Sun Exposure And Cancer

Original posting, September 2006

The concept that early exposure to sunburn, in childhood perhaps, increases your chances of developing cancer is a good one. Based on fear. It may even be true, but what's the evidence? Just a circulated story to bolster sales of those products designed to 'protect' against sunburn?

The best protection?

Cover up against the fierce burning power of the sun. Skin goes brown as a defence against the sun's rays. There is such bizarre hypocrisy in all this. But then again, damage of DNA by UV results in the repair mechanism growing new skin, but damaged skin. Self-perpetuating. Cancer is real. And it's really confused and very confusing. On the one hand there is the 'body-beautiful' and on the other it is taken in some cultures to represent an underdog.

How attitudes have changed. Or have been deliberately altered?

In Victorian times, it was a tanned skin that demonstrated the 'lower classes'. Working outside in the sunshine was done only by such people. The 'better off' would have jobs indoors and so out of the sun. Nowadays, wealth and 'success' is flaunted by demonstrating a tanned skin. The need to show off 'an expensive tan' is too great to remain at home. To be seen. 'In your face'. The obvious visual suggestion is the ability to spend (waste?) time outside and afford to travel to socially 'approved' places. Usually places that are expensive. Interestingly, the rich are targeted and pay a high price for pandering to their own vanity. Stupid 'celebrities' get paid a lot of money to promote lies.

The stupid selling to the gullible

What a combination. But it makes a shed load of money for these 'businesses'. Extracting money from people by selling them something they shouldn't (and probably don't) really need if it weren't for their gullibility and vanity.

Do you really believe age-wrinkles can be wished away by applying some gunge?

Expensive gunge