Sep
10
Posted on 09-10-2007 at 04:47pm
A whiter shade of pale
Filed Under (Opinion, Health) by Kate O' on 09-10-2007

Klinde talks about how people react to her light-colored skin:

There was a time that fair skin was protected and prized it meant that you were genteel and did not have to work out of doors (think Scarlett O’Hara). Even with all the pre-cancerous and cancerous forms of melanoma, you would think that people would not be so hell-bent to sunbathe.

How ’bout it. When Karsten and I lived on the west side of town, we were right next to a tanning salon. I’m mystified at how many people still frequent those places. I often saw women who were obviously in their 20s but whose skin could have easily belonged to someone in her 40s, and yet they kept coming back, week after week.

It’s no secret that I lost my father to melanoma. He was a fair-skinned dark-haired man of Irish descent who spent his 20s in the scorching sun of the Middle East as an Arabic linguist in the Army. I remember him battling skin cancer all my life — for twenty-some years he was able to have the recurring growths on his skin removed and all was well. But one growth wasn’t removed thoroughly and by the time it grew back and was found to be malignant, the cancer had already spread to his lymph nodes, and he only lasted two years after that.

Knowing all that, what kind of idiot would I have to be to risk prolonged, unprotected exposure to the sun?

Now not everyone has a family history of skin cancer, and certainly there are those who don’t fit the risk profile as much as, say, I do. And I’m all about people doing whatever they want to do with their own bodies. But what frustrates me all the more is that people feel so free to tease and criticize. Several of my coworkers made comments to me in my first week in this job. Would people of good sense in this day and age make similar statements to their coworkers about their natural skin color being too dark? I should hope not. But somehow it’s considered fair game (pun intended) to make fun of people for being too pale.

Anyway, sounds like Klinde’s not having any of it either. Her skin care approach sounds similar to mine:

I wear sunscreen daily on my face. I slather on 30 or 45 SPF liberally when I am going to be outdoors for any period of time.

Smart, Klinde, smart. Just remember: pale is the new tan.

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Comments

Newscoma on 10 September, 2007 at 5:00 pm #

I am one sunscreen wearing woman and it’s in my make-up, when I wear it. And I get hell for not tanning.
Ummm … nope.
Got burned badly in Jamaica once and realized there was no way I’m going through that again, especially with my family’s history with melanoma.


CeeElCee on 10 September, 2007 at 5:11 pm #

I refer to the color of my legs as “cadaverous.” And proud of it.


Rachel Walden on 10 September, 2007 at 5:12 pm #

Yup. When the docs ask about history of skin cancer, I get to say, “Every single person on my father’s side.” So what if I’m pale - that’s just what my skin looks like.


Jeffraham Prestonian on 10 September, 2007 at 5:15 pm #

I think Klinde’s perfect just the way she is. ‘Coma, too.
.


GingerSnaps on 10 September, 2007 at 5:15 pm #

hmmmmmm…lots here for this Florida girl who loves to tan to think about…


Jeffraham Prestonian on 10 September, 2007 at 5:16 pm #

(Rachael, not so much. She needs a scooter!)
.


Rachel Walden on 10 September, 2007 at 5:17 pm #

JP, ’tis true!


Newscoma on 10 September, 2007 at 5:21 pm #

Jeffraham,
Hugs….
I swear I’m coming up to Nashville for my birthday next month and take a picture of you on your scooter.


Jeffraham Prestonian on 10 September, 2007 at 5:22 pm #

Rachael — Can’t vouch for it, but the brand is well-regarded, and this is a steal if it runs. Extra benefit: It’s almost a sure thang you can get your money back on it if you decide y’all need something zippier.
.


Jeffraham Prestonian on 10 September, 2007 at 5:23 pm #

I swear I’m coming up to Nashville for my birthday next month and take a picture of you on your scooter.

Ginger beat ya to it. :)
.


badbadivy on 10 September, 2007 at 5:25 pm #

I dont’ purposely tan, I’m just naturally dark. I had my first sunburn ever last month, I was totally distraught. ;)


Newscoma on 10 September, 2007 at 6:14 pm #

And she beat me to the Mary Mancini link. Man, she’s on fire today.
I guess I’ll just go somewhere else for my birthday. I had a mission, but alas, it’s dashed. ;)


Marc on 10 September, 2007 at 6:26 pm #

As you might know, my wife Suzette is from the Philippines. Over there, pale is “the tan”. All the popular female movie stars are light skinned. In the drugs stores over there, the section that would have the tanning creams has “whitening creams” instead. No lie….


Jeffraham Prestonian on 10 September, 2007 at 6:31 pm #

As you might know, my wife Suzette is from the Philippines. Over there, pale is “the tan”. All the popular female movie stars are light skinned. In the drugs stores over there, the section that would have the tanning creams has “whitening creams” instead. No lie…

Why can’t someone do R&D on a psychotropic drug that makes women impervious to marketing bullshit? Seriously — the most “together” women I know fret about the least important body image stuff, and it’s the gotdamed 500-page magazines that have 430 pages of bullshit ads that do it to them, I am convinced.
.


Marc on 10 September, 2007 at 7:09 pm #

You’re right Jefferham, because there’s nothing that says “I’m well adjusted” like a copy of Maxim under your arm while you’re on your way to the bathroom.

BTW - In the Philippines they call the bathroom the “comfort room”. I just love that one.


Finn on 10 September, 2007 at 7:46 pm #

THANK YOU for this! I am one of the fair skinned crowd, although translucent is more like it. Every time I wear a skirt or shorts and one time even flip flops, I get teased about how pale I am. So I wear pants year round to avoid the comments I inevitably receive from rude people. Stupid I know but it really hurts my feelings and if there is any justice in the world, all those people who feel the need to comment on my pallor will end up with wrinkled leathery skin at 40 and I’ll have beautiful youthful skin. That’s my hope anyway. So there. :)


Jeffraham Prestonian on 10 September, 2007 at 7:48 pm #

You’re right Jefferham, because there’s nothing that says “I’m well adjusted” like a copy of Maxim under your arm while you’re on your way to the bathroom.

Well, not sure who you might be directing that towards… I, personally, haven’t subscribed to or bought an issue of any magazine in well over ten years, and that was only because I was quoted in said mag.
.


jblank on 11 September, 2007 at 12:17 am #

I’m about as pale as pale can get, but I try to not let it influence how I feel about myself, because, seriously, do I really need another reason to feel like I don’t physically measure up somehow? But I used to be pretty self-conscious about it growing up when friends started regularly visiting tanning salons and having a “healthy tan” year-round.

I still get comments about being uber-white every once in a while, but I try not to let them bother me, because whatever feelings of inadequacy I may have going on about being pale, the ideas about self-worth that women (and men, for that matter) of color are encouraged to believe as far as “lightness=good” (e.g. Marc’s mention of lightening creams) are so much more pernicious from where I’m sitting.


Marc on 11 September, 2007 at 7:45 am #

Jefferham - Not directed at you, so much as the typical male, just like your comment was directed at the typical female (I hope).


Klinde on 11 September, 2007 at 11:38 am #

I am tickled that there are so many out there who feel as I do. I think I look perfectly healthy with my ivory complexion.