Applying sunscreen 6 times a day, girl's bones are so weak that she can't chew food

An alarming case of excessive sun protection has just been recorded at the No. 1 People's Hospital of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, China. A 28-year-old woman was hospitalized with severe rickets due to prolonged extreme sun protection.

According to Dr. Dang Lam of the Department of Dermatology, Hangzhou No. 1 People's Hospital, this female patient wanted to have bright white skin so she followed a strict sun protection regimen for a whole year. She always carried an umbrella when going out and applied sunscreen 5-6 times a day, regardless of hot or cold weather, winter or summer.

Excessive sun protection combined with an irregular diet caused the girl's body to be severely deficient in vitamin D, causing osteoporosis. Notably, the disease developed to the point where the girl could no longer chew food.

Dr. Dang Lam added that cases of osteoporosis caused by excessive sun protection are not common, but these cases emphasize the importance of balancing skin protection and reasonable sun exposure. Many patients not only avoid the sun completely for a long time but also have deficiencies in their diet. The combined factors lead to serious illness.

"Severe vitamin D deficiency does not manifest itself immediately. It is the result of avoiding exposure to sunlight for a long time,"Dr. Dang Lam explained.

To promote vitamin D synthesis, you do not need to be exposed to strong sunlight, just sunbathing for about 15 to 20 minutes a day when the sunlight is mild is enough. If you are busy and have difficulty arranging your daily time, under conditions that allow, you can be exposed to sunlight for more than an hour at a time to achieve the same effect.

Doctors also note that sunbathing should be done directly outdoors, not through window glass, because glass can filter out UVB rays necessary for vitamin D synthesis.