Here’s my hypothesis: it’s not total sun exposure that causes issues, it’s inconsistent sun exposure. Those of us in northern climates experience an annual cycle of very high and then nonexistent sun exposure. This causes our skin to stop producing melanin during the winter and then leaves us vulnerable to sunburn in the spring and summer. If we had year-round sun then our skin would consistently maintain melanin levels and we wouldn’t have sunburn.

I’d love to know if there are any studies trying to answer my question.

There's a hole in the atmosphere where I live. Incidentally, one of the highest skin cancer occurrences in the world.

Calling it overblown, is... A dangerous sentiment.

We tore a hole in our atmosphere. This is not the natural way of things, no. But we do have to live with the consequences.

I have known quite a few people personally who have found (and removed) skin cancer.

I don't know if that means anything, it isn't n=1 sample size, it is more and my gut says it might be statistically significant.

I agree. When it is sunny, I get at least 20 min of sun on my bare skin and in my eyes (not protected from UV by glasses) every other day as recommended by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman. I am however careful not to get a lot more than that at once and have high-UPF clothing, hat and sunglasses to protect myself if I ever do need to be out in the sun for an extended period. (I am of Northern European ancestry.)

Even though I believe that the vitamin D we can buy in bottles is probably just as good as the vitamin D my skin makes, I do not consider vitamin D supplementation an adequate replacement for getting UV light on my skin and in my eyes because vitamin D production is only one of the benefits of getting UV light on the skin and in the eyes. (BTW I think HN put way too much emphasis on vitamin D.)

There are UV light receptors (that use a compound called neuropsin to sense the UV light) on the skin and in the parts of the brain that receive UV light (which gets into the skull mainly through the eyes). These receptors have nothing to do with vitamin D. Getting UV light onto these receptors is a more potent trigger for the release of endorphins in the brain than exercise is.

Regular UV light exposure also increases levels of sex hormones in men and in women. In men, increasing testosterone increases optimism and motivation and drive. Again, IIUC this effect has nothing to do with vitamin D.

When people eat plants, the compounds (e.g., lutein, zeaxanthin and lycopene) that plants use to protect themselves from UV light and blue light tend to be absorbed and to end up in high concentrations in the retina. If you do what I do, namely, get UV light from the sun every other day in moderate doses, then I suggest making sure you are getting plenty of these compounds. (Alexis Cowan says that omega 3 is helpful here, too.)

> I think we’re starting to find that the “if you get sunlight you will develop skin cancer” mantra is way overblown, if not outright wrong.

Citation needed