This pic was taken during our photoshoot for an upcoming Shape Magazine slide show (Hint: Hip Hop is involved! Sooo fun!! Shh!). My first thought when I saw it was – and I’m just going to say this because I know you’re thinking it – “Huh, Al and I look like Turbo Jennie’s sex slaves!” (Which, for the record, was not what we were going for with this shot but whatever.) My second thought was, “Hello Casper!” Our photographer actually captioned it, “The 3 bears of skin tone.” Har har. (And my third thought was check out Jennie’s bufftastic arm!!)
“It’s official. You are the whitest person on the planet,” a friend greeted me as I showed up for Turbo Jennie’s annual outdoor birthday TurboKick extravaganza the other night.
As I stood there, already sweating so profusely in the 98 degree weather* that my shorts looked as if I’d peed myself, another Gym Buddy agreed, “Yeah, when you got here, the first thing I saw coming out of your car was your legs and I was like ‘Hey, there’s Charlotte!’”
They’re right of course. I’m so pale that I forgot my costume one year for Halloween and everyone just assumed I was Wednesday Addams.
But new research out about the advantages – yes, I wrote advanatages – of suntanning is making me rethink this milky white business. Not that I can do anything about it, mind you, but I like to rethink things I have no control over. Super fun! Anyhow, researchers found that the health problems that come from vitamin D deficiency – everything from an increased risk of Autism for a baby being carried by a deficient mother to many types of cancer – far outweigh the risk of sun cancer. Says one researcher, ” a spate of studies strongly indicating that vitamin D is the most powerful anticancer agent ever known.” Do you hear that? A whole spate of studies! According to this same article, the majority of people are terribly deficient.
John Cannell, MD, executive director of the Vitamin D Council, a nonprofit educational corporation, says, “everyone knows that there is an explosion of childhood cases of autism, asthma, and autoimmune disease. It all began when we took our children out of the Sun. Starting twenty-five years ago, a perfect storm of three events has changed how much sunlight children get. First came the scare of childhood sexual predators in the early eighties, then the fear of skin cancer, and finally the Nintendo and video game craze. Nowadays, kids do not play outdoors. Playgrounds are empty. You’re a bad mother if you let your child run around. And it’s almost a social services offense if your kid gets a sunburn. Never before have children’s brains had to develop in the absence of vitamin D.”
First the advice was to avoid the sun at all costs whether by UV-blocking sunscreen or clothing or both and now they’re saying that it’s more important to get your vitamin D from the sun? Frankly, neither scenario bodes well for white girls like me.
Being ultra pale has some advantages. First, I can rock a retro dress like nobody’s business (not that I have much occasion to get all Dita Von Teese’d up but whatever, I make my own occasion!) Second, I never have to worry about buying reflective gear – all I have to do is wear shorts and I’m set. Third, people can use the word “porcelain” and my name in the same sentence without it involving a frat house, a keg and a carpet stain.
The problem comes when I’m not dressing for a garden party or a midnight run. You know, like, the rest of my life. Let’s be honest: tan is in right now. Certainly ivory white skin has had its time in the sun (har!) in past generations so I’m not begrudging the bronzed folk their turn. But a tan is definitely this season’s must-have accessory. Not only, as every magazine will tell you, does it make you look thinner (question: does that mean being white makes me look fatter?) but a golden glow makes you look healthier, shows muscle definition better, camouflages cellulite and looks better in casual clothes.
What’s a (really) white girl to do?
From a medical standpoint, I could – and do, thanks to my seasonal affective disorder – take D3 supplements. Cannell advises 5,000 mg a day. I’ve been taking 1,000. But I’m a little leery of upping it so drastically on the basis of one, albeit very compelling, article. Also, says Cannell, “Some of my colleagues think D3 supplements are enough. But that supposes we know everything. I suspect that we do not know everything. Natural sunlight has to be the preferred route whenever possible.” I have to agree with him there that natural anything is always superior to man’s manufactured version.
I really don’t want to get skin cancer though. It runs in my family and it’s ugly stuff. Plus there’s the whole premature aging and wrinkles business. From an aesthetics standpoint I could self-tan. This is not as much fun as it sounds. In my mind that phrase conjures pictures of having the ability to change my skin color at will, like a chameleon super power. In reality it involves spreading a bunch of foul-smelling goo all over my body. And it must be all over my body because seriously what is the point of having tan legs if my arms, face and chest are white? The next problem is that self-tanning is an under appreciated art form. You have to smooth it on just right, making sure to use even strokes and skipping your knees and ankles so that you don’t end up with streaks or orange spots. I always admire girls who can do it and do it right. I suppose I could always pay for a spray tan but that comes down to the real reason I don’t self-tan: you have to maintain it. The definition of futility is spending your entire life literally painting your skin a different color than the one you were born with. To wit:
Was that really necessary?At the risk of sounding like a Dove commercial, the only real solution in my book is for people to be comfortable with the skin they’re in. Are you naturally brown, ebony or any shade in between? Rejoice! Flaunt it! Be proud of that your skin is beautiful without having to do a thing to it. Heaven knows it’s taken society long enough to get to this point. But the flip side is also being able to embrace your epidermis if it is milky, light-n-freckled or downright fish belly. That and getting outside in the sunlight on a regular basis for long enough (but not too long!).
You know what though? I like my skin the way it is. It’s me. I dig it.
Do you have “a flaw” that you actually love? What do you think about this new vitamin D/tanning research??
I think there’s still a lot of disagreement on this issue, and I certainly wouldn’t make any decisions based on it. I spend some time in the sun nearly every day (about 15 minutes). Some people say that’s enough, some don’t. I honestly have to weigh the benefits and risks as we know them right here and now, and I would say that moderate sun exposure, plus a supplement, is fine for this fair-skinned, freckled redhead 🙂 To be honest, I quite like my skin tone just the way it is! I do have skin that tans – especially compared to other redheads – but I’d rather not. Plus I don’t want to turn into a big freckle…yes, vanity is allowed to be factored in on both sides (for and against tanning) of the equation!
Sorry, I believe that a little sunshine and fresh air does a body good, but after watching my dad die of skin cancer, I’m gonna be cautious. And I have to wonder, if D deficiency is a cause of autism, why are there higher incidents of autism in Florida and California? I lived in L.A during both of my pregnancies, got plenty of sun, and still have 2 kids with autism.
Sounds fishy (like my natural skin tone) to me.
I’m in the mega-pale club too. On Saturday, I had someone come up to me in a cafe and ask about the price of my ‘pale body foundation’. Ain’t no amount of foundation that could get legs this pasty! I’ve got to agree, though; it’s useful for pretty vintage dresses (yay!) and halloween costumes. Pale as death, you say? Got that one covered!
I can’t remember where I read this (it may have been in a dream, knowing my ‘memory’) but I seem to remember being told that 10-15 minutes a day in the sun without suntan lotion is all that’s needed to get enough vitamin D, so I’ll quite often walk to the corner shop for some milk and back without lotion on, then slap on layer upon layer once I get home and begin the day.
These studies never seem to account for melanin. So if I am darker, and do not absorb the skins rays, how much more sun time do I need? I am a darker African-American woman. I’d love it if they bothered to take the time and offer some ratios or something for more complexions.
My dr prescribed vitamin D to me a few months ago. I was on a huge does for a couple of months to ease a deficiency. I now take 2000 a day. I guess I need to wait 20 years to see if it makes a difference.
And for the record, I do use sunscreen on my face. Gotta keep looking young. 😉
Hate to be picky but I think you mean 5,000/1,000 micrograms (ug – sorry, can’t do the funny symbol) rather than milligrams (mg)? There’s rather a big difference (a factor of a thousand in fact).
I sympathise with the paleness issue – I’m really pale and just can’t get on with fake tan, and I go red in minutes. I also work for a cancer charity so I’m very careful not to burn – skin cancer is *not* a good look…
By the way – the amount of time you need to spend in the sun to get enough vitamin D is far less than the time it takes to redden or burn. There’s more about vitamin D and cancer on this website: http://sunsmart.org.uk/advice-and-prevention/vitamin-d/
I get so confused about this issue, because experts keep contradicting each other. My compromise: I take a Vit D3 supp and aim for wearing sunscreen whenever I’m out for more than a few minutes. But because I’m naturally lazy and hate the slimy feeling, I’m only about 75% on target for sunscreen and I still get some sun. Plus I don’t reapply often enough. My vitamin D levels were good when I got tested, so it seems to be working on the D aspect. As to the skin cancer, will have to wait and see. My tan lines are visible enough that I know I’m getting probably more UV than any dermatologist would recommend!
Everything in moderation. I never use sunscreen. When I take long walks, I look like a dork by using an umbrella.
I have red hair, which not so long ago was seen as a flaw. I have actually had little old ladies come up to me and ask if I mind having red hair. But I tend to think of my hair as my best feature. Along with that red hair, I have pale skin. I can’t get a suntan – unless I get a severe burn, which may then fade to a tan but I’m not willing to go through the agony of sunburn so I can go from white to tan. And not even a dark tan at that.
Mostly I try to avoid being in the sun for the hottest part of the day – I try to stay indoors or in the shade. Earlier or later in the day I will go out without sunscreen (unless the sun is still really strong, and I pretty much always wear sunscreen on my face). If I have to be out in sunlight for an extended period of time, I pile on the sunscreen. I hate wearing sunscreen because I have yet to find one that does not feel greasy and/or sticky, but it beats getting sunburned.
In the summer I get freckles which I am okay with; it’s sort of my summer skin – I know I’ve been enjoying the summer weather when my arms are freckled. With enough exposure, my arms will turn to a light golden shade that most people can’t recognize as a tan because I’m still pretty light, but to me it’s a tan. 🙂
When I was younger I used to fight with self tanners on my legs, but I have grown older and wiser (lazier) and now embrace my paleness. I do think a little but of sun is good, I just do my best to avoid overexposure.
This is a tough one! The best source, in my opinion, of vit D is from sunlight. However the risks of Ca are very real and we have very rich dermatologists here to prove it! At this point In would say for women to supplement and get just a little real sun exposure , but probably not a tan. . We have altered our atmospheric protection with our actions so that is what we are stuck with.
Dammit, I *love* being pale and interesting. My fair skin contrasts rather nicely with my dark hair and blue eyes, IMHO. If anyone comments on my paleness (no matter what their actual implication/intention), I always thank them for the ‘compliment’ and make sure they understand that this is something I appreciate about myself, and am not going to compromise in the name of compliance with some arbitrary fashion/standard.
I mean, seriously – would they tell a darker-skinned person that they’re ‘too brown’?? (Oh *that* would go down well, wouldn’t it …)
the sun seems so controversial now! I am also very fair-skinned, and I slather on sunscreen every. single. time. I go outside. skin cancer? no thanks (my cousin had a stage 4 melanoma at age 24 and it freaked me out). But I also think that people (both kids and adults) don’t get nearly the fresh air and sunlight they should! I still feel the enorphin high after a day in the sun even with sunscreen, so I don’t know that I totally believe the idea that you don’t get ANY vitamin D with sunblock on
I have olive skin which I hated as a kid because I grew up in a very “pale” town – now I love it because the olive skin seems to age better. I also tan very easily and only really consistently use sunscreen on my face (that olive skin will only get me so far)…even so, in spite of being outside training for and running marathons I still had to take 5000 IU Vitamin D for almost a year, and am still taking 2000 IU every day.
BTW, got my book yesterday! Thanks for the beautiful words xoxox
I get out in the sun a little every day( thank you little hyperactive red dog) but if I’m going to be out more than 15-20 minutes I slather on the SPF 50…I have the pale Irish heritage skin, my tan is where everyone else starts. For those of you who don’t like to feel slimed by their sunscreen, I highly recommend either Neutrogena or Aveeno, a little more pricey, but worth it because I’ll actually use it.
Great post! And as for your question, I think my “flaw” would be my freakish height… it’s not what it’s cracked up to be.
Like Renee, I just got your book yesterday. What took me so long!?! It’s fantastic!
After a little bit of skin cancer the only skin I expose to the sun without sunscreen is skin I wouldn’t mind having removed. In other words, I wear a lot of sunscreen. Because I tested low a couple of years ago I take 2000 IU Vitamin D daily. I love being in the sun and wish I could just get my D naturally but I’ll have to stick with the pills. My skin is not only pale, I have lovely blue spider veins running through my legs. Without a tan I look bruised but I won’t spend the time with fake tanning so I’m trying to learn to love my blue-streaked white legs.
Charlotte! Vitamin D is my specialty. There are a lot more articles than one out there– do a pubmed search for Michael Holick– he’s written hundreds of articles on this topic (so have other people, he’s the only person I know off the top of my head). The real test is what is your blood level? If you stay out of the sun and plus at the latitude you live in, I doubt 1000 IUs is enough– I’d say take at least 2000. But you want your blood level at least above 30 ng/mL for bone health– for cancer prevention some studies say you should be as high as 50-80 ng/mL (I tend to encourage people to be at the lower end of that, say 50-60, because the really high levels are less well studied). Let’s put it this way: if you go out in the sun for say 20 minutes with arms and legs exposed, no sunscreen your skin will make 20,000 IUs of vitamin D, so taking 5000 is definitely not going to hurt you (actual occurrences of vitamin D toxicity are extremely rare– the prescription dose by MDs for clinically low vitamin D is 50,000 IUs once a week for 8 weeks!). I would also point out that you make all the vitamin D you are going to make generally before your skin has time to actually get tan. 🙂 I am pregnant and take 5000 IU every day up here in no-sun Seattle 🙂 (And I’m pretty sure I’m almost as white as you!) I will say some people’s bodies are better at storing D then others, so the best way to know if you need more of a supplement is get your doctor to test your blood.
I have skin that tans very easily and takes a while to burn. When I know I’m going to be outside for long periods of time I try to remember to use sunscreen, but I’m terrible at it. Usually my boyfriend has to remind me. We always remember to put it on his kid, though. Such double standards…
As far as the Autism thing goes, that’s a baffling one. I’ve read information on the subject that says Autism isn’t really more prevalent than it was before, we’ve just decided to give everyone a label now. I’ve read that people we just thought of as “different,” “unique” or “socially awkward” in the past (we all knew them in high school!) are now just labeled with Autism because it makes society as a whole accept them more.
Either way, the kids that I work with that have Autism are super awesome!
I spent last summer training for a marathon and rarely wore sunscreen (bad, I know). I had some ridiculous tan lines as I’m someone who rarely burns. Two weeks before the marathon I had a blood test done and was told my Vitamin D was low! How could it possibly be that low if I spent hours and hours outside in the sun???
So, color me skeptical. Or tan. Whichever.
The only thing I could think of while reading this was whale blubber. Which I think is how sub-arctic people got all their vitamin C and D in the winter. Aren’t cold-water fish oils relatively high in vitamin D?
I got a fake tan with my sister in law for her wedding — I look at the pictures now and think, holy cow but do I look weird with a deep tan.
Also, your quip about not needing reflective gear because your legs are so white…. HAHAHA. I totally identify sister!
Well, I’ll go against the majority here. . . . I enjoy being tan. I’m naturally pale but after spending a semester in FL, I got a nice glow and haven’t looked back. I don’t burn too often and usually use SPF – just a lower number so I have protection but can still get a little color through it.
Honestly, I’m not surprised about these findings. It seems lately that study after study is coming out that gives us pause to question conventional wisdom. IMHO, our ultra-protected, ultra-sanitized society can make us just as sick (though in different ways) than we used to be. By not exposing ourselves to anything, like sun or the flu bug, we seem to be setting ourselves up for worse stuff and a weaker system to fight it. That’s just my non-medical, non-scientific opinion, though, so take it for what it’s worth (about 1/2 a cent, lol!).
Oy. Another post that makes me feel I just need to stop blogging. I have a post half written up about the riot act I was read by my dermatologist. Seriously I am not allowed to be anywhere near the sun unless I’m completely covered. Burka anyone? I walk with an umbrella, SLATHER sunscreen and I do take 4000IUs vit D3. Ugh. We can’t win. I need a diet coke to drown my sorrows.
I think as long as you don’t let yourself burn, then being out in the sun without wearing sunblock is fine. I do take D3, especially in the winter, but I try and soak up as much natural vitamin D as I can.
P.S. Hope things went well with the nutritionist. 🙂
I’m about as pale as you, Charlotte, and I embrace it, too! I occasionally contemplate self tanner for my legs, but I never actually go through with it. Love the skin I’m in, indeed!
I call myself the whitest white girl, short of being albino, and I take vitamin D. I can’t help but wonder if the vitamin D hype is just that. Remember when C and E were going to be the fountain of youth and vitality? After getting a basal cell carcinoma, I am very careful
Confession: I’ve been out in the sun a lot this year (taking back the summer!!!) for 1-2 hour rides and runs, plus just general fun, and I have been HORRID at the sunscreen thing. However, I’m not getting sunburnt, so that makes it all ok, right?
I remember I always wanted to be tan (I’m not super fair skinned but definitely lighter than darker), but I never had the patience for just sitting outside in the sun, and maintaining a fake tan or going to a tanning bed? Forget about it. I guess all I needed to do is take up an outdoor sport!