Unsolicited skin care advice, got to love it...

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

I was tempted to reply,
"You should look into getting what Michael Jackson uses and lighten your skin!"

Been there, hollered back "You're too uptight! Get a vibrator!"

My mother damn near beat the shit out of me with a rolled up newspaper for that remark...all the while laughing her ass off.

It's fun hanging with your folks when you're in your middle 20's

M

[Becks]

One time, after someone was very rudely telling me I needed to donate my hair, another friend of mine pipped up "Are you going to donate your boobs to women who lost theirs to breast cancer?" She got all huffy and left.

I think I could like your friend very much.

[Rapscallion]

Sorry to burst your bubble-but FDA requires that ALL products manufactured for human use must be proven safe on animals first-NO EXCEPTIONS!

I've had to chase up the bunny-mark for our own-brand stuff. We have to get confirmation that the manufacturers and their suppliers have not conducted any animal testing on their products or the materials, nor have they commissioned the same. However, we're not subject to the FDA, being in the UK. Your mileage may vary from country to country.

Rapscallion

[BookstoreEscapee]

Besides, couldn't what that person said to you be considered a racist remark, or at least an ethnic slur? I bet they would never dream of going up to a black person and screaming "you're too dark!"

Hmm...I never thought of it that way. I am very pale. I'm not as careful with sunscreen as I should be, but I don't tan. People tell me I need to tan, and I say I don't tan, I burn. Then they say, but you burn and then it turns into a tan (um, no, actually, it doesn't). No, I burn, then I go back to being my white self. At least I don't often get it from complete strangers, just from my easily-tanned friends. Then again, I have to hear it on a semi-regular basis from them, so...

My paleness causes me the most pain at the doctor's office, when they want to draw blood. My skin is so light that my veins are very visible, especially in the inside of my elbow. They always think it will be so easy...and then it's not. One time it took 2 people 4 tries to get blood from me.

Warning: Healthy tan may cause nausea

Damn, she looks like she's wearing loose vinyl. Ew.

Are you a sibling I don't know about?

If she is, I'll be joining the family as well. Irish/German on mom's side, Irish/Sicilian on my dad's (his grandparents came from Sicily shortly before his dad was born). Whatever dark-skin Sicilian genes were there did not make it to me. (Italian temper, however, is a different story...)

Wow, it's so nice to have so many pasty people supporters all on one board! You guys are the best!!

WooHoo! Power to the Pasty People!!

[Primer]

With all that we know about skin cancer, and for as long as we have know it, I'm willing to bet that i am the only person whose doctor has recommended to get sunburned. OK, so it was (only) about 20 years ago, but it kept my psoriasis under control. Now, when I have a bad outbreak, I go through UVA therapy. Same thing, just more controlled.

[XCashier]

I love most of the natural skin colours - especially the extremes. Pale, pale white skin that's almost translucent, or that gorgeous almost-blue-black dark skin some people have.

Healthy natural skin is beautiful, in any shade.

Been there, hollered back "You're too uptight! Get a vibrator!"

Oh, that took some major chutzpah to say that!

[Bluenomi]

Me too. Fair skin, formerly fair hair (still light brown), lots of moles, family history of skin cancer, grew up in Queensland. We could have a contest! Of course, a 'who's had more bits of skin cut out for fear of cancer' contest never has a winner.

Not really But we could compare cool scars

[Broomjockey]

Technically, every commercial product is animal tested. It's mandated by law.

For example, in Canada, Health and Welfare Canada's Drugs Directorate requires that manufacturers provide safety evidence which could involve animal testing in the case of new chemicals and chemical combinations.

In the US, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act does not require that cosmetic manufacturers test their products for safety. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated that it "strongly urges cosmetic manufacturers to conduct toxicological or other tests necessary to substantiate the safety of a particular cosmetic product." Until alternative, reliable and scientifically acceptable alternatives are developed, these tests may require the use of animals.

From here with some back up (sorta) here. Second one seems slightly biased, and the first is mostly a policy of a company explained, but I don't really feel like delving GoC's website.

And I shall withhold my own opinions on the subject.

[ThePhoneGoddess]

My paleness causes me the most pain at the doctor's office, when they want to draw blood. My skin is so light that my veins are very visible, especially in the inside of my elbow. They always think it will be so easy...and then it's not. One time it took 2 people 4 tries to get blood from me.

I suffer from the same problem---I've tried giving blood at blood drives at least 4 times and each time they send me away after 4 or 5 people try sticking me with needles. At the Doc's office newer nurses always have trouble and they have to have a head nurse or someone with lots of experience draw my blood. They usually end up drawing it from the back of my hand because they can't get it anywhere else. (OUCH!)

I'm willing to bet that i am the only person whose doctor has recommended to get sunburned.

Nah, I had a friend in college who used to do the same thing, for the same reason. When the psoriasis on her belly got really bad she'd go out on the dorm roof and get a slight sunburn on it to make it go away. She told me her Doctor told her to do that.

[ArenaBoy]

I'm probably one of the more tanner people on here ( I run year round) but seeing as winter is coming around and the sun hasn't been around my tan is starting to fade.

As for the OP, I would've told her to jump off a cliff. No one has any right to make a comment on appearances, employee or customer. A while ago I posted about an employee who told me (Wrote on a bag actually) to get a haircut. I never shopped in that store again because of that asshat.

[Broomjockey]

At the Doc's office newer nurses always have trouble and they have to have a head nurse or someone with lots of experience draw my blood. They usually end up drawing it from the back of my hand because they can't get it anywhere else. (OUCH!)

I've never tried to give blood (tell ya why in a sec), but at the doctors, I always get it in the back of my hand. Which confuses nurses and techs something fierce, until I tell them this: right from the first time they tried to draw my blood when I was like 4 years old, they could stick me 4 or 5 times and get nothing, even after digging around. And it's not like my veins are hidden. They're quite visible. Just...not really there, or something. And I learned this not only from when I was 4, but from the two stays I had in the hospital during elementary, and the first time I went in for a diabetes test. And every time but the first, they had to get it from my hand.

So, for donating blood? Thanks, but no thanks, I'm not getting a pint taken out through my hand. It hurts enough long enough to make my hand useless just taking a vial or two.

[Andara Bledin]

I really feel sorry for all you people with the tiny veins. I've got pretty notable blood vessels in my inner elbows that pop up after three seconds and never take more than a single needle stick. Though my right arm is far superior to my left for anything like that. To the degree that if they take my blood pressure on my left arm, it hurts, and the reading comes out wrong due to the stress of it hurting.

^-.-^

[Broomjockey]

I really feel sorry for all you people with the tiny veins. I've got pretty notable blood vessels in my inner elbows that pop up after three seconds and never take more than a single needle stick.

^-.-^

Oh no, I don't have tiny veins. They're large, and quite visible. They just...don't have any blood in them. Confuses the hell out of nurses. I've been repeatedly told "Oh, you've got great veins, right on the surface! This will be easy!" usually right before "sorry, lemme just try that again...it's right thereum...maybe over here?" Finally I went to the same place enough times that they believe me when I say "back of the hand, please."

[Seshat]

Not really But we could compare cool scars

There's one of mine noone's going to see but my husband and my dermatologist!

But I'll compare the rest with you, sure.

[TruthHurts]

I'm Irish and live in California. I have to wear sunscreen religiously or suffer the painful consequences.