How to prevent sunburn...

Antranik · Post by **Antranik** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 9:24 pm

I can picture myself being VERY, VERY sunburned by the end of the week. It seems like it could even be dangerous (scarring) if I start peeling by the end of the week and continue to expose the new sensitive skin to the sun. I don't really have a shade structure figured out yet and don't know if I can even afford it... even if I make one, I just picture myself walking around all day anyway frying my brains out... which means I'm going to have to...

A) Apply sunscreen every hour and everyday (LOTS OF SUNSCREEN!)
B) Wear a giant hat
C) Wear clothing that will cover everything.

The problem is... I like to wear nothing, or close to nothing... and then applying sunscreen all the time is gonna be a BITCH. so what do you guys do to prevent sunburn?

I'm thinking of wearing those things they wear in Iraq, that are completely white that cover their head all the way to their feet. I figure they do it cause... well.. the weather is just like burning man. Anyway... what do you do to prevent sunburn?

phil · Post by **phil** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:01 pm

I have vitiligo.

http://www.aad.org/public/publications/ ... tilgo.html

Vitiligo is the loss of cells that produce melanin, which means I cannot tan in the patches where the melanocytes have been destroyed. It also means I burn there from the sun. I use SPF 45 suntan lotion, which is stickier than SPF 15 - it stays on the skin better. I've laid out naked on clothing optional beaches for hours with no burns. I go to Burning Man every year and run around naked with no burns.

I would start out wearing clothes and suntan lotion early in the wee, though, and extend my time with less and less clothing so that if you do burn, you get burned later in the week and can go back to wearing clothes.

Note also, the sun does not shine at night. :-)

You'll be fine. Don't panic.

Token · Post by **Token** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 10:25 pm

Applying sunscreen more than twice daily will not make it work any better.

Get a good sunscreen that blocks both UVA spectrums as well as UVB and get the highest SPF.

I like the ZnO and TiO2 based sunscreens because they are a barrier, not an absorber for UV rays.

skibear · Post by **skibear** » Mon Jun 30, 2008 11:54 pm

Antranik,
I'll try to get conditioned to the sun by building up an all over tan pre-event on several early & mindsummer ourdoor trips (nude beach etc)

Then a hat or visor to protect forehead with all suntan lotion
applied below eye level. Any above the eyes can and will drip
into eyes when you sweat and sting like hell.

One very thouough aplication of suntan lotion all over in the morning.
Being sure to get your back, top of feet, ankles, butt, dangly bits and shoulders particularly well. This guy can wear nothing, or nearly nothing
even during midday hours. One or 2 minor reaplications during the day
then is enough. If particularly hot or in sun a long time I'll throw
something over my shoulders.

On the first day put on an extra heavy layer of SPF 30 or 45 till you
see how it goes.

Haven't been sunburned at BM yet.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Jul 01, 2008 12:58 am

I use the sport sunscreen in a pump spray bottle.
I think its coppertone.
It isn't rated that high but it actually stays on.

I'm told you always have to wait after applying for anything to start working.
You want some spray to get tricky bits like ears and such.
It was recommended to me by an umpire over everything else available.

You need some kind of neck protection with your hat.
Watch out for the cute designs with too much mesh.
Look for spf 50 hats.
You must have something to hold it on with.

Post by **Eric** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:03 pm

I'm a red-head who doesn't tan- I go from pale to fried. I have yet to burn out there, and I wear short sleeve shirts all day. I also don't leave the shade without a hat on, wear loose pants that go below my knees, and am slathered in Banana Boat Sport 50spf sunscreen.

I only do a full shower once during the week (just wash my face, hands & bits daily), so every morning I put a new layer of sunscreen on top of the old layer & playa dust. Works like a charm. Sounds gross, but... fuck it. It works. I've gotten more sunburned in SF on a foggy day than I ever have in BRC.

gaminwench · Post by **gaminwench** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 12:30 pm

And if you're going barefoot, wash your feet twice a day with baby wipes, once before you sleep, and soak in vinegar foot bath at every oppurtunity, followed by hoof cream and socks....no playa foot!

phil · Post by **phil** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 2:05 pm

And if you're gonna burn, do something creative with it:

bdeywoo · Post by **bdeywoo** » Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:35 pm

[quote="Eric"]I put a new layer of sunscreen on top of the old layer & playa dust. Works like a charm. Sounds gross, but....[/quote]

Easily the best way to protect for me! At some point there is no skin uncovered to burn, but you would not know it. Yes your dirty, but so is your car, your camp, your dishes, your clothes, your campmates and hopefully your playa pal is a litly DIRTY too!

Teo del Fuego · Post by **Teo del Fuego** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:33 am

a wet suit affords very good UV protection

mojo · Post by **mojo** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:43 am

I'm very fair skinned - have been hospitalized twice with sun poisioning.

Found ONE sunscreen that is the very best, hands down, no contest. Neutrogena in the silver spray can "cooling mist". It comes in spf 45 and spf 70.

We used this stuff whitewater rafting and on the playa - one application in the morning and not a hint of burn. Not sticky so you don't feel like the Pillsbury Dough Boy as soon as the playa dust starts to blow. I am told that Consumer Reports gave this stuff a very high rating.

JezebelinHell · Post by **JezebelinHell** » Thu Jul 03, 2008 10:50 am

A couple of words of advice from my little sister, who during her run as a manager of Sephora went to many seminars on sunblock and skincare:

1. Anything rated over spf 30 is a lie. Spf 80 is no more effective than spf 30, and it's generally more expensive.

2. Every time you reapply sunblock is works about half as well as it did the time before. Unless your sunblock gets sweated or washed off there's no reason to reapply it at all until the next day. That first layer will protect you for about eight hours, which is about all the sunlight you're probably gonna take in during the course of a day anyway.

3. The three lowest rated sunblocks, according to independent laboratories and based on effectiveness are Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Neutrogena. I've used Coppertone without any problems in the past, but after hearing that generic store brands are actually MORE effective I think I'll save those extra dollars on the name brand shit.

gabba · Post by **gabba** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 10:44 am

lol... wet suit.

hmmm. paint.

a entire body-coating of spirulina (it photosynthesises, right? sweat give it moisture, light gives it energy... it gives you love?)

there is a genus known as cyanobacteria which I think salmon consume... gives them natural xanthocyanins... and I dont think salmon can get sunburn, can they?

Josh-n-Cody · Post by **Josh-n-Cody** » Sat Jul 05, 2008 7:34 pm

Teo del Fuego wrote:a wet suit affords very good UV protection

VERY traditional clothing for the desert...

VERY easy "Do it Youself Patterns"

http://www.modestclothes.com/patterns.htm

you can get outdoor material VERY cheap at

http://www.rockywoods.com/index.html

Post by **Elderberry** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:23 pm

JezebelinHell wrote:A couple of words of advice from my little sister, who during her run as a manager of Sephora went to many seminars on sunblock and skincare:

1. Anything rated over spf 30 is a lie. Spf 80 is no more effective than spf 30, and it's generally more expensive.

2. Every time you reapply sunblock is works about half as well as it did the time before. Unless your sunblock gets sweated or washed off there's no reason to reapply it at all until the next day. That first layer will protect you for about eight hours, which is about all the sunlight you're probably gonna take in during the course of a day anyway.

3. The three lowest rated sunblocks, according to independent laboratories and based on effectiveness are Banana Boat, Coppertone, and Neutrogena. I've used Coppertone without any problems in the past, but after hearing that generic store brands are actually MORE effective I think I'll save those extra dollars on the name brand shit.

No offense to you or your sister, but this information is contradicted by Consumer Reports. Not only do they recommend re-application every two hours, but they rated Neutrogena THE highest in their tests. Nothing from Sephora was even listed, so maybe your sister's information was based more from a sales perspective than from a scientific one.

Here's the text and the ratings:

When you rub sunscreen on, you assume youâ€™re guarding against sunburn, skin cancer, and wrinkles. But research indicates that consumers might be getting less than half the sunburn protection shown on labels because they donâ€™t apply enough. Moreover, our tests of 19 sunscreens found that some provide minimal protection against ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, which can cause skin cancer and wrinkles. UVA is not considered in the sun-protection factor (SPF), which refers to protection against UVB radiation, a different wavelength that can also cause skin cancer, plus sunburn.

We tested the SPF of all the sunscreens 15 minutes after application. Products claiming water resistance were scored again after immersion in water (scores for the rest are without immersion). We also tested all products for UVA protection, without immersion. And we took the eight products that claim to have zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which absorb UVA, and had an outside lab test them for microscopic particles of those compounds. Whether such nanoparticles pose health risks is a subject of debate.

What we found. All products came within 10 percent of meeting their claimed SPF. In theory, an SPF 30 sunscreen lets you stay in the sun, unburned by UVB, up to 30 times longer than without it. But people typically apply about 25 to 75 percent less sunscreen than the amount used in most sunscreen tests, including ours. And in our UVA tests, several products scored fair or poor, even if they met their SPF claim. As a result, weâ€™ve weighted UVA scores most heavily in the Ratings.

Of the eight products tested for nanoparticles, all contained them, but our tests found no correlation between their presence and sun protection.

What to do. Choose a sunscreen with maximum protection against both UVA and UVB rays--preferably one labeled very water resistant or waterproof, with an SPF of at least 30. Two fine choices: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch SPF 45 and No-Ad Sunblock Lotion Maximum SPF 45, a CR Best Buy.

Be sure to use enough. To get the labeled protection, an adult in a swimsuit needs to use 2 to 3 tablespoons of sunscreen. Reapply it every two hours and after swimming or substantial sweating. If youâ€™re out all day, find some shade or add protective clothing, including a hat.

fciron · Post by **fciron** » Sat Sep 13, 2008 5:46 pm

I am very fond of my umbrella. It is shady and stylish.

Yes, I realize that I am standing in the shade in that picture.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 1:34 am

Here is what I do:

1. I try to get 15 to 30 minutes in the sun before putting on any screen. This is generally not enough to burn my skin. Then I put screen on areas most subject to burning like the top of my back, shoulders, back of neck, ears, and nose. Top of my feet (instep) if I am not wearing shoes/socks.

2. After about an hour I will put it on the rest of me.

As the days go by, I will wait a little longer. Usually by the time pre-event week has passed, I have tanned enough so that I can pretty much go the whole day during the event without any screen. Mind you I don't "lay out" in the sun. I just go about my business. I do carry sunscreen lip balm, though, and use it. Sunburned lips are NO fun.

People are not getting near enough UV in my opinion. The fear of UV has turned people phobic and we aren't getting enough. Don't bake in the sun, but don't be afraid of getting it on you either. The human body evolved without sunscreen and produces more than just vitamin D from sun exposure.

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 2:06 am

The human body also evolved to last about 35 years.
If that's all you're shooting for, don't worry about uv.

And many people are testing very low on vit D, even those with a lot of sun exposure.
May be due to chemical exposure from other sources, no one seems to know.

I do think we react very strongly to infrared vs other types of heat.
I think radiated heat is very healthy and incredibly economic.
I sleep very well under higher frequency radiated heat and save about 98% on heating energy costs.
Most of the benefits from the sun may be produced by high and low frequency radiant heat.
Puts me right under.

geekster · Post by **geekster** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:14 pm

gyre, as people have become phobic about UV, the incidence of skin cancers has gone down but the incidence of other cancers have gone up. The amount of UV people are getting these days is way below the average people got only 20 years ago. Kids don't spend as much time outside and their parents slather them with sunscreen every time they go out.

I am NOT saying to overdo sun and I am certainly not telling people to lay out. What I AM saying is that the body has its own protection in most (but not all cases) to protect from average amounts of sun a person would get in normal activities outdoors.

Vitamin D deficiency is returning as a real problem. Milk does not provide all one needs, it is a slight supplement. But sun exposure does more for the body than make vitamin D, many things are made with UV exposure, and I would not be surprised if they have yet to identify them all. Sun exposure greatly reduces one's overall risk of cancer. Just don't overdo it. As much as 10% of US cancers could be prevented with adequate sun exposure as well as 20% of UK cancers according to one long-term study.

http://www.medpagetoday.com/HematologyO ... er/tb/7888

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/jun/20 ... vitamind20

http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updat ... 604d.shtml

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/30769.php

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 ... 210402.htm

http://www.forbes.com/health/feeds/hsco ... 05382.html

somekind · Post by **somekind** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 6:22 pm

Carry an umbrella? (*parasol)

gyre · Post by **gyre** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 10:32 am

I agree about vitamin D.
I am not sure it is necessary to use sun to get it and my caution about vitamin D shortfalls stands for many.
Being checked for something else, they put me on 50,000 a week and are upping that.
They find most people are light on it.
Possible consequences are alarming.

There is some research about infrared, though I don't know results.
i can tell you that I perceive psychological benefits that I don't entirely get from invisible infrared.
Maybe these are intended to drive a craving for sunlight?
Some research is for healing advantages.

How to prevent sunburn...

How to prevent sunburn...

You could always go Traditional Desert Clothing!!!