Base tans = #fail tans

Whenever I have my daughter with me, I always remember to put on sunscreen because I’m putting it on her. Without her, I never remember. The result: a sunburn as red as an OU jersey. My shoulders are flaking so much I’m pretty sure my coworkers think I actually have dandruff.

Because I look like a leper, I got to wondering about whether this burn will prevent more burns the rest of the summer for the next time I forgot to put on sunscreen.

Apparently, no. This burn is of no help later.

I found this out from a Mayo Clinic dermatologist:

Tanning under the sun or a sunlamp gives protection that is equivalent to a sun protection factor (SPF) of 4 or less, which translates into a little extra time in the sun before you start to burn. But the larger issue is that any change in skin color is a sign of damage from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Repeated exposure to UV radiation — whether from the sun or a tanning bed — increases your risk of premature skin aging and skin cancer.