I grew up with pasty white skin. My dad is Irish-Catholic so my entire family is fair-skinned. My mom however tans really well. Her complexion is much darker. I'm somewhere in the middle. Growing up I spent a lot of time not putting on sunscreen which led to some pretty severe burns.
When I was in middle school I went to Rapids Waterpark in West Palm Beach during the midst of summertime. My mom encouraged me to wear a rashguard but I didn't think they looked cool. They were uncomfortable too. So I decided to forgo the rashguard on this field trip. I put sunscreen on in the morning but didn't reapply throughout the day. By mid-afternoon I felt the heat on my neck and shoulders. Blisters were beginning to form and my skin was drying out.
That night I went home in severe pain. I couldn't wear shirt because the pressure of the material pushing against my shoulders was unbearable. Water blisters formed. I walked around like a scarecrow for weeks. The pain was intense.
From that point on I hesitated to take off my shirt while at the beach or the pool. I applied sunscreen generously but still sometimes I forgot.
When I got older I spent a summer backpacking Europe. Many days were spent walking around in the sun. In the three weeks while in Israel, I didn't apply much sunscreen. My skin must have adapted to the enviornment because I didn't burn. Instead i actually got a bit of a tan! This was a new revelation for me because growing up I would always burn. I was feeling this new abilitity to intake UV rays.
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