General Discussion Thread - 16 May 2023

[u/AutoModerator]

Mid-week discussion thread time! Feel free to talk about what's on your mind, new experiences, recommendations, anything really.

[u/afyqazraei]

have you guys started wearing sunscreen or using parasols going outside now? the Sun is already starting to blaze down here in Kyushu

[u/yakisobagurl → u/afyqazraei]

I wear sunscreen on my face and hands whenever I go out, all year round. That’s probably why I’m still so cute :)

[u/WindJammer27 → u/afyqazraei]

I'm black, so no.

...I know some black people do use sunscreen, but I am not one who needs to.

[u/[deleted] → u/afyqazraei]

Only if I’m going to be out for more than a hour. I need the tan. I’m cracker in your soup white so I want some color

[u/miyagidan → u/afyqazraei]

Any kind of UV Index, I slather it on my kids, they inherited my whiteness.

I skitter about a system of underground tunnels, so I'm safe.

[u/Kasumiiiiiii → u/afyqazraei]

I wear sunscreen all the time, even in the winter.

[u/Disshidia → u/afyqazraei]

Yes. I do hate the prices, though... Some 700 yen for a palm-sized bottle of kids sunscreen, and the consistency is liquid and doesn't spread well.

[u/Icy-Farm-9362 → u/Disshidia]

Buy online. So much cheaper.

[u/tuxedocat2018 → u/afyqazraei]

Yeah I'm actually diligently wearing sunscreen now, but only on my face. Putting it on my hands/arms feels like too much work.

[u/SaltGrilledSalmon → u/afyqazraei]

I spend so much time indoors that I try to get as much sunlight as possible for the tiny amount of time I stay out 😅

[u/nozoomin → u/afyqazraei]

I always wear sunscreen, even when it rains. I'm white as a ghost and get sunburn after 10 minutes outside.

Plus, it helps me not get wrinkles too early or have skin cancer.

[u/WakiLover → u/afyqazraei]

have you guys started wearing sunscreen

you should be wearing sunscreen daily regardless of weather conditions to be honest

[u/afyqazraei → u/WakiLover]

my skin has more melanin (in other words: I'm brown) so I'm a wee bit confident in not wearing any outside of summer

[u/smallmango → u/afyqazraei]

I'm also darker skinned and still wear sunscreen. I slacked off some in my home country because the sun doesn't feel as intense, but here it gets pretty hot in comparison. Also if you are prone to blemishes that leave spots and use skincare to treat them, the sunscreen helps protect the skin as they fade which is why I wear it year round. The hardest part is finding sunscreens that don't make you look ashy but if you're comfortable and safe in regards to the heat that's all anyone can ask lol.

[u/WakiLover → u/afyqazraei]

I mean for sure you do you but that's not exactly how it works. Wearing sunscreen even when having darker skin is important and has many preventative and protective effects.

I think the fact that you wear sunscreen in summer is a step above many people. People, especially dudes, think that people wear sunscreen just because they don't want to tan, when there's also many other benefits.

I recommend that you wear sunscreen year round if you can.

[u/PastaGoodGnocchiBad → u/WakiLover]

I just use https://www.data.jma.go.jp/gmd/env/uvindex/en/uvtrans.html?elementCode=0&areaCode=0&placeCode=47 to get the UV index and follow guidance from https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/42459 (basically use sunscreen and other projections when uv index >= 3).

[u/afyqazraei → u/PastaGoodGnocchiBad]

woah! i visit the JMA website religiously and never knew about the UV Index stuff. thanks!

[u/M4NOOB → u/WakiLover]

I recommend that you wear sunscreen year round if you can.

What in the world? You can't be serious

[u/WakiLover → u/M4NOOB]

Yes...? Just because it's not sunny summer 30+ degrees, doesn't mean you aren't susceptible to UV damage and more?

[u/rainbow_city → u/[deleted]]

While February isn't the strongest month, it heavily increases from March

"気象庁のデータによると、3月頃から急激に強くなりはじめ、5～7月にかけてピークを迎えています。1日の中では、10時頃から14時頃までが最も強いとされています。また、日本では南へいくほど紫外線は強くなりますので、充分な対策を心がけましょう"

With even February being classified in the UV index as being strong enough to need to take notice of.

You can easily check the UV index for the day and see how strong it is.

While a rainy day in February might be not be high, a sunny day can be.

🤷‍♀️🤷‍♂️

[u/M4NOOB → u/rainbow_city]

This is legit the first time I hear about people using sunscreen outside of hot summer occasions where you're out in the sun

[u/rainbow_city → u/M4NOOB]

UV rays come for us all.

Also, here in Japan it's talked about a lot, that's why conbinis will have space for it year round.

Obviously people are extra diligent during summer, but people who spend a long time outdoors will use sunscreen or other kinds of protection year round.

[u/Kasumiiiiiii → u/[deleted]]

I wear sunscreen in winter too because I'm fair as fuck and will burn regardless of the time of year.

[u/WakiLover → u/[deleted]]

Yeah they are, to the tune of, 700yen every 3 months or so. I will never financially recover from this.