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Comment by noasaservice | Hacker News Reader

In summer, my skin burns in 10m outside in sun (partial or full).

My mother also has multiple cases of confirmed carcinomas. She obtained disability due to those.

So yeah, even though you may be all shock and awe about why some of us would avoid it, its definitely genetic. And I don't need the risk of having my skin burn and eventually cancer.

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I'm of Irish/Scottish/British descent.

Despite having a lineage that hates itself, it also means that I don't tan; I stroke. My mother was actually allergic to the sun. She had to be hospitalized, a few times, because of it.

I live in an area with tons of folks of Mediterranean descent. Every summer, they end up looking like alligator purses, come May.

I get really sick of them insisting that I "just need to do it in stages. Just go out for fifteen minutes at a time. You'll tan; I promise!"

For me, it's:

15 Min. -> Nothing

15 Min. -> Bright red, peeling and screaming

Then adjust :p do it in 10 minute increments, with sunblock, in the morning/late afternoon.

If tanning were worth it, to me, then I’d probably figure it out.

It isn’t, and I’m not gonna bother.

That said, I do like to get out and about, just with a hat on.

I think that the mental health aspects of sunlight may come into play. Very difficult to control for.

I wonder if diet can give your skin type some color, if so desired.

When I consistently eat carrots daily my skin darkens a bit, but I also tan easily. It's been reported before that carrot eaters score better in hot-or-not style surveys, attributed to healthier looking skin. At least overdosing on carrots doesn't cause melanoma ;)

There’s a carrot-based “tanning pill,” that people use. I knew a girl in the 1980s, that used it.

It gives the skin a noticeable orange color.

I seem to recall seeing something like that, recently, but it escapes me, just now…

Nevermind. I’m sure it will come to me…

Does it burn in the early morning and late afternoon too? Those are probably the only times light skinned people should get extended sun exposure during the summer.

Every person should probably avoid the summer sun at noon.

But if you want Vitamin-D - the morning and evening sun won't help you, as they are too filtered out. And basically the whole winter sun in the northern hemisphere is too weak, even at noon.

But the beauty of the morning and evening sun helps, too.

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