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| A suntan: Totally rad, or a dangerous fad? |
It's mid-June, and that means it's summer in San Antonio, with the temperature rising to 90 degrees or higher by noon.
To beat the heat, I've been lounging pool-side, trying to relax and cope with the everyday stresses of life in the 21st century with Donald J. Trump as president. While I'm still working on the whole relaxation thing, I've realized something: I tan really well for a white person.
I'm not sure what this means, and while it might be fashionable, I'm not sure it's good. I've always felt conflicted about lying or sitting about in the sun like some sort of useless oaf with nothing better to do, even if it's just for a few months out of the year.
It's no secret that time spent in direct ultraviolet light can contribute to the development of skin cancer, and as a natural hypochondriac, I did plenty of research to back up my constant worry about developing melanoma. Luckily, I live in a city that's filled with doctors specializing in the study of skin cancer.
Recent research conducted by scientists within the last three years at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute shows that melanoma has increased dramatically in the last decade, and while it represents a small percentage of all skin cancers, it is responsible for the majority of skin cancer-related deaths, according to the University of Texas Health Science Center. The Center also shows it's the most common cancer among 25 to 29-year-olds and that it is rising among certain subgroups, including people with darker skin.
To reduce the risk of developing skin cancer, scientists have long advocated wearing a broadband sunscreen offering a physical and chemical blocker of UVA and UVB rays.
Dermatologists stress that people who are going to be working outside sweating or swimming should apply sunscreen every hour and wear long sleeves and wide-brim hats if they're in the sun during the day. Some recommend applying sunscreen a half hour before going out in the sun and abide by a higher level of protection – an SPF 30 to SPF 50 level sunscreen.
I've taken this into account when going outside, applying sunscreen to my shoulders, chest and face, wearing a t-shirt over my bathing suit and a hat. Still, protection from the sun must be practiced religiously. A couple weeks ago, I forgot to apply sunscreen to my chest before walking along the beach in Corpus Christi, and it was enough to give me a sunburn that's now peeling.
This isn't the first time I got a sunburn, and while it didn't blister or swell like past incidents, it reminded me that what's considered stylish and fashionable often comes with a price.
On a side note, all this time spent in the sun got me thinking about you-know-who. None other than President Trump.
I don't need to post a picture of him. We've all seen how tan he is, how his skin seems to match his hair in tone. Even now, after all the scandalous news surrounding his first seven months in office, I wonder if there isn't some truth to how matching hair and skin will Make America Great Again.
While there are many conflicting theories about whether Trump's tan is real or fake, one thing is certain: We've never seen anything quite like it.
Besides, what is a real tan? Isn't every tan artificial to some degree, since it involves a conscious choice to expose one's skin to the sun? It seems that unless someone's skin contains naturally more melanin, giving them a darker skin tone whether they're in the sun or not, tans from sunlight or tanning beds are the same if the goal is a certain look or style.
The President's tan is rumored to have come out of a bottle, and while that's the definition of a real fake tan, it means that he is safe from the sun, so while we have many things to worry about, the President getting skin cancer is not one of them.
