Heeyyy it's me again.

I've run into a problem because I found out from my pharmacist today that I have to be extra careful of the sun in Thailand.

1. Because of my skin already burns easy here in Canada and I am not going to be used to the heat.

2. Because my preventative-malaria meds are going to make my skin even more susceptable to burning

That sucks.

Any suggestions besides wearing the strongest type of sunblock I can find? The highest I have ever been able to find was spf 35 and it's pretty much only available in the summer here... usually. Would it be easier to find a better/stronger type of sunblock in Thailand?

(and I guess walking around with an umbrella, which seems kind of weird to me lol Canadians barely use them where I am from even when it rains because they are more likely to get turned inside out from the wind)

EDIT: I realise probably a simple internet search would find those two as the obvious answers but I was also hoping anyone might have anything else to add since you are all much more experienced in the area then me.

Thankies!

Edited April 23, 200818 yr by shikonjewel

Heeyyy it's me again.

I've run into a problem because I found out from my pharmacist today that I have to be extra careful of the sun in Thailand.

1. Because of my skin already burns easy here in Canada and I am not going to be used to the heat.

2. Because my preventative-malaria meds are going to make my skin even more susceptable to burning

That sucks.

Any suggestions besides wearing the strongest type of sunblock I can find? The highest I have ever been able to find was spf 35 and it's pretty much only available in the summer here... usually. Would it be easier to find a better/stronger type of sunblock in Thailand?

(and I guess walking around with an umbrella, which seems kind of weird to me lol Canadians barely use them where I am from even when it rains because they are more likely to get turned inside out from the wind)

EDIT: I realise probably a simple internet search would find those two as the obvious answers but I was also hoping anyone might have anything else to add since you are all much more experienced in the area then me.

Thankies!

Not just the Ladies!!!, SPF50 is readily available here, 450 baht will get you a 150 ml tube and thats ata Golf Course, no doubt cheaper elsewhere, big hats, Clothing with built in SPF (mainly Australian) and nobody will look twice if you walk round with an Umbrella, Thais do it all the time

these anti malaria meds, where in thailand will you be staying & for how long?

As for protection fromt he sun, high spf, like 40+, can usually be bought at a pharmasy at home, wear a hat if out all day, long sleeves but in a very loose, light material & same, loose cotton trousers. Other than that do as the thais do & spend most of your "outside" time inside a shopping centre

Also try to avoid going out between 11-1 if sunbathing & be careful of late afternoon sun, I have had worse burns from a 5pm sun that any mid lunch sun cause I dropped my guard thinking that time of day should be ok, but the sun is very strong then so be careful.

Apart from that there isn't much you can do to aviod the sun unless you plan to spend all your time indoors.

I do find though that most thai food places if outside seating, will have already a lot of big plants & canopy to protect & shade their diners/drinkers.

regarding the anti malaria meds, what kind are you planning on taking? some of them MAY make you sun sensitive, but this is not always the case. you may be lucky. remember if it says to take them on a full stomach, make sure that you do. they can make you quite nauseous. as far as i am aware, there MAY be malaria up in the mountains around chiang mai/chaing rai, but if you are sticking to the more touristy areas, then you may want to question whether they are really needed. having said that, it is also wise to follow your doctors advice, but some of them can be over cautious.

regarding the sun protection, as prudent_rabbit says, there is plenty of sunblock available here. why not consider a moisturiser with sunblock built in? that will be a good start. wear a hat and light clothing to protect you from the sun. there is no need to go over the top though. you will probably find that your skin is no more sensitive than when your are at home.

In Bkk you can find stuff like Roc 50 and Banana Boat spf 50,both between 500 and 600thb.

Dont forget the back of your ears, and when normally dressed dont forget your neck/ cleavage. These age very quickly if unprotected.

I suppose sunscreen is expensive here bec. theres a limited market for it. (Thais mostly dont use).

Sitting under an umbrella. Swimming after 6. Sunglasses that cover the sensitive area around you eyes.

Snorkel in a long sleeved T.

I wdnt take malariapills except for endemic areas (some in northern and western parts) but if you spend more than two weeks I wd forgo them completely. Be careful with Lariam; if you get like suddenly depressed or anxious stop it immediately.

Avoid to get stung ; Use antimosquito roller e.g Jaico is a good brand and not a bad smell like Skeetolene.

Edited April 23, 200818 yr by orchis

like above, long sleeves that are of material that is not see thru (otherwise it doesnt work against the sun) but light weight: anyway its always freezing on the busses and in offices and outside its boiling so a long sleeve over-jacket is a good idea: since i live in a country where a large percent of women wear long sleeves in summer, we have an abundance of summer weight types: cottons/synthetic mixes with wide not narrow sleeves, they are airier...

a wide brimmed hat

a parasol -lots of thai and filipina women use these

i also wear long sleeves to the beach but im not a beach person; u could always wear a tight weave t shirt over your bathing suit when in the water etc (thats what we do here)...

remember to use a face cream with sunblock in it, and carry it with u;

remember to drink water; canadians and americans dont seem to remember to drink fluids when in hot countries

and stop worrying, bangkok is a cosmopolitan city, its not the bush....

u might reconsider malaria medicines as someone suggested.... (are u camping? etc)

bina

Hey Shinkonjewel,

I agree with the other posters on the Malariameds, only take them when you are travelling around in the jungle up north or areas where they warn for Malariamusquito's [in Thailand thats only a few places and definatly not near the sea or BKK]

They are pretty heavy and not really great for your health, so be sure you really need them otherwise having anti musquitolotion with 'deet' in it and a musquitonet thats impregnated for over you bed will do.

Wear long sleeves, long trousers [cotton...get that in BKK on every streetcorner] at night...[thats when the suckers like to bite..!]

And yes in every pharmacy in Thailand you get SPF 50...and much cheaper than in Canada.

Have a good trip and dont worry to much your gonna be fine

[Especially with all the great advice I see you've been given here on the forum!]

Edited April 23, 200818 yr by DaoDao

I have always been against sun blocks. It works like a hot oil burning on your skin when you go in the sun with it. Makes you even burn faster. The best thing to do if you stay short.. stay in the shadow most of the time. In a period your skin gets darker and browner.. when it's that you no longer burn so quick and can go in the sun easily longer time.

All white people burn quick.

My doctor has told me that the level of increased protection between an SPF30 and SPF50 is very minimal as SPF30 blocks out 97% of UV rays. He said the increased amount of chemicals in higher doses could irritate the skin and the risk isn't worth it.

I am Australian and had waaay too much skin exposure as a child and teen. Both my brother and I had skin cancers removed in our 20s, my brother's was a very aggressive, fast-growing type. So sunscreen is very important for me here in Thailand. I use an SPF30 makeup base everyday for work and a moisturiser with sunscreen on non-work days. My daughter is dark skinned but she still gets creamed up every time she goes in the pool etc. Good on you for being aware that you need sun protection.

I protect my skin here in Thailand by wearing burka !

haha. oh zaza, you made me laugh out loud just then!

I protect my skin here in Thailand by wearing burka !

You are funny zaza!

I wdnt take malariapills except for endemic areas (some in northern and western parts) but if you spend more than two weeks I wd forgo them completely. Be careful with Lariam; if you get like suddenly depressed or anxious stop it immediately.

Avoid to get stung ; Use antimosquito roller e.g Jaico is a good brand and not a bad smell like Skeetolene.

I decided against Lariam because I had depression issues as a child and while I have been happy and healthy for years since then I didn't want to risk any of that and my doctor agreed. She prescirbed something else which I have forgotten the name of (sorry) but it's an anti-biotic which she said would make my skin more sensitive and with both choices my birthcontrol less effective. I'm only going to be in BKK and maybe go to the beaches in the south. My bf thought it was a little weird that I was having to half to take all these meds too.

I was prescribed alot of stuff but there was one shot for Japanese Encephalitis which I decided to forgo as my doctor said I wouldn't really need it because I wasn't going to be staying very long or in rural areas and it was going to be very expensive and I would have to go to a travel clinic.

The one thing I am making sure to take is the stuff for travellors diarrhea! YUCK, none of that please! hahhaa

lol complicated health stuffs. My doctor seemed to be trying to scare me.

Edited April 24, 200818 yr by shikonjewel

im not a doctor but i dont believe that there is malaria in bangkok, nor in the southern beaches. if you are going to khao sok, then there may be a risk, but if you are sticking to the beaches, i do not think that you will really have a problem.

the meds the doc has you on sounds like doxycycline and this is a relatively light antibiotic. be aware, however, that one particularly nasty side effect that may not have been mentioned is thrush.

to be honest (and this is coming from someone who has had malaria 4 times) i would perhaps forego the anti malarials. take them with you, as IF you were unlucky enough to ge tit, they can be used as treatment.

I find limiting sun exposure is best and you get a nicer suntan that way too. Too much sunlight bad for you but too little sunlight bad for you too. Don't wear any sunblock as want to get the vitamin D. For those who don't know, sunlight is good natural source of vitamin D which is good for bones and hormones (us ladies of a certain age have to think about these things ).

I wdnt take malariapills except for endemic areas (some in northern and western parts) but if you spend more than two weeks I wd forgo them completely. Be careful with Lariam; if you get like suddenly depressed or anxious stop it immediately.

Avoid to get stung ; Use antimosquito roller e.g Jaico is a good brand and not a bad smell like Skeetolene.

I decided against Lariam because I had depression issues as a child and while I have been happy and healthy for years since then I didn't want to risk any of that and my doctor agreed. She prescirbed something else which I have forgotten the name of (sorry) but it's an anti-biotic which she said would make my skin more sensitive and with both choices my birthcontrol less effective. I'm only going to be in BKK and maybe go to the beaches in the south. My bf thought it was a little weird that I was having to half to take all these meds too.

I was prescribed alot of stuff but there was one shot for Japanese Encephalitis which I decided to forgo as my doctor said I wouldn't really need it because I wasn't going to be staying very long or in rural areas and it was going to be very expensive and I would have to go to a travel clinic.

The one thing I am making sure to take is the stuff for travellors diarrhea! YUCK, none of that please! hahhaa

lol complicated health stuffs. My doctor seemed to be trying to scare me.

Please reconsider the Anti Malaria Meds! Better to come to Thailand and enjoy the sun the be afraid of it from the meds! I am not doctor but I think Antibiotics can actually lower your immune system. I lhave lived in Phuket for over 5 years and no Malaria yet.

Western countries try to scare you and sell you lots of drugs. HAs you doctor everr been to Asia?

Just say No! The Thai's have been living here for years and they dont take anit malaria drugs.

Can alwasy post in the health forum too.

Mostly I remain indoors. When I go out, I use the trusty umbrella, a moisturizer with SPF 20 or so, and if I will be in the sun very long a powder foundation with SPF 20.

While we all need sun exposure to get our vitamin D, 15 minutes a day is enough at 45 degrees latitude; here at about 17 degrees even less is needed. Not using any sun protection here is asking for skin cancer, particularly if you have very fair skin. I have that fair skin. I suspect the OP does as well. I can, and will, burn in 15 minutes here without some sort of sunscreen. Heaven forbid I should be take an antibiotic to make me more photosensitive! While I agree that the malaria drugs are unnecessary, the sun protection is still a must here for that type of skin.

My doctor has told me that the level of increased protection between an SPF30 and SPF50 is very minimal as SPF30 blocks out 97% of UV rays. He said the increased amount of chemicals in higher doses could irritate the skin and the risk isn't worth it.

This has been the consensus in the states from the doctors there, that anything above 30 isn't doing that much good, it's re-applying it when needed. 30 spf just means that you can stay out (supposedly) 30 times longer than the time it normally takes you to start burning. that is different for each individual. so whatever amount of time that is....say 10 minutes, you would need to re-apply every 5 hours.

There was a doctor doing a show on tv about sun blcokers, time in the sun etc. He said if you go outside the first 10 minutes don't wear any sunglasses (doesn't mean you won't have a hat on though) and you won't burn.

I had always wondered why I wasn't burning here, but I do in the states. Here I don't spend time in the sun, but when I go outside I don't wear sunglasses normally unless I'm out there for more than a few minutes. I do usually wear a hat, wear a long sleeved shirt, or use an umbrella if I'm out longer. The longest I spend in the sun is to hang out a load of clothes.

I have very fair skin, but always have a golden color to my skin...not what most people would call a tan, but not pale, pale.....and that is just from going outside minutes at a time.

I never took any malaria medicine here......not really necessary most of the time...........and I'd read of too many bad side affects......making you feel miserable your whole time you're supposed to be having fun. Mosquitos tend to be in certain places around my house. dark and damp....around overgrown vegetation.....

Mosquitos are the worst at dusk so I never am outside when the sun is going down until it's completely dark. I've heard daytime mosquitos are the ones that carry dengue fever, but I normally don't see mosquitos during the day unless like I mentioned in certain areas.

If you are in BKK there doesn't seem to be the over abundance of mosquitos like there was 25 years ago. Maybe from spraying a lot of pesticides.

That is definitely one thing I miss about San Diego.....we never had mosquitos where we lived.

Beachbunny