Were our ancestors stupid? The sun wasn't bad for them!!?

Question

I am 30 years old (certainly a ways a way from being a teenager), fair-skinned and often pale and sickly looking Anyway, I have never been to a tanning salon etc, but last week I was on vacation and got a tan. I looked so beautiful; everyone said so. Understandably, I don't want to lose that beautiful color that I never knew I could get, so I have been intentionally spending time out in the sun to keep my tan. I do understand, but fail to state with certainty (as some do) that the sun is "bad". Some of the objectors probably smoke!!! Let's think outside the box here: The sun has been around since the beginning. Did ancient people get more skin cancer than we do? They spent time working and playing in the sun, no doubt. Granted, many periods in history featured long sleeves and ankle-length garments, but many cultures did not wear such attire. We think we know so much now don't we? All of sudden we know that the sun is bad after ages and ages of sunshine! Makes no sense. Agree?

I am not suggesting that sun exposure does not carry unwanted effects in excess and for some people, but I feel that people are way overreacting. There are many healthy people who have worked in the sun all their lives. Sunshine is where we get our vitamin D. I think, in my case, the sun is doing me more good than harm at this time. (Note; I do not lay out just to lay out, I am finding legitimate ways to spend time outdoors--and I have always prefered sun to shade--shade makes me cold).

Answer 1

I do agree. But lets think here, when did we start using sun blocks and tanning lotions? When did skin cancer statistics start to rise? Is there a correlation?

Answer 2

One reason why people in ancient times had lower incidences of skin cancer (though they did still get it!) was because the ozone layer was still thick and intact. Now that it's been eroded from all the chemicals we've dumped into our air, more of the bad UV rays from the sun are getting through our atmosphere. So, you can't logically compare ancient times with our times in terms of safety of sun exposure.

And, I'm sorry, but tanning is very very bad for you. There is no controversy about this -- it's been definitively proven to lead to skin cancer. And not only that, it's going to prematurely age your skin. By the time you hit middle age, you'll have twice the wrinkles as your non-tanning friends do. Not to mention sun spots, which are pretty icky looking. You may also get precancerous spots on your skin called keratoses that you have to get burned off by a dermatologist -- it's a painful procedure that leaves the skin underneath bright pink and sore for days!

You should try self-tanning lotions, which work really well these days. Neutrogena makes a good one that you can just spray on -- no streaks at all, and fairly inexpensive too. If you keep tanning, I guarantee you in ten years you'll wish you hadn't!

Answer 3

Well, back then the ozone layer didn't have a hole in it. The UV rays are much more damaging now because of that. I am also fair skinned and as tempting as it is to lay out in the sun, keep in mind that the fair-skinned are at a higher risk for developing melanoma. I use self-tanners all the time and they look really natural. You can also try the gradual sunless tanners which are just moisturizers with a hint of self-tanner. Be safe!! It sounds like you have been safe about the sun up until this point, so don't ruin that now!!

Answer 4

Hi I live in the southern California region. home of healthy eating sun worshipers. I do not now nor have i ever smoked. I live in an area that is not smoggy like Los Angeles. I have had skin cancer caused by exposure to the sun when I was younger. I go yearly to a cancer doctor to get checked over. When in his office it seems like old home week at the high school reunion. I wish i had worn hats and sun screen my whole life. as for the "ancients" check out their mortality rates . Heck check out the mortality rate for someone living in 1800. In the 1800's you will find that most people died before age 50. Now that more people survive the other diseases cancer which has been with us all along just becomes more noticeable. Please urge everyone you know to wear their sunscreen.!

Answer 5

Our ancestors did get more sun. As you yourself pointed out, they had lots more clothing (at least the majority of the fair skinned Anglos). Also, it depends on the climate, most of the fair skinned people came from colder climates where it did not get as hot. Also, notice how OLD they looked? That wasn't just from working hard, it was from sun exposure. They also had shorter life spans for many reasons, not just from sun exposure.

And looking at my family history, I have a few ancestors (grndma, grt-grdma, grt-uncle etc) w/ documented cases of skin cancer.
I'm not saying the sun is completely bad for you, it's just I just think that people today take things too much to the extreme. We cut out the sunlight, the carbs (which the food pyramid says is exactly opposite of what we should do), the sugar, the fat, the meat... all things we need to survive. We just need to remember that everything needs to be in moderation. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, including sunlight... Again, I think moderation is the key.

Answer 6

You make a point but you need to realize that the reason the sun is so bad for us now is because the protective layers in the atmosphere (like the ozone) that block out the harmful rays is partially destroyed due to pollution etc., which wasn't an issue centuries ago because there was nothing back then to cause the destruction of the protective layers. The sun wasn't bad back then, but it is today. One of the drawbacks of technology.

Answer 7

granted the effects of the sun are going to be more pronounced now that some of the earth's natural sun-shade has been eaten away by all our cars and planes and air conditioners and such...but i find it VERY hard to believe that putting chemicals such as titanium dioxide on our skin, which is the largest organ in our bodies and which absorbs into the bloodstream anything that's put on it, is not just as harmful if not more. research has shown that the chemicals used in "chemical" sunscreens (which work by absorbing the sun's radiation rather than "physical" sunscreens which work by physically reflecting it) have a cumulative effect of increasing activity of free-radicals and damaging DNA. in other words, high-octane sunscreens can give you cancer just as easily as the sun. Remember: if you wouldn't eat it, DON'T PUT IT ON YOUR SKIN. same goes for shampoo, lotions, etc...but that's a whole other ball game. so far, only zinc oxide, the only true "physical" sunscreen in that it reflects 100% of harmful UV rays, has been shown to be relatively safe.

Answer 8

while i want to agree, i can't. with the thinning of the ozone layer we receive uv action down here on our planet more than we did even 10 years ago, and it's still progressing. i too have fair skin, and would love to carry a good tan, but i'm a little older than you and don't want to look like a prune when i'm 60. (you know the look!) my mother, who's the next thing to albino and NEVER intentionally tanned, developed melanoma in her early 70's, on her legs of all places, which, again, she never intentionally exposed to the sun. her unsunkissed facial skin is beautiful for a woman her age, though. think about it, do a little research, and good luck!

Answer 9

Twice a week I go in for narrowband UVB light treatment. This sort of light is present in the sun [though in smaller doses than what I get] and yes, it IS harmful. It can cause skin cancer, premature aging of the skin, etc.

Did it occur to you that our ancestors ALSO used protection from the sun, like we do today? Granted, they didn't have sunblock, but they made do just fine, as you said.

Answer 10

Well, most of our ancestors didn't live anywhere near as long on average as we do today, so it's possible that they might have developed skin cancer, if heart disease, cholera, dysentery, the Plague, and war didn't carry them off first.

Also, it appears most of the people here have no idea what the ozone layer is, what it does, where the hole is, etc.