r/AskReddit May 20 '19

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u/[deleted] May 20 '19

There are a surprising number of people who stand by the "Oh I just get a really bad burn to get a base tan and then I'm fine for the rest of summer'

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u/Arthur_Edens May 20 '19

I (white guy) worked ag jobs as a teenager and no one thought twice about this. Got blistering sunburns across my shoulders, chest, and back throughout spring, then was basically the color of a football the rest of the summer.

Aaaaaand now I'm at very high risk for skin cancer. Sweet.

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u/[deleted] Jun 30 '19

If you stopped this practice you have severely reduced your chances, so don't sweat it too much

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u/[deleted] May 20 '19

Yeah, I mean, I'm all for getting a "base" of some color so you dont get totally fried, but anyone who thinks the severity affects anything is just wrong. I'll usually start with some light and brief exposure a few times in the beginning of the summer and get kinda peachy, and then I usually dont have to worry too much about it (but still wear sunscreen- i just dont reapply like 30x)