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For decades, professional indoor tanning facilities have promoted sunburn prevention as a sensible approach for people who wish to incorporate UV exposure into their lives in a non-burning fashion. That includes teaching the sensible use of sunscreen outdoors on occasions when sunburn would otherwise be possible. And for decades, public health advocacy groups funded by the sunscreen industry have opposed our messaging – saying that sunscreen should instead be worn daily and year-round – even when it’s cloudy and your only steps outside in the sun are to and from your car before and after work.
That approach is coming under fire – and from different directions.
Jacobson paints an absurd picture about sunscreen use and sun-care policy. “Meanwhile, that big picture just keeps getting more interesting. Vitamin D now looks like the tip of the solar iceberg. Sunlight triggers the release of a number of other important compounds in the body, not only nitric oxide but also serotonin and endorphins. It reduces the risk of prostate, breast, colorectal and pancreatic cancers. It improves circadian rhythms. It reduces inflammation and dampens autoimmune responses. It improves virtually every mental condition you can think of. And it’s free,” he wrote. “These seem like benefits everyone should be able to take advantage of. But not all people process sunlight the same way. And the current U.S. sun-exposure guidelines were written for the whitest people on earth.”
All of which paints a sunny picture for those of us who, for decades, have been promoting sunburn prevention instead of sun abstinence.
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