How to Avoid the Sun at All Costs

I do not f*ck with the sun. Ever. I am a pasty, white, vampiric mortal who cowers at sunlight touching her ankle. Let me divulge.

Both of my parents had melanoma, aka skin cancer. My mom has a large scar on the back of her leg where they had to remove cancerous skin, and my dad had a lymph node under his armpit removed. Both of them are alive and well, and cancer-free, thank god. But due to both of them having skin cancer, I am at very high risk for developing it myself—especially as someone who has pale skin and lives in Southern California (The Danger Zone).

I wear sunscreen every single day if I'm leaving the house (which, honestly, is not every day if I can help it). My preference for SPF is as close to 50 as I can get, and I try to reapply ever 2 hours if necessary (like if I'm out running errands for more than two hours, I'll make sure to reapply). The black sunhat I own that looks like a flat witch hat is also glued onto my scalp as soon as I exit the house. Sunglasses are always worn, as well as lip balm with SPF. It is certainly neurotic, but it is also effective: I haven't had a sunburn since summer of 2011.

When outside, I try to cover as much of my skin as possible depending on the weather. Since it's summer, I can't wear my usual turtleneck and jeans, so I stick to a white linen shirt and jeans with sandals. This combo helps to protect my skin from the sun while also making sure I don't die from heat stroke. I stay in the shade as much as I can if I'm outside, and have a little pouch in my purse that holds both face and body sunscreen for reapplication. I'm debating getting driving gloves because I truly am a psychopath.

This routine works for me personally because I'm not much of an outdoors person; I have never been. As a child I preferred to stay indoors unless forced into the sunlight by my parents. The only time I was ever tan was during the summers between 2004-2006, when my mom would fly me and siblings out to Hawaii for vacation. Thanks to this sun exposure, I've had several moles removed and even had to have part of the skin on my back removed because precancerous skin cells were present. Luckily for me it was a small portion of skin, but for others it could be much worse. I had this skin removed roughly 6 years ago, and it was then that I decided I really needed to protect myself from the sun.

I don't expose much of my skin during the day; but at night, I'll freely wear dresses, skirts, and more revealing clothing since I don't have to fear UV rays. The only make-up I'll wear during the day is mascara and brow filler, since I want to be able to reapply my sunscreen easily and not mess up any foundation or concealer (which I don't wear anymore anyway). I'm certainly not telling you to live the way I do in terms of removing yourself from the sun almost entirely, but I am telling you that we all need to be more careful with our skin. It's our body's largest organ and it is constantly exposed to the sun (yes, even when it's cloudy). No matter what skin tone you have, PLEASE WEAR SUNSCREEN. UV rays affect everyone and anyone.

When you're at the beach, pool, or outside for long periods of time: please wear and reapply your sunscreen. Make sure if it's a spray that you rub it into your skin afterwards, otherwise it's not as effective. Wear a hat and sunglasses if you can, and at least make sure to cover parts of the body that burn easily, like your shoulders and chest. I've never worn UPF clothing (clothing that basically has SPF), but you could certainly try that if you know you'll be under the burning sun for hours. And if you're swimming or sweating, definitely wear water-resistant sunscreen, and reapply after towel-drying since that wipes off the product. It all seems like such a hassle, I know, but it's better than having the dermatologist cut off pieces of your skin that have been damaged to the point of being cancerous.

If anything, at least apply sunscreen on your face and neck before you leave the house. The sun is a major contributor to skin aging, so the least you can do to slow down deep wrinkles and collagen loss is to wear SPF. Put sunscreen on your hands if you're driving, and be mindful of the sun if you're working by a window. I'm aware that I'm crazy, but I'm also someone who's seen firsthand the effects of skin cancer—which could so easily be avoided with more caution under the sun.

Enjoy your time outside responsibly. Your skin will thank you!