True story: If you roll your windows down while driving, the sun will beat down on one arm, but not the other. You probably won’t notice because of the cool wind racing in through the window.
In other words, I look like a damn candy cane.
After all my years of living with skin so white it makes Barry Manilow look Black (thank you, Jeff Dunham, for that inspirational line) I should have learned what does and does not qualify as effective sun block.
Effective forms of sun block:
Forms of sun block that fail:
I burn easily. I do not tan ever. My burns, on the rare occasion I get them, do not fade into beautiful tanned skin. They blister and peel to reveal a new layer of snowy white.
I prefer snowy white to blistering red, though, and so, typically, I do not forget my best friend, SPF 45.
My pasty skin might get a few chuckles from people at the beach but, you know what? I am both accustomed to, and ok with that. I may be pale now, but they’ll be wrinkly later. Then I’ll be the one laughing.
I’m sure you’re all well aware of Melanoma, whether you choose to utilize sun block or not. So I won’t talk about it. If you want to increase your chances of skin cancer, that is entirely your prerogative. But the harsh UV rays aren’t the only risk that summer brings.
Hot weather means:
As we all learned from some imagined British guy in A Beautiful Mind, hangovers are caused by dehydration. The headache, nausea, dry mouth, fatigue--my friends, that could have all been prevented had you just had some water in between shots.
And it can be prevented in the hot summer sun, as well.
Thirst is a major symptom of dehydration. If you are hot, and thirsty, you’re already becoming dehydrated. Drink some water. Drink water even if you’re not thirsty. Preventing something now is usually more fun than treating something later.
Other symptoms of dehydration include:
Dehydration is kind of a big deal. If you don’t fix it, it can lead to increased heart rate and respirations, increased urination (furthering the problem), muscle cramps, headaches, and nausea.
If you still can’t take the hint that your body wants some H2O, you can look forward to muscle spasms, vomiting, racing pulse, confusion, difficulty breathing, seizures, and unconsciousness.
Dehydration is also a contributor to heat exhaustion--which leads to heat stroke. Heat and exercise are causes as well.
Preventing heat exhaustion can be done by consistently hydrating yourself, and welcoming the summer heat gradually. If you exercise, start earlier in the morning or later in the evening--when it’s cooler.
Signs of heat exhaustion include:
To treat it if you think you have it, drink some cool, non-alcoholic fluids, rest, and cool down. Take a cool shower or sit in an air-conditioned room--just get out of the heat. If you don’t, heat stroke is the next stage, and is a medical emergency. The body stops being able to regulate its temperature and can shoot up to 106 degrees easily.
If you see someone pass out from heat, or suffering from heat exhaustion, get them water and help them to cool off. Their skin will be cool and moist and their pulse will be fast and weak. Breathing will be fast and shallow.
If you happen to know that the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure, or if they still have signs of heat exhaustion after an hour, get them medical treatment. If someone is having a heat stroke, verses heat exhaustion, first and foremost, COOL THEM DOWN.
I apologize if this is a boring topic, but it’s important. And I’d rather get people informed now, than in June.
Summer is just around the corner (though those of us in Arizona and Nevada might argue it’s already here). Let’s try to keep it fun, not fatal.
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
Great informative entry. Dehydration=not fun.
At the band trip to Disney Land/World(the one in FL) I brought along this sunblock that was SPF-somecrazyhighnumber. When I came back, I wasn't nearly tan or anything, and I might have been picked on a little for that, but at least I wasn't burnt to a crisp either!
How do you do the bullet points in a blog? Do you just use an asterisk?
~ *~
Visit my blog! I'll even provide a link for ya:
Comments are always appreciated! :)
oh let's see if I can do this...
<li>oh I did it!!!
<li> put this in front of every line in the list
also, thanks! :-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
Even though I am not a "snowy white" (well, I am now, but I'm lucky enough to get a good amount of color during the summer) I still use SPF 45 on my face and body. Melanoma and skin cancer are so rampant. The results are not desirable in any way shape or form. My grandfather recently had 28 stiches in his face because of years and years spent working in construction without sunblock. I'd rather grease up and keep a more pale complexion now than have parts of my skin cut out later on.
yikes! that's kind of scary. I hope he's doing ok now.
my (AP) Chemistry teacher back in high school had a nice chunk of skin removed from her back side because, when she was younger, tan skin and laying out in the sun was considered healthy. Oh the things we know now...
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
First of all, Ben Folds is my HERO.
Second, sun protection is something that is often overlooked because it is "in" to be tan. But it seems that the cons outweigh the pros--dehydration? cancer? wrinkled skin? Mmm, sexy.
Thanks for the great post.
nothing is quite such a turn on as leathery dry, wrinkly, spotted skin. At age 42.
teh sex0rz. ur doin it wrong.
Thank you for knowing ben folds :-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
I too have found that staying indoors is the only effective sun block. In fact, I would scratch sun block off the list, because it is powerless when applied to my skin.
Have you ever had sun poisoning? It's a little different than heat stroke. I can get it without getting a sunburn, though most people get it with a bad burn. I get a blotchy red and even whiter than I really am rash, and all my lymph nodes swell to the size of plums. I get fever and extreme chills and throw up a lot. I cannot live any farther south than Minnesota. There's a reason my people settled here.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I have never had sun poisoning but I get heat exhaustion fairly easily, hydrated or not. :-/
There's a reason I'm about to go settle in Milwaukee. I find it funny that my current weather is in the mid 80s already and someone told me Milwaukee got another 6 inches of snow the other day. :-P
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
We are currently being shat upon in Mpls. On March 31st. We're looking at 8 inches. It was 49 degrees yesterday. I hate this time of year. It's such a tease!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Staying in doors suck but that really is almost the most effective sunblock for me, like you. My people decided they wanted to make me into a mutt. lol. There's about 10 different nationalities.
I have had sun poisoning and it really does suck.
this was suppose to be in response to ediblewomen's comment but when I hit reply it wouldn't work.
I am here to inform and help:
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
I am very pale. But the kicker....here it comes. I have very dark hair and hazel eyes. People find this strange because most people who are pale or fair have light hair. It could be because I am a mutt. lol.
Native american,czech,hungarian,scottish,dutch,german I could go on.
I burn before I tan. But I would rather not burn so I look nice when I'm older :) and still with the pale skin. I have been made fun of for it but I don't care. Like you said the other people will be the ones with skin cancer or wrinkes.
I am here to inform and help:
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Love comments? I do too!
Irish, German, French-Canadian, and Italian here. And I think some Welsh. No freckles, but my hair is somewhere between light and dark brown.. depending on the sun, actually. I like my hair dark so I tend to stay indoors a lot in the summer. ;-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
How Victorian of you!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
sometimes I sit in a cushioned chair and practice my needlework--gazing fondly at my self portrait.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
I prefer to sit in a cushioned chair and rank the marriagable young men by the size of their "commisions."
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
Size can be misleading; I rank marriagable young men by how well they utilize their commisions.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
I would not let one of them anywhere NEAR me with a commision of any size, regardless of its accomplishments.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I'm sure they'll be heartbroken.
Perhaps it will dull their collective pain some if I hire them into my brothel.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
And you really run a Victorian brothel? With studs, rather than ladies?
This is now a loooooooooong way from sunscreen.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I think having boy whores available to the public is actually kind of thoughtful.
besides, it helps pay for grad school :-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
AND having a large, sweaty, hairy, (disgusting) male body between you and the sun at all times is a good way to avoid heat exhaustion and sunburn!
There! We've brought it back around now.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I'm gonna make that sound not gross.
cuddling=effective sunblock.
awwwwwww :-)
I would edit the list in the post, but then my blog wouldn't be on the front page anymore, feeding my ego.
and we're still on topic ;-)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
I've been meaning to get a tan....I'm quite pale myself, and even the tan I have on my arms pale in comparison to others, literally, lol. I guess I have really thick skin or something, but I don't seem to tan all that easily, though a tan would make me not look quite as ghostly. I kind of envy those with natural tans...but then again, I guess this is what makes me...me. :D
embrace your paleness!
those who don't like it, well, just take their sunglasses away from them and blind them with the radiance of the sun reflecting off your skin. :-P
Be careful with that tanning, though. It really can cause some serious problems.
read my blogs!
ProU
Not ProU
Some mistakes can't be undone/ it'll never be like it was/ and wishing for it only makes it worse
Rocky Votolato
Good post, i dig the cultural references. Oh that one British hallucination! Yeah i get it! :)
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
I guess I might have spoiled the movie ending there. Oh well. :-P
I did mean to strike the word "imagined," but the html I used didn't work out. Oh well.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
My life=ruined.
Every organism's heartbeat holds a universe of beauty at http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/green-underbelly
nice quote of ben folds. :)
thanks this was really helpful!
thanks for reading (and rating!) ;-)
Ben Fold's lyrics add credibility to any argument. :-)
(p.s. I'm kidding. to those who can't tell)
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
i have a year round tan. but its because i'm mostly native american with some swedish and german. but i love pale skinned girlies they make my heart esplode!~}chatiks si chatiks{~
your heart explodes!? how painful!! Now I feel apologetic. :'-(
read my blogs!
ProU
Not ProU
Some mistakes can't be undone/ it'll never be like it was/ and wishing for it only makes it worse
Rocky Votolato