Sparks Ignites

I just read an article my cousin posted on Facebook. Scientists and researchers are debunking the myth of sunscreen and skin cancer – WTF!!! My last blog about my issues with the sun, and the fact that sunscreen was the remedy for a pale complexion need to be reexamined.   Evidently, the use of sunscreens can enhance skin cancer rather than prevent it. A PhD scientist found that sunscreens are not only hazardous to humans, but they are dangerous to the environment as well. Furthermore, Swedish researchers (the land of blue-eyed, blonde people) found that women who avoid sunbathing during the summer are twice as likely to die of cancer as those who sunbathe every day. It all has to do with the body’s production of vitamin D and the how it protects us from diseases.   If all the research is correct, in essence, we are doing ourselves harm.   I completely have to rethink my belief, that avoiding the sun is the healthiest habit for me. Also, I have to wor...

This is a favorite time of year for those of us who are descendants of Northern Europeans with fair complexions – Sunburn Season. Yes, all of us white skin and freckled individuals have something to look forward to, the brutal rays of the summer sun. Bring out the SPF 1,000, the big umbrellas, wide brimmed hats and the “Jackie O” sunglasses. It is time to cover up. Of course, you can always do what I do – stay in the house.   I was born with the distinctive Irish/English pale skin. In fact, my mother was quite fair, so she was cautious of the sun. If she had spent a great deal of time sunbathing when she was pregnant with me, I would have been born sunburnt. In the sun, I always feel like an ant under a magnifying glass waiting to explode into flames. Let’s face it; I know how a vampire feels – without the coffin and the dirt nap. Being fair skinned and blue-eyed makes me a target for the rays of the sun. I was Goth pale before it was popular. It is not enjoyable go...