Ideal Skin

We live in our skin.

It’s our first line of defense against invasive organisms and insult. At the same time, it offers significant means for experiencing the world through the receptors and nerves involved in touch.

Image via WikipediaBlood that circulates to the skin helps keep us warm. As our outer layer, via its sweat glands, our skin helps us cool down.

Anatomically speaking, skin is considered an organ, like the heart or lungs.

“The skin is the largest organ of the body,” said Dr. Dawn Davis, a board-certified clinical and pediatric dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Skin regenerates continuously. It replaces all its cells every 28 days or so, she said.

Consistency, then, is key to skin care. It needs care every day.

What would a perfect patient do to take care of his or her skin?

The question was put to Davis and to Dr. Grace Newton of Lynchburg. Newton is a board-certified dermatologist and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

At the top of both doctors’ lists was protecting against the effects of ultraviolet radiation.

“In general,” said Newton, “be sensible about the sun.”

When she goes on vacation, she said she sometimes sees people who have burned bright red, then sees them out in the sun again the next day.

They have been exposed to too much ultraviolet light.

Ultraviolet light includes both ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays.

UVA rays are longer in wave length, penetrating deep into skin. They can cause wrinkling and damage to the skin’s connective tissue, resulting a loss of elasticity. That’s how sun exposure leads to premature signs of aging, which is called photo-aging. UVA rays can pass through window glass.

UVB’s shorter rays affect the skin’s surface; they’re the burning rays. UVB rays cannot pass through glass.

UV radiation can cause skin cancer.

There are three prevalent types of skin cancer. According to the National Cancer Institute:

n Basal cell carcinoma forms in the lower part of the epidermis, the skin’s outer layer;

n Squamous cell carcinoma forms in the flat cells that form the surface of the skin; and

n Melanoma forms in melanocytes, the cells that make the skin’s pigment.

One of the best prevention tactics is to use sunscreen every day, doctors say. The sunscreen should have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30, and protect against both UVA and UVB rays.

“People tend to err in using too little and not re-applying,” said Newton.

It takes at least one ounce, the equivalent of a shotglass filled with sunscreen, to protect the body effectively, doctors say.

Lips need protection, too. There are lip balms that contain sunscreen.

Sunscreen needs to be applied 30 minutes before going outside. It needs to be re-applied every two hours, or immediately after perspiring heavily or swimming.

Both physicians also suggest wearing broad-brimmed hats, UV-blocking sunglasses (melanoma can develop in the eyes, according to the AAD), long-sleeved shirts and pants in the sun.

There’s clothing made for sun protection. And you can launder clothes in a UV protectant that can be added to the wash cycle.

The AAD also suggests staying out of the sun when it’s at its strongest, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Since the sun helps us metabolize vitamin D, Davis said some people worry about getting enough vitamin D if they avoid the sun. They need not be concerned, she said, because diet and supplements can provide sufficient amounts.

Newton and Davis caution patients to stay away from tanning beds.

Research shows that using a tanning bed can increase your risk of melanoma by 75 percent, according to the AAD.

No sunbathing doesn’t have to mean no healthy glow, though.

Davis said sunless tanning products, such as moisturizers, gels and sprays, have come a long way in recent years. Some salons now offer body sprays. (The AAD doesn’t recommend sunless tanning pills, however.)

In the summer, sun protection is on the public’s mind. But the ideal patient takes care of his or her skin year-round.

Davis said the ideal patient would bathe or shower daily in warm water, not hot, for no longer than 10 minutes. And he or she would use a soap that’s free of dyes and perfumes.

“The ideal patient avoids abrasive things,” she said. That means no loofahs or the like, she said.

After bathing, Davis recommends drying off by patting, not rubbing, with a clean towel. Towels should be changed for clean ones after one or two uses.

A moisturizer with sunscreen in it works well on the face and neck. “Don’t forget the neck,” Davis said.

She suggests a gentle moisturizer for the neck down.

For patients with sensitive skin, Davis recommends putting on clothes that have been laundered with hypoallergenic detergents, and dried without dryer sheets or fabric softeners. A laundry ball — a sphere with flattened teeth or spikes on it — reduce wrinkles and separate clothes.

At night, the ideal patient would cleanse the face and neck again, and re-apply moisturizer.

Davis said skin is “a window into your health on the inside.” What goes on in your body shows on your skin.

Davis recommends a healthy diet (plenty of fruits, vegetables and lean proteins), drinking plenty of water, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep.

The last thing the perfect patient would do is to check his or her skin regularly.

Newton likens watching for skin problems to checking for breast cancer.

Ideally, the patient would check on a regular basis. The perfect patient would get someone else, if possible, to check the places he or she cannot see. And just as with discovery of a lump, any changes in skin should be brought to the attention of a dermatologist.

In fact, the perfect patient would become a regular at the dermatologist’s office for full-body skin checks. Annual skin check-ups are a good idea, although Newton said a patient’s individual needs and history should determine the frequency.

Finally, summer is the time to enjoy being in our skin.

“You don’t want to be a hermit,” Newton said. “Be sensible.”



Protect yourself

Avoid the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Don’t burn.

Don’t use tanning beds or booths.

Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.

Apply at least one ounce 30 minutes before going outside. Re-apply after swimming or excessive sweating.

Cover up with broad-brimmed hats, long sleeves, pants and UV-blocking sunglasses.

Keep newborns out of the sun. Sunscreen should be used on babies over the age of six months.

Examine your skin head to toe every month.

See your physician every year for a skin exam.

Source: Adapted from the Skin Cancer Foundation, www. Skincancer.orgSun exposure factors



Know the facts

Time of day: Ultraviolet radiation is most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Season: Intensity is greater in summer.

Altitude: UV radiation increases by 4 percent for every 1,000 feet of elevation.

Cloud cover: A thin cover of clouds only reduces UV radiation by 20 percent to 40 percent.

Reflection: Reflected UV radiation can be as damaging as direct exposure. Water reflects up to 100 percent of UV radiation; snow, up to 85 percent; and sand/concrete, 25 percent.

Related articles

• Ask the experts: How to stay safe in the sun (tantowelplus.blogspot.com)
• These sun blocks offer the best protection (tantowelcloths.blogspot.com)
• McGregor column: ABCs make skin protection easy (tantowelcloths.blogspot.com)
• Shedding Light on 7 Sunscreen Myths: Lotions, Sprays, SPF Makeup, and More (webmd.com)
• Sunscreen (meandmybikini.wordpress.com)

Man wearing pink dress robs Ramsey Street pharmacy

A man who robbed a CVS pharmacy on Ramsey Street over the weekend took a different approach in his attempt to disguise himself.

He wore a pink dress and wrapped a cloth around his head.

The robbery happened about 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the CVS at 404 Ramsey St., said Gavin MacRoberts, a spokesman for the Fayetteville Police Department.

Surveillance video shows the man - wearing a sheer pink dress, tennis shoes and the towel or scarf - entering the store, attempting to cover his face with what appears to be a black stocking.

The man, carrying a tan bag and a white cloth, walks to the register where a woman is completing a purchase. The man reaches over and sets the bag down in front of the cashier, who begins putting money in it.

The man uses the white cloth to cover something in his hand, as if he is carrying a gun.

He fiddles with the stocking or pantyhose, trying to cover his face as the leg portion dangles down the front of his face onto his chest like an elephant's trunk.

The man keeps looking around as the cashier fills the bag. He then takes the bag and walks out.

Police believe the man is between 30 and 40 years old, between 5 feet 10 inches and 6 feet tall with a medium build.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 433-1856 or CrimeStoppers at 483-TIPS.

BioBag: Baggin’ it the biodegradeable way

With Australia imposing carbon tax on its citizens and more people getting aware of global warming, with heatwaves in China and natural disasters, saving the Earth has become a bigger priority among youth these days. And there is one word that floats around the market – biodegradable.

The term ‘biodegradable‘ means that products with this characteristic can be broken down into smaller compounds and returned to the Earth, without affecting the environment and causing clutter.

You may have heard of biodegradable spoons and utensils made of corn and potatoes sold on the market, but what about biodegradeble dog bags for pet lovers, which repel insects and keep unpleasant odours contained?

These dog bags are just one of the many products that eco-friendly product manufacturer BioBag Singapore peddles, alongside cleaning products, waste bags, produce bags and even towels.

BioBag’s Businesss Development Manager Kagen Tan said, “We need to use renewable resources so that we are not reliant on non-renewable ones.”

This is why BioBag prides itself in using GMO-free starch to manufacture its products. And the innovation doesn’t stop there. One interesting product to note is the MaxAir Ventilated Bin. When fitted with a BioBag waste bag, moisture evaporates from the waste, drying the contents of the bin out, preventing rot and odour from being emitted. After almost 2 to 3 months, the waste becomes useable compost, which can act as natural, organic garden fertiliser.


The MaxAir bin.
As for the BioBag waste bag which can be fitted in the Bin, this bag is no ordinary waste bag. In fact, it doubles up as a storage bag which protects goods against bacteria and spores, meaning that you can stow your shoes in without worry of seeing mould grow on them after some time in a humid cabinet.


The BioBag produce bag, which is bacteria and mould-resistant.
BioBag also caters to bathroom products, with two types of towels sold – the bath towel and multi-purpose towels.

Multi-purpose towels can be reused after washing, for up to 20 times, if placed in a washing bag. They serve as handkerchiefs and cleaning cloths too, hence their name.

But these towels are not made from normal fabric, but paper pulp. Mr. Tan explains that the pulp is “a waste-product of the paper manufacturing process,” calling the use of this by-product a “nordic example of efficient use of resources”.


Resuable bath towels, made of paper pulp.
And at the end of the day, what are the perks of buying such products? Mr. Tan ended off by stating that saving the environment was “like good karma points, twice over.”

Nudism helped me to love my body at last

When friends told me about Britain’s first naturist spa hotel in Birmingham — Clover Spa, which opened in March — I couldn’t help but giggle as they expressed their horror at the very idea of holidaying naked.

They pondered the discomfort of sunburned bits and shuddered at the thought of baring all for the world to see. Little did they know that I’d already been to a naturist spa, and loved it.

I have always been insecure about my body. In fact, for the first year of our relationship, my husband never saw me naked in daylight.


Secret nudist: Kerry's confidence soared after a visit to a 'clothing optional' hotel
In the morning, when I was having a shower, I would pull the blinds in the bathroom to keep it in semi- darkness. In the bedroom, I favoured candlelight.

Though it may sound silly to some, back then, my body felt like the stuff of nightmares — I have stretch marks, dimples and lots of flabby bits.

On a good day, seeing myself naked would prompt me to go to the gym on my way to work. On a bad day, it would cause me to spiral into depression.

A year into our relationship, Joe and I got married at his father’s home in Florida. Surely, now that we were wed, I’d feel more at ease?

I wasn’t. In fact, being in Florida made the situation worse.

While the family frolicked on the beach in tiny bikinis and swimming trunks, I watched from a sun lounger, sweating under a long black skirt and T-shirt.

Joe was concerned by my insecurities, but was nevertheless full of compliments — even when I felt I was at my worst — and told me how beautiful he found me. I believed him, yet I couldn’t quite overcome my phobia. Until I tried nudism.

Seven months later, we were back in Florida and drove past a ‘clothing optional’ hotel. I couldn’t help but wonder what went on inside.


'I saw stretch marks and flabby bits, just like mine. The difference was that these people didn't care'

‘Have you ever been in there?’ I asked Joe. ‘No,’ he grinned. ‘Do you want to have a look?’

Of course, he expected me to dismiss his suggestion. Yet my interest was piqued. Perhaps it would help me to see other people at ease with their bodies.

I wouldn’t have to strip completely, I decided before making a decision. ‘Let’s do it,’ I agreed.

As we pulled up and I opened the car door, I saw three older gentlemen walking towards me swinging tennis rackets, clad only in sparkly, white gym shoes.

They looked as though they hadn’t a care in the world. Then, two ladies in their 30s whizzed by on a golf cart in nothing but their sunhats.

The reception area looked like that of any other well-appointed hotel and the staff were friendly. I explained I was interested in visiting, but was fearful of the concept.


Sense of freedom: Kerry found being naked in public exhilarating (posed by model)
The receptionist smiled and told me that people could be as clothed, or as naked, as they wished. Pushing two free day passes towards us, she asked us to try it out for ourselves and explained a few house rules.

No sexual conduct was tolerated and towels had to be placed beneath you while sitting.

Before I knew it, we were buying two towels and heading out into the main resort area.

Men and women of all shapes and sizes lounged by the pool sipping cocktails, while others played team sports or chatted. I saw stretch marks, dimples, tan lines and lots of flabby bits, just like mine. The difference was that these people didn’t care.

As the sun beat down on us — me dressed head-to-toe in black — Joe eyed me. ‘What do you think?’ he asked.

I pondered for a moment before heading towards two sun loungers by the pool, then said: ‘I think we should take our clothes off.’

Though nervous, I didn’t feel uncomfortable. Slowly, I slipped out of my clothes, and for one nerve-racking minute while I stood nude, I looked at others’ faces to see if they were laughing at my wobbly bits.

To my surprise, not a soul even so much as glanced my way.

‘Your turn,’ I said to Joe. His eyebrows raised, a grin crossed his face as he stripped off, too.

We arranged our towels before laying down and enjoying the sun. I felt an intoxicating rush of freedom. The sunshine on my bare skin was too delicious for words.

For so many years, I’d worried about what others thought of me. I suddenly realised what a huge waste of time that had been.

For one day on a cool lake, summer held its promise

After we finished making the Popsicle stick jewelry boxes, the loopy potholders and braided key chains, after we wore out the Chutes and Ladders and Candyland games, lost some of the jacks and scraped our hands on the concrete while playing with the jacks we still had, after we ate blue Popsicles from the ice cream truck, and on a very, very lucky day, a Drumstick cone, after all of that, when the swings felt dull and sticky and our moms said no for the one-hundreth time that we could not go in the public playground pool - this being the age of polio - then we sat back glumly wondering if the day would ever come. The best day of the summer:

The day we went to Spring Lake.

If the neighbors looked out their windows on any given summer night in 1960 or so, they'd probably see two little girls sitting on ornate brick front steps plucking leaves from the hedgerow and talking with animation about many things, but mostly, planning ahead to that one end-of-the-summer day when they climbed aboard a school bus with dozens of other children and headed north to Burrillville and Spring Lake.

It was a day to carry a new beach bag, stuff it with a sandwich, Stateline Potato Chips and a package of Fruit Stripe gum, then set off down the hill to the concrete lot playground, beating the bus that would arrive to carry us by an hour, so that we could be first in line - and get the best seat.

For at least six unscheduled hours, we had water to swim in, a dock to leap off, warm sand to rest on, and a penny arcade where the flashing lights and screaming sounds of the games made us giddy with laughter. It was heaven.

No concrete. No parents. Just fun.

Spring Lake was our one-day freedom trail that had nothing to do with history, apart from our own. We made memories there, though there are few if any photos to prove it. No one had a camera, let alone a portable telephone that also took photos. But there was a curtained photo booth that snapped four black-and-white candid shots of us looking silly, those strips of our 10-year-old faces long gone, except when we rewind our thoughts.

That adage about the two best words in the English language being "summer afternoon" would have confused me at age 10. I would have said: "No sir! The two best words are Spring Lake," joy a bus ride away somewhere in Rhode Island we assumed, we didn't really know for sure. And it didn't matter. It looked like and felt like those idyllic summer places from the movies.

Perhaps, like summer itself, Spring Lake has reached mythological proportions in retrospect. Because it wasn't, and isn't, elaborate, it wasn't sophisticated or exotic, but it was summer vacation and camp combined into one contented day, and it was enough.

We would run past the little cottages, up to the lockers smelling of hot sun on coal tar. Sometimes we'd stretch out on the slated boardwalk, the heat seeping into our already tanned skin, our faces filled with thunderstruck relief. We were here, finally.

After suffering through the heated weeks, we were on vacation for a few dizzy hours. Apart from the bathhouses and lockers where we left our beach bags, getting a key on a stretch bracelet to wrap around our wrists, little outbuildings stood just back from the waterfront, one after the other. Next to the penny arcade, there was a place to buy hot French fries sprinkled with vinegar and salt. We'd take them to a picnic table to sit in wet bathing suits, these fries a 10-year-old's equivalent of a lobster dinner, their aroma better than their taste.

We liked Spring Lake for the very things it wasn't: Not seaweedy or salty, not rocky or rough with shells. The sand was hand-raked and clean, the water calm and brisk, sharper at first plunge than hail in January. Fed by cold springs, the water was icy, and the hot sun didn't do much to alter the temperature.

We'd scream from the dock and jump in - unless pushed by someone older who was then reprimanded by a lifeguard. Depending upon life that summer, it might be the only time we actually plunged into open water, or flew down the curvy slide, which was worth the exhaustingly long wait standing behind other kids, only one allowed on the ladder at a time.

Later, much later, we'd put great effort into arranging our things on a towel, stretching out on the smooth sand pretending to sunbathe. For a few minutes. There was no time to waste.

The penny arcade stood waiting, and we were allowed to enter sandy and wet to revisit the frightful clown puppets who watched our every move as distorted mirrors twisted us into odd shapes. We'd run from one game to the other - the bowling game, the boxing game, the gypsy fortune teller, the game with the steering wheel that let us pretend to operate a car, each game like the lottery we'd never win. Oh well, next time.

Too soon we'd hear the counselor's whistle. Time to wrangle with wet clothing in our own little lockers, and line up to have our names checked off. When we climbed back on the bus with a wet bathing suit wrapped in a soggy towel, summer seemed to end.

Autumn would be whispering into our water-logged ears, though the thick trees on both sides of that old road were still deep green. The quiet bus would drive us away from summer as our heads rested back with a little sadness. We knew we wouldn't be returning, though we wondered with hope if our fathers or older siblings would drive us back to Spring Lake one more time, keeping possibilities alive.

As we bounced back toward home, we knew we were headed not just to our own kitchens for supper, but also to September, school uniforms and orderly classrooms.

One year, we didn't realize we wouldn't be going back at all, that summer would mean jobs, and life beyond the little places like this tucked away everywhere, places that hopefully won't change too much, even though we do.

New little children took our places in the penny arcade, making goofy faces in a camera booth, while others shrieked happily from the waterfront.

More elaborate summers would unfold for us until the day came when our own little girls, flushed from the heat of a steaming July day, looked to us and asked: "What did you do in summer when you were a little girl?"

"You mean after we made Popsicle stick jewelry boxes, and loopy potholders and wore out the Chutes and Ladders and Candyland games?

"Well, let me tell you about Spring Lake..."

These sun blocks offer the best protection

 With summer in full swing, Americans may be tempted to catch more than a little sunshine.

But the impulse is often clouded by two conflicting public-health issues. How do you protect your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays without robbing yourself of the health benefits of vitamin D, which the sun aids the body in producing?

Because vitamin D is also available in food, the general rule, dermatologists say, boils down to this: Wear sunscreen. Reapply it every few hours when you’re in the sun. And seek shade during peak sun hours.

“The sun has an effect on happiness and pleasure,” acknowledges Dr. David Leffell, professor of dermatology and surgery at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Conn.

But it has a dark side, he says. “We need to understand it and approach our sun-seeking behavior in moderation.”

It’s easier to practice good “sun hygiene” than you might think. Here are a few tips, including highlights of new sunscreen ratings by Consumer Reports.

• Think of sunscreen — whether you choose a lotion, spray or cream — as part of an overall strategy to avoid increasing your risk of premature wrinkles and skin cancer. The strategy also includes wearing wide-brimmed hats and tight-knit clothing and saying no to baking yourself in the sun or a tanning salon.
• Choose sunscreen with a sun protection factor of no less than 30 and apply it before going out in the sun. It’s more effective that way and keeps it from staining your clothes, says Jamie Hirsh, senior associate editor for Consumer Reports Health in Yonkers, N.Y.
• Make sure you use enough of it. Apply two to three tablespoons to cover all exposed skin. That’s about equivalent to filling a shot glass. And put sunscreen on easily forgotten areas prone to sunburn, such as your neck and the tops of your ears and feet, if you’re wearing sandals.
• Reapply sunscreen every few hours. “Don’t just put it on once and think you’re good to go for the day,” Hirsh says. “That’s even true for the water-resistant ones. When you towel off (after swimming,) you’re mechanically removing sunscreen.”

Dr. James Spencer, a member of the board of directors for the American Academy of Dermatology and a dermatologist in St. Petersburg, Fla., says this is where many well-intentioned people can fall down on the job. “The hard part is you have to reapply it every three or four hours. It’s inconvenient.”

Choose brands that perform well in real-world tests of water resistance and radiation filtration — the deeper-penetrating UVA radiation, responsible for tanning and aging the skin, and the UVB type, which causes sunburn.

For its July 2011 edition, Consumer Reports tested 22 sunscreen brands. The magazine recommends nine of them for staying on in water and being “excellent” at protecting skin from UVB radiation and “very good” at protecting from UVA radiation.

They are: Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF 30 and Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF 100, Coppertone Sport Ultra Sweatproof SPF 30, CVS Fast Cover Sport SPF 30, Walgreens Sport SPF 50 and Ocean Potion Kids Instant Dry Mist SPF 50.

Three on the recommended list were also rated “best buys:” Up & Up Sport SPF 30, No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E SPF 45 and Equate Baby SPF 50.

• Don’t let price be a deterrent to using sunscreen. About half of products recommended by Consumer Reports are store brands, not name brands, Hirsh says. One of its “best buys,” the No-Ad product, sells for as little as 59 cents an ounce.
• Pregnant women may want to avoid sunscreens that contain the inactive ingredient retinyl palmitate out of an abundance of caution, Consumer Reports says, due to questions about possible health effects on the fetus. About a third of the 22 brands tested contain retinyl palmitate, Hirsh says. “Because there are great options that don’t contain it, why not choose another one, especially if you’re concerned?”
• Check your skin regularly for abnormal growths or suspicious moles. See a dermatologist if you have any concerns.

Visitors of N.J. nude beach face the increasing threat of lurking photographers

The regulars at Gunnison Beach claim to know the telltale signs of a photographer in their midst:
It’s usually a man who arrives with no book, no cooler, and most tellingly, no sunscreen. Clearly he intends to stay just long enough to snap some nude photos at New Jersey’s only "clothing-optional" public beach.
For years, nude beach etiquette advised visitors to leave their cameras at home.
Now, however, every beachgoer has a cell phone, and every cell phone has a camera. It’s easier than ever to take a surreptitious photograph of the nude sunbather three towels away. Once an image is captured, it might be privately enjoyed later, or even uploaded to a commercial website specializing in such shots.
"There’s always going to be some jerk out there with a camera. But cell phones make it more convenient for people who are going to do something like this," said Dale Distasio of Atlantic Highlands, who runs Friends of Gunnison, a group for beach regulars.
In Gateway National Park at Sandy Hook, photographers have the law on their side.
"As sad as it is, there’s nothing we can do to control this behavior," she said. "If someone wants to point a zoom lens at me and look up my ZIP code, well, I have decided to be naked on a piece of federal property, so that’s that. You have no expectation of privacy."
While commercial porn websites showcase only young, fit beachgoers, nudists with less-than-perfect physiques face a different threat: finding themselves mocked online. Distasio tells of three large ladies who frequent Gunnison whose group photo was posted online with the caption "Manatees."
Gunnison regulars, who are fiercely protective of their little bit of heaven, use everything from public shame to technology to fight back. They want to keep attendance robust at a beach they boast is the cleanest, the quietest and the friendliest in the park.
When the National Park Service took control of this barrier peninsula after the Army deactivated Fort Hancock in 1974, the beach tradition of skinny-dipping — begun by the all-male soldiers stationed there — was permitted to continue.
In Gunnison’s early days as a public beach, a photographer who ignored polite requests to stop could find his camera grabbed and his film canister unspooled and exposed to the sun.
"We’d pull the film out and everyone would cheer," said Lois Flicek, a longtime Gunnison naturist. ("We’re naturists," she tells visitors." ‘Naturalist’ is a birdwatcher.")

Andrew Mills/The Star-Ledger
A lone sunbather on a not-so-nice beach day at Gunnison Beach, a clothing optional area of Gateway National Recreation Area on Sandy Hook.
Once the Park Service assumed a greater role in supervising the beach, rangers advised against such confrontations. "They don’t want us to take the law in our own hands," says Distasio.
Sometimes it’s enough to hand an amateur photographer a business card that lists beach etiquette, including the admonition to "ALWAYS get permission before taking photographs."
If that doesn’t work, the next step may be lending a 3-foot-high windscreen to the young women who most often draw the interest of photographers. Or one of the small gatherings that crop up around regulars — Flicek flies a Grateful Dead banner to let friends know her location — will invite a newcomer into their protection for the day.
Eric, 42, who has been going to Gunnison since high school, has found that if an intruder ignores a polite request to stop, it is particularly effective to turn the tables and take his photo.
"When we ask them to stop, they say, ‘It’s a free country!’ and we say, ‘You know what, sir? You’re right.’ Then ‘click,’ we take their picture," he said. "And they freak out: ‘I’m a schoolteacher!’ or ‘I’m just here to look!’ You would not believe how many people come here fully clothed, sit there taking pictures, and leave when we take their picture."
Lately, this retired federal investigator has added a high-tech deterrent: He posts photos of what he calls "beach geeks" — predatory photographers — on his private Gunnison Facebook page, which now has 270 followers. Sometimes he posts while at the beach, right from his iPad.
(He didn’t want his full name used out of concern someone he may have arrested would seek him out at the beach, where he’d be unarmed. Many Gunnison regulars remain semi-anonymous to even their friends there, going by beach names like "Volleyball Larry" or "Bandanna Tom.")
In addition, beach regulars use text messages to warn each other of anyone whose behavior seems suspect.
Park Service lifeguards will not intervene in such disputes with one exception: when children are involved. Flicek tells of a visitor who sat near a German family, then periodically reached into his beach bag to fiddle with something. When they realized he was filming the children with a video camera, they informed park rangers. He was arrested, she said.
Eric, the retired federal investigator, pointed out that since the incident took place on federal property, it would trigger federal charges — and perhaps federal prison.
There were few children present on a recent weekday visit. Nudists say once children get to be school-aged, parents are less comfortable bringing them along. This makes Gunnison unusually quiet — no water fights, squealing at waves, or teenage boomboxes.
Nor was there any obvious photography of strangers. Plenty of people were engrossed in their cell phones, but they appeared to be texting. Meanwhile, a few friends were taking photos of each other. Still, the regulars say the commercial websites gather images during the summer, then post them over the winter. (Such sites will remove a specific image if requested by the photograph’s subject.)
A group of three 20-something women, first-timers deciding whether to proceed past the clothing-optional warning sign, said it hadn’t occurred to them to worry about being photographed. The prospect gave them pause.
"I just want to relax, get some sun — and no tan lines," said Jennifer, who didn’t give her last name because of her occupation. "It doesn’t mean I want to be on the internet!"

Have Fun in the Sun Without Looking Like a Lobster

Gym-tanning-laundry may sound like a good plan to you, but lying out in the sun isn’t as harmless as you think. Following these steps could help you stay safe in the sun all summer long!

The ABC’s of Sunscreen

Apply! – No matter your skin color, daily exposure to the sun or geographical location, everyone needs sunscreen. Apply sunscreen all over the skin 30 to 15 minutes before sun exposure. Reapply every two hours– sooner if you’ve been swimming or sweating heavily.

Broad Spectrum – Sunscreen bottles typically display their “sun protection factor” on the front, but this isn’t all that matters. SPF levels are only systemized to report levels of protection from UVB rays. UVA rays are not included, as a rating system for this has not been created. Using a broad spectrum sunscreen, in addition to at least SPF 30, is the best choice as it covers both types of rays.

Cover Up – It may put a damper on your guy-watching, but staying covered up whenever you can is important. Wearing a hat, sunglasses and clothing on the beach during peak sun hours — 10 am to 3 pm — can keep you safer from the sun. If this cramps your style too much, try and umbrella!

Fake, Don’t Bake

There are plenty of ways to get your tan on without putting yourself at risk for dangerous and deadly cancers.

Spray Tans – As lampooned as they are, for many women spray tans are a good way to opt out of baking. Many spray tan salons offer a range of shades for every skin tone. Not only is it safer, but at salons like Mystic Tan you can get a tan that would take a whole summer of sunbathing! Easy, safe and convenient!

Instant Tanners – Tanning wipes, sprays and lotions can offer an instant glow at an affordable price and at a convenient location — your house! Tan Towels can be applied all over the body, in a circular motion, to achieve a great tone after two hours. Bronzers found in your local pharmacy can help you touch up before a night out too!

Gradual Lotions – If you’re looking for a more natural approach, try products like Jergen’s Natural Glow. With these your color builds up over time, just like a suntan, and is easier to control.

McGregor column: ABCs make skin protection easy

sun damage occurs before age 18. Therefore, it's important to make sure your child is properly protected from the sun.

When your child is outside, remember the ABCs of skin protection:

A: Away. Stay away from the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun's damaging UV rays are most intense.

B: Block. Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher. Sunscreens should block both UVA and UVB. The higher the SPF rating, the more protection your skin has. Apply sunscreen about 15 to 20 minutes before going outdoors. Reapply sunscreen at least every one to two hours. Reapply sunscreen immediately after washing or towel drying.

C: Cover up. Wear a T-shirt, sunglasses and a hat with a visor or adequate brim.

S: Speak out. Talk to your family and friends about sun protection. Make sure your child care provider has sunscreen for your child to use when playing outdoors.

Children younger than 6 months should not have prolonged exposure to the sun. However, if adequate shade or protective clothing is not available, apply a minimal amount of sunscreen to the baby's face and hands.

If your child does suffer a sunburn:

» Put him or her into a cool bath or use cool compresses on burned areas.

» Give acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help relieve the pain.

» Apply aloe gel, hydrocortisone cream or a topical pain reliever to burned areas. Avoid Benadryl and benzocaine, Vaseline or moisturizers that trap heat into the skin.

Remember to examine your child's skin each month for unusual growths. Skin cancer only partially comes from the sun. Ask your doctor if you are concerned about a growing or changing skin lesion.

Deb McGregor is prevention supervisor for Children's Service Society of Wisconsin's Lincoln County Family Resource Center.