 

Whether one wishes to accept or ignore the various studies, I think it is wise to have a dermatological exam at some point to have one's "spots" examined. It is much easier to deal with keratosis than cancer.

 

I had melanoma at age 20. I am now 43. I grew up in Florida. While my mother tried to put sunscreen on me, the products available at the time did not stay on in the water, nor did they stay on when you were sweating, therefore, I received numerous severe sunburns. As a child, I played outside and swam all summer long. My first cousin also had melanoma at age 20. She was a Navy brat and lived in California and Hawaii for most of her life. Our pale skin was meant for the Arctic, not sunny climates. Neither of us had ever, nor would ever use a tanning bed. I freely admit to causing a lot of damage as a teenager when I would go to the beach with my friends and fry all day long. My mother was furious, but at some point, I had to take responsibility for my own actions.

 

I religiously slather my children in sunscreen. I am following the advice of the dermatologists who see and treat our whole family. My DD had a mole removed when she was 7. It was in her hairline in an area not normally slathered by sunscreen. At age 7, it was already "severely abnormal." This will be an on-going issue for my family for the rest of our lives. Our risk factors are extreme and we therefore take it very seriously. I am trying to instill the notion that no tan is ever worth your life and we talk about tanning beds every time we see someone foolishly enter or exit one. Sun exposure is a safety issue pure and simple in our home. They don't play in the street, they don't talk to strangers and they must stay out of the sun and wear sunscreen when they are out in it.

 

As for Vitamin D... We now ensure that everyone takes supplements. In 2011, same DD had a prolonged period of flu-like/mono-like lethargy etc. Blood tests eventually revealed that she was severely Vitamin D deficient. Her multi-vitamin clearly was not enough. The supplements worked perfectly and we all now take them. She is back to normal and we continue in our sunscreen slatering approach.

[Tree House Academy]

I am 26. I, and every one of my friends, was slathered with sunscreen from the moment we stepped out of the front door, as far back as I can remember. I can recall my mother putting lotion on me before sending me off to play at nursery school when I was 3. (That strong scent is connected to a lot of memories if I think about it. Wow!)

 

Perhaps sunscreen wasn't common in your neck of woods, but it absolutely was common more than ten years ago in other places. I have never used a tanning bed in my entire life though.

 

 

Well...I am 32 and I am like the pp's son. My mom used to slather on BABY OIL and I'd use it too and then we would bake ourselves in the sun. I am fair skinned with light freckling on my face and arms. When we were out of baby oil, we would use BUTTER!!! I kid you not!!!!! Now that I think back on it, it makes me utterly sick. I was burned so many times, I couldn't even count them all. I used a tanning bed for the first time when I was about 16. I became prenant with my oldest son at 19, had him at 20...and it was only then that I was given the information about skin cancer and the necessity of using sunscreen. He is as fair skinned as I am and I slathered him down any time he went outside...and I started slathering myself too! :)

 

Now, I stay out of the sun, wear sunscreen most of the time in the summer if I am going to be outside (swimming, gardening). I still get burned about twice a year. :(

[Parker Martin]

I had a very close relative who was anti-sunscreen. I watched him die of melanoma a year and a half ago.

 

I see no evidence that sunscreen causes melanoma and plenty of evidence that unprotected sun exposure and tanning beds do.

 

I'll stick with the sunscreen.

[gardening momma]

I had a very close relative who was anti-sunscreen. I watched him die of melanoma a year and a half ago.

 

I see no evidence that sunscreen causes melanoma and plenty of evidence that unprotected sun exposure and tanning beds do.

 

I'll stick with the sunscreen.

The OP did not say that sunscreen causes melanoma. She said that sunscreens that do not protect against UVA rays give a false sense of security. People think that because they are not burning because they're wearing sunscreen means they will not get melanoma.

[Parker Martin]

The OP did not say that sunscreen causes melanoma. She said that sunscreens that do not protect against UVA rays give a false sense of security. People think that because they are not burning because they're wearing sunscreen means they will not get melanoma.

 

Someone else brought up chemicals.

[momma2three]

I am 26. I, and every one of my friends, was slathered with sunscreen from the moment we stepped out of the front door, as far back as I can remember. I can recall my mother putting lotion on me before sending me off to play at nursery school when I was 3. (That strong scent is connected to a lot of memories if I think about it. Wow!)

 

Perhaps sunscreen wasn't common in your neck of woods, but it absolutely was common more than ten years ago in other places. I have never used a tanning bed in my entire life though.

 

Respectfully, I think there is a big difference in the way that people now in their 20s were parented and the way that people in their 30s+ were parented. Some parents were educated about the importance of sunscreen in the 70s, but I really don't remember it being anything other than an informal precaution that you used at the beach and pretty much no place else until the mid-80s. I remember the year at camp that the policy changed from you applying sun screen if you wanted (which meant that no one ever wore it) to the counselors asking you and sending you back to your cabin to get some if you hadn't applied it, and that was around 1990.

[snickelfritz]

Respectfully, I think there is a big difference in the way that people now in their 20s were parented and the way that people in their 30s+ were parented. Some parents were educated about the importance of sunscreen in the 70s, but I really don't remember it being anything other than an informal precaution that you used at the beach and pretty much no place else until the mid-80s. I remember the year at camp that the policy changed from you applying sun screen if you wanted (which meant that no one ever wore it) to the counselors asking you and sending you back to your cabin to get some if you hadn't applied it, and that was around 1990.

:iagree:

 

I turn 36 in June and I only remember using sunscreen at the beach (which was vacation for my land-locked self) or if you already had a bad burn and were going back to the pool.:001_huh: I think I lucked out with my genetics, since we do tan. My parents spent hours in the sun in the farm and would get dark, dark brown----no cancers removed yet.

 

Dh is 4 years older and he talks about how they (dark hair, but white skin, doesn't tan, freckles, and one redhead in the bunch) NEVER used sunscreen. His sister is one year younger than me and has already had cancer spots removed.

Edited April 2, 2012 by snickelfritz

[krisperry]

Respectfully, I think there is a big difference in the way that people now in their 20s were parented and the way that people in their 30s+ were parented. Some parents were educated about the importance of sunscreen in the 70s, but I really don't remember it being anything other than an informal precaution that you used at the beach and pretty much no place else until the mid-80s. I remember the year at camp that the policy changed from you applying sun screen if you wanted (which meant that no one ever wore it) to the counselors asking you and sending you back to your cabin to get some if you hadn't applied it, and that was around 1990.

 

 

I agree. It probably also depends on where you were located. I was in the south in the 90's and sunbathing was extremely common as was tanning (I was a teen).

 

My mom was diagnosed with melanoma, stage 3 last year. It is an ongoing battle.

[SailorMom]

The OP did not say that sunscreen causes melanoma. She said that sunscreens that do not protect against UVA rays give a false sense of security. People think that because they are not burning because they're wearing sunscreen means they will not get melanoma.

 

Thank you... it seems like about half the people responding didn't actually read what I've been saying. Very frustrating.

 

As for the age thing - the article is talking about a rise in women in their 20's and 30's. This sounds about right for when sun block started to take off as a parenting "must do" for me. I'm sure it was regional in how fast it spread, but I'm 38, and I know by the time I was about 9 or 10 people had started to really use sun block. Zinca was all the rage in middle school. So while it certainly can't be proven, the rise in melanoma can be shown to match up with the increase use of sun block.

And hey - I know there were plenty of people using tanning booths who are now in the 50's and 60's - it was pretty darn popular then. I don't think there has been that dramatic a rise in tanning booth usage compared to the rise in the rate of melanoma.

 

Please - if you are concerned at all about melanoma, stop the knee-jerk defensive comments and read the articles I linked to on page three (I think) of this thread. UVA rays cause melanomas. Most sunblocks do not stop UVA rays. More do now than they did - I like Nutrogena's with the "Helioplex" in it.....

[Wheres Toto]

I'm 42 and remember my mother pushing sunscreen a little bit in the summer. Maybe because my brother is a very fair redhead and would burn easily. But I have multiple large moles, many that have unusual edges. I go every couple of years to a dermatologist to get them checked and I've had one removed.

 

DH is 55, never wore or wears sunscreen. He gets burnt every summer when he goes out fishing. I'm trying really really hard to get him to stop doing that. He has also been to the dermatologist and although he has all kinds of odd skin growths, none are the type to worry about.

 

My kids are all fair. My oldest is a red head with VERY pale skin, burn easily but has only had 1-2 mild sunburns her whole life. I am extremely obsessive about having her use sunscreen. She has no suspicious moles so far.

 

My younger two are blonde and fair. Both were born with multiple moles all over. My youngest has a fairly large unusual looking one on the bottom of her foot that will have to be watched her whole life. During the summer we will go to the pool in the morning or evening, put on broad spectrum sunscreen and both of them wear swim shirts that cover their shoulders, backs and most of their arms.

[PeacefulChaos]

OP, I totally get what you are saying. :)

 

As for me personally, I don't put on sunscreen every.single.day. Then again, I don't go outside every single day, either... but even if I did, if it is just for a reasonable period of time, I wouldn't put sunscreen on.

My boys go outside often and I don't lather them with sunscreen every time. I guess I just didn't think it was necessary to put it on all the time. I get that melanoma is bad, etc. It had just never occurred to me that sending kids outside for a couple of hours = slathering them with sunscreen. :001_huh:

Does everyone else put sunscreen on all the time?? I guess I just figured everyone did it the same way...

[Brilliant]

There is a genetic component to melanoma, too.

 

My mom got it at about 40.

 

I got it at 36.

 

I try to limit my sun exposure, but I also wear sunscreen. Since it's pretty clear to me that I was genetically predisposed to melanoma, I'm not sure what difference it makes... :(

[Education Explorers]

There is a genetic component to melanoma, too.

 

My mom got it at about 40.

 

I got it at 36.

 

I try to limit my sun exposure, but I also wear sunscreen. Since it's pretty clear to me that I was genetically predisposed to melanoma, I'm not sure what difference it makes... :(

 

The researchers don't know what the genetic component means yet either, they just know that there is one. I don't think there is anyway to know for sure right now. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution, I am going to give my kids every tool in my "melanoma prevention basket" that I can reasonably find/implement. My melanoma and my cousin's were so radically under the "average age of development" that the dermatologists don't know what it means exactly, other than not good--not good at all. We try to be extremely careful with the sun and protect our children the best we can.

[Wheres Toto]

Does everyone else put sunscreen on all the time?? I guess I just figured everyone did it the same way...

 

I'm VERY good about it in the Summer and in the late Spring/early Fall if we are outside for a while. I do not put on sunscreen in the Winter or colder weather since we are not outside very often or for very long.

[Lisbeth]

OP, I totally get what you are saying. :)

 

As for me personally, I don't put on sunscreen every.single.day. Then again, I don't go outside every single day, either... but even if I did, if it is just for a reasonable period of time, I wouldn't put sunscreen on.

My boys go outside often and I don't lather them with sunscreen every time. I guess I just didn't think it was necessary to put it on all the time. I get that melanoma is bad, etc. It had just never occurred to me that sending kids outside for a couple of hours = slathering them with sunscreen. :001_huh:

Does everyone else put sunscreen on all the time?? I guess I just figured everyone did it the same way...

 

Anthelios XL from La Roche Posay. On the kids. Every time they go out for more than briefy, unless it is night. I use it daily year round, no matter what. It genuinely works on UVA. In the bright summer sun I reapply often. We also use enough. So many people use way less than needed.

[happypamama]

What would be symptoms of melanoma? I suppose I'm at higher risk for it, because, although I've never used a tanning bed nor tried to tan, I burn very easily and have had a few sunburns. I can't think of any moles that have changed, or that haven't been there since I was really little, though, but beyond that, what else should I look for? No family history of any sort of cancer, afaik.

 

(I use sunscreen on my kids if they'll be unavoidably outside in the summer during peak hours, like at the beach or a theme park. Otherwise, we just try to keep hats on them and shirts for the boys, and in the summer, I keep them inside between about 10 and 4. We use California Baby, because I remember last year reading some information that said that retinyl palmitate, which is used in many sunscreens, can actually increase the risk of skin cancer. If so, I wonder if that is one of the reasons for the increases in melanoma.)

[KrissiK]

What would be symptoms of melanoma? I suppose I'm at higher risk for it, because, although I've never used a tanning bed nor tried to tan, I burn very easily and have had a few sunburns. I can't think of any moles that have changed, or that haven't been there since I was really little, though, but beyond that, what else should I look for? No family history of any sort of cancer, afaik.

 

 

I had a melanoma removed in the fall of 2010. I had small, round black mole on the inside of my ankle. It had been there for as long as I could remember. My cousin saw it at a swim party and insisted I got it looked at. I went to my gp, she took it off, biopsied it and it was melanoma. Fortunately, the margins were clear. I went to a dermatologist and she cut a whole lot off my leg. I've had a few more suspicious moles taken off since, but they all amounted to nothing.

[Perry]

I had small, round black mole on the inside of my ankle. It had been there for as long as I could remember. My cousin saw it at a swim party and insisted I got it looked at. I went to my gp, she took it off, biopsied it and it was melanoma.

I suspect this is one of the reasons the rates have increased so much. People (particularly women) are much more aware, and doctors are biopsying many more moles that would have gone unnoticed for longer periods of time. Not all melanomas are aggressive. Some may linger for many years without spreading.

 

Although I also believe tanning beds are a factor.

[Sevilla]

I had a very close relative who was anti-sunscreen. I watched him die of melanoma a year and a half ago.

 

I see no evidence that sunscreen causes melanoma and plenty of evidence that unprotected sun exposure and tanning beds do.

 

I'll stick with the sunscreen.

 

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Vitamin A (palmitate) controversy in sunscreen a few years ago - it was found that sunscreens that contain this ingredients (which MANY MANY did - even natural ones) accelerated the growth of skin cancer.

 

Many sunscreens may be accelerating skin cancer growth

 

That was the first link I could find (the story broke in 2010) but it was all over the news and blogosphere.

 

----------------------------------

 

FWIW, I consider it even more important to stay out of the sun at peak hours than it is to use sunscreen (though we do use it, it's just not my 'first line defense' b/c I consider lifestyle choices even more important. Ex. I don't take the kids to the pool until the later afternoon, not when it opens at noon and the sun is so strong. We stay indoors during peak sun hours. My kids have never.ever had a burn in large part due to those two choices, and we wear brimmed hats to protect necks/faces from infancy - that is one of my non-negotiables. They wear rashguards to the beach - Lands End sells high quality suits that offer strong sun protection. This means that more of their body is covered in the water and less is exposed to UV rays).

 

Consider these two scenarios in the summertime - which is safer? which is more risky?:

 

1. Kids go outside to play in Wisconsin at 9am without sunscreen for an hour (indoors by 10:00 - no burn on skin). They come indoors until 3:30 when they go out again to play from until 6:00pm - no burn on skin. They wear hats the whole time to protect their head/face.

 

2. Kids go to the pool/beach in Wisconsin slathered in sunscreen from 11am-2pm. They wear typical bathing suits (not rashguards) a tank suit for girls, just board shorts for boys. They're in direct line of sun the entire time while they swim, come out of the water, eat lunch and towel off. Their mom reapplies sunscreen after lunch (she thinks this adds extended time of protection - not realizing that the SPF is the same time period from when you first apply). At the end of the day the kids have pink shoulders and noses and are tan all over - clear signs of sun damage.

 

IMO the first scenario offers FAR MORE protection against UV rays simply b/c you are avoiding the sun at the peak parts of the day and engaging in behavior that does not magnify its effects on your skin (eg. swimming since no sunscreen is waterproof enough to last long enough - they're even considering dropping the 'waterproof' designation as it gives a false sense of security.)

Edited April 3, 2012 by Sevilla