How long can I stay in the sun without getting a tan?
Asked by
jabag11 (
676
)
January 6th, 2011
As for race, I am not white, yet I am not black either, I’m something else lol. Anyways, me and my mother both seem to tan quite easily. And So I ask you, how long can I stay in the sun without getting a tan? I wish to not get tanner. I live in California where it’s nice and sunny =D, about 75 degrees or so here and there.
And also, will I still get the Vitamin D through the sun if the sun is shining on my sweatshirt instead of directly on my skin? or pants?
I ask this question because I am trying to get Vitamin D through the sun and not just through supplements and food.
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
7 Answers
Skin contact is sorta required for vitamin production.
As for the amount of time, it differs from person to person. Measure it?
It seems a little silly to be so worried about a tan. You a self-hating racist?
As @Zyx said, it varies from person to person. A couple of my cousins on my Dad’s side of the family are incapable of getting a tan whatsoever. Their skin turns red, peels, and they’re as white as ever. Fortunately I’m mixed and can get milk chocolate dark if I wanted to (slept for 10 hours one day during August outside and lo and behold, I was milk chocolate) and I rarely burn.
You definitely need the sun to be having contact with your skin in order for Vitamin D sythesis to take place. As far as how much until you tan, it just depends on your skin pigmentation and how it reacts to the sun exposure. You’re the only one that can figure that out.
You are the only person who can figure out how fast you tan. The sun has to hit your skin to get D. Wearing suntan lotion blocks the D by the way. Generally the recommendation is 20 minutes of sun a day of unprotected skin is enough to get your D up. After 20 minutes your body stops producing D. It is impossible to get too much D from the sun because of this natural mechanism. It is possible to overdose on D with pills.
If your D is low, you probably need some supplements unless you really can actually put the majority of your body in the sun daily. I recommend you get a blood test and find out where you stand. My D is so low I take prescription and OTC, and put myself in the sun more than I ever did before, but when the winter hits, my numbers start going down fast.
My husband spends much more time in the sun than me and takes a daily vitamin with D and his numbers are good. He is darker than me naturally.
Honestly, I think it makes sense to take some supplements and get limited exposure to the sun. I too believe being in the sun helps me, but there is the risk of skin cancer.
Not much monger than 20 minutes.
Take notes on how many minutes sun exposure you normally get, then see how dark you turn. Maybe use photos to document. You can use your belly as a control sample, if you don’t expose it to sun normally. When you get to a “tanned” condition add up the minutes.
Answer this question 
This question is in the General Section. Responses must be helpful and on-topic.
Composing members:
0
