Got Sunburn?

It’s a bit ironic to me that I got a sunburn this weekend, considering the fact a) I’m usually pretty  conscious about UV exposure these days and b) a recent posting about the overstated claims about sunscreen over at MDA.

How I Got A Sunburn

The short answer is obvious.  But the long answer is a little more insightful.

As a teenager, my unspoken thought process to sunburn protection was basically to start working shirtless when it was warm enough to be comfortable, and by the second week of June I usually picked up my first sunburn.  Silly in retrospect, but it wasn’t a conscious decision, that’s just how it worked out.  That would peel, usually on my shoulders and nose, and after that, I was generally good.  I would tan to a golden brown and didn’t usually worry too much about sunburn for the rest of the summer.

Now of course, I’m supposed to know better.  There’s ample evidence to support that sunburn causes damage to DNA which can eventually lead to skin cancer.  So, I certainly don’t take my childhood approach when it comes to my kids and sunburn protection.  They usually get slathered up with sunblock when summer starts heating up.  For that matter, so do I, despite the fact that there’s some debate about the health effects of sunblock.  I try to stay current on the recent research about UV protection, because however imperfect it may be, it’s what we have to work with for the moment.

This weekend we decided to spend some time working in the yard.  Primarily landscaping work, such as spreading mulch and moving rock around.  It wasn’t supposed to be too hot outside, so mistake #1 was my decision to go with a sleeveless shirt.  Mistake #2 was that I didn’t think about putting on a good sunblock.  Or any sunblock at all for that matter.  In fact, about the only good decision I made here was to wear a hat while I was working.  I’m not even sure I can take credit for that one, since the only reason I put it on was because I didn’t want to take the time to brush my hair.

It took about 3 hours of working outside before I noticed I was developing a problem.  Of course, by then it was too late, so the only thing left at that point was try to minimize the damage.  I switched to a dark-colored shirt with sleeves that covered the affected sensitive areas, and a hat with a full brim to provide better protection for my ears, neck, and nose.  Since there’s nothing that can be done to fix a sunburn, right now I’m treating the symptoms.  That means taking cool (not cold) showers with liberal applications of aloe vera gel and moisturizing lotion.

I’m choosing to view this philosophically for the moment.  This is another bump in the road of trying to develop a healthier lifestyle, and yet another reminder that I need to stay on task.  We all go through these ups and downs and need to refocus.  You can read about John’s effort to ramp up his enthusiasm in a much more constructive effort, which takes the form of a contest.

Related posts:

1. Need Ideas For Hats For Hot Weather
2. Fitness As An Adult