'The sun on my head'
When I dragged my familiar chair outside again this morning, Sue looked on with concern. Her eyes slid to my tanned face, as if she could already see the first signs of my approaching doom. "Shouldn't you put on sunscreen?" she asked. I smiled reassuringly and waved her fear away for the umpteenth time. After all, one can also exaggerate.
Since the eighties we have all been living under a kind of fear of the sun. Dermatologists warn us at every opportunity about the horrors of sunlight. Unprotected exposure would lead to all kinds of discomforts such as skin cancer, wrinkles and other torments of the flesh. The message is clear: those who are sensible, smear, avoid and cover themselves. In short, the sun has become the enemy.
And yet, every morning, before twelve o'clock, I consciously sit in the pleasant sunlight for a short hour. The result is a healthy, pleasant tan. Not exaggerated, not sprayed on, but just enough to make even a pale face suspect that I have just returned from a sunny holiday. As I sit there, I consider how pleasant this daily routine has become. In this bliss of warmth, I think of my own writings with which I try to entertain the readers of Thailandblog. The smell of dew on the grass, the soft humming of a passing bee and the friendly chatter of birds that also seem to suffer little from excessive UV fear. In fact, they seem to be rather amused by our human panic.
Besides the external benefits, I notice something else: my mood is considerably better. The daily sunlight has a beneficial effect on my mood and drives away all kinds of foggy thoughts from my head. The sun behaves like a benevolent baker who hands out free fresh vitamin rolls every morning. And we, we walk around it with a big arc, afraid that the roll is too warm.
Of course I understand the concern of dermatologists. Spending too long or at the wrong time in the sun can indeed be harmful. But as often happens, the nuance has been lost. Because of all the warnings, we have almost forgotten how beneficial sunlight can actually be. Sun rays are our natural suppliers of vitamin D, which protects against certain forms of cancer, is essential for strong bones, a good mood and even our immune system. Consider it a daily, free injection of zest for life, provided of course that it is taken in moderate doses.
And let us not forget that the sunscreen industry has grown big because of our fear. It thrives on our worries, just as the lock manufacturer profits from the fear of burglars. Sunscreen is advertised to us as modern holy water against the devil of skin aging and scary spots on the skin. The more we fear, the louder the cash register rings. The fact that some ointments have meanwhile proven to be harmful to coral reefs and may even disrupt our own bodies, is remarkably little discussed in these fear campaigns.
I therefore plead for moderation and common sense. Because is the sun really that bad? No, of course not. Excessiveness, that is the real culprit. Anyone who enjoys the morning sun for an hour a day really does not have to be afraid. Not everything that gives pleasure has to be suspect by definition.
And as I close my eyes and feel the sun shining on my closed eyelids, I think with a smile: how can something so pleasant really be so bad?
Enjoy in moderation. Don't let fear rule you...
About this blogger
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My age officially falls into the category of 'elderly'. I've been living in Thailand for 28 years - try to do that. The Netherlands used to be paradise, but it fell into disrepair. So I went looking for a new paradise and found Siam. Or was it the other way around and Siam found me? Either way, we were good-natured.
ICT provided a regular income, something you call 'work', but for me it was mainly a pastime. Writing, that's the real hobby. For Thailandblog I'm picking up that old love again, because after 15 years of hard work you deserve some reading material.
I started in Phuket, moved to Ubon Ratchathani, and after a stopover in Pattaya I now live somewhere in the north, in the middle of nature. Rest never rusts, I always say, and that turns out to be true. Here, surrounded by greenery, time seems to stand still, but fortunately life doesn't.
Eating, especially lots of it – that’s my passion. And what makes an evening complete? A good glass of whisky and a cigar. That’s about it, I think. Cheers!
Photos, I don't do that. I always look ugly in them, even though I know Brad Pitt pales in comparison. It must be the photographer, I think.
A story from my heart FKN. We are scared of everything these days. Covid, global warming, a Third World War, the sun, and it goes on. Anyone who reads between the lines knows that all kinds of commercial interests are at play. Politics also benefits from a people that is afraid, they become docile. Sow fear and rule.
I was in Thailand for 2024 month in 1, what I noticed was that my Tinnitus was much less.
This could be due to the sun and/or less stress, which I didn't have anyway... but it did me good, let's leave it at that.
Mr. Kee Nok, you're doing well! Before 12 o'clock an hour in the sun in your bare belly. The sun is not at its brightest then and the risk of unpleasant skin wrinkles is very small.
But does that apply to everyone? I am a pale person with skin type 1 that burns easily and have sensitive nose skin that has been operated on many times for basal cell carcinoma; I am now three years after the last transplant on my nose and still cancer-free. My ears have also had spots. The dermatologist advised me to apply sunscreen to my face at the slightest sign of sun.
The website odiezon.nl provides information on skin types, sun strength and lubricants. As with all advice, it is individual and 'too' you should avoid except satisfied…
Could have written it myself.
If possible, in the morning from nine to ten, and in the afternoon from three to four, just floating in the pool on the airbed. Wonderful, I really enjoy that.
Living near a very wealthy Thai family, after a few moments I could suddenly imagine how liberating it is for them to just do what you feel like when you are so wealthy and live in a society where you have to keep up a mask because of your wealth.
Extremely nice people without any form of pomposity.
There is a grown married son in his 40s who sunbathes every day for an hour in his bare chest on his terrace at 8 o'clock with a box next to him blaring English music. In addition, two other sons also run their laps in the morning sun in their bare chests and the oldest man in the family also walks a few laps in his bare chest at a slower pace.
They feel good about it, as do FKN and I think the many people who stay longer in this country, who prefer the day to start with sunshine instead of a gray, drizzly rain.
Sun gives energy, too much sun is harmful to all life and in flora it leads to heat stress with negative consequences for the yield and in humans it regularly leads to other ailments, so moderation is therefore the advice given.
Nice story that's how I thought about it too until 2 months ago skin cancer was found on my back, now after an operation with skin graft still a wound of about 3cm on my back that has to be cleaned every day by my dear wife Dao. In 2 weeks I will know if I have metastases. But now I go out in the sun very little, and my swimming pool is deserted because I am not allowed to swim, only the children of my friends come in the weekend that gives some pleasure.
Yes, you can be unlucky, like Bob Marley, who died of skin cancer under his foot, a spot that never got sun. But you should never let your skin get red or sunburned.
For comparison: In the Netherlands, approximately 950 to 1.000 people die of skin cancer each year. Most deaths are caused by melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Other forms, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are much more common, but rarely lead to death.
In the Netherlands, approximately 19.000 people die each year from the effects of smoking. It is estimated that alcohol is the cause of 3.000 to 5.000 deaths in the Netherlands each year.
Yet many people drink alcohol and smoke, even though that risk is greater than sitting in the sun occasionally (before 12.00 noon).
In addition, the sun also has many positive properties, which cannot be said about alcohol and smoking.
There is no uniform time recommendation for sunbathing.
It is very personal. Skin pigment (people with brown eyes usually have more pigment than people with blue eyes), and don't forget age.
Also the place on earth is something. Where there are holes in the ozone layer you should definitely watch out.
Look at the people on the Australian beaches, many are wearing swimming wetsuits.
Anglo-Saxon people with light skin are not sunbathers.
In the past, we always sailed and swam bare-chested, because that was the healthy idea.
We now know better. The warnings of dermatologists are not without reason.
UV radiation in Thailand is high.
Always wear a head covering that protects your nose and ears from the sun.
Eyes also need protection from radiation, just like skin. So wear good sunglasses.
I myself had to have melanoma spots removed twice.
Visit your dermatologist every 6 months for an inspection.
Last month a non-melanoma cancer spot on skull removed + skin graft.
Healing is slow.
Sunscreen is more damaging to the skin than the sun itself, but looking into the sun for a few minutes every morning is also very good for you.