I try to avoid being in direct sunlight without sunscreen because of my sensitive skin.
If I get anything more than the most mild of sunburns, I get something known colloquially as “devil’s itch.” It’s horrifyingly painful nerve spasms that feel like you’re constantly getting prodded with a red hot metal needle.
Every single time I’m in direct sunlight for longer than 45 minutes with no sun screen and my back is exposed, I will usually get an excruciating case of devil’s itch. The only thing I can do is attempt to deal with the pain with a little bit of aloe vera gel and copious amounts of ibuprofen and acetaminophen. The last time I was stricken with a nasty sunburn, the only thing that made it feel considerably better was a steady, cold stream of air coming from my air conditioner vent. I laid down on my stomach underneath the ceiling vent and felt the cool stream of air pouring over my sunburn. The cold air conditioner didn’t give me total relief from my sunburn, but it definitely helped. I have to be more careful about not getting exposed to the sun like this, otherwise I’m going to end up with spots of skin cancer someday that could threaten my livelihood. I already know many people in my condo complex who have had skin cancer spots removed in the last few decades. It’s smarter to just use sunscreen, that way I’m not abusing my air conditioner just to feel better either. Skin cancer is a serious issue that cannot be brushed off, especially if you’re someone who is at higher risk based on how much direct exposure you get to intense sunlight.