Just checking in

[texasgal]

Hi everyone.  Well, I am about to take shot #5/48 tomorrow.  I still have no major sides except lack of energy in spurts.  I will be full of energy for a couple of hours then just come down like a rock.  I havehad no hair loss, but thankfully, my hair is so very thick that even if I do lose some, it probably wouldn't be noticable.  My question to any of you is this (and please don't think I am too vane.  Has anyone gone into a tanning bed while on treatment and how did it affect you.  We all need something that makes us feel half way good while on this treatment and taking some of this nast paleness away from my skin makes me feel a whole lot better.  Please don't think I am selfish or anything like that, I am just curious.  I have been a sun worshipper for years and I am not sure what a tanning bed will do while I am on the Pef/Copeg.  Hey, the way I look at it is tan fat looks better than white fat (ha ha).  Thanks, friends!

[BethUK]

I got really sensitive to the sun on treatment.  Im a big fan of fake tan and use it on my legs all summer- St. Tropez tan is fantastic.  My view is yes you do look and feel better with a bit of colour, but why risk making yourself look like a wrinkled old prune when you get older and even worse get skin cancer.  

As for the hair thing.  I've got quite thick hair and it thinned by about 30% i'd say.  Nobody noticed and it all grew back afterwards.

[annainitaly]

I have an excessively sensitive skin that makes me avoid sun. I have used self tanning body lotions sometimes, but honestly I don't like them much - they develop that sweetish fragrance...  
but you may try them. of course it's a completely different thing, it doesn't last long etc.

as for me, my skin is mozzarella white by this time. a little uncomfortable in the good season, when one would like wearing skirts. last summer I wore none at all - I adopted a jeans, nonchalant style, and the heck with fashion.

[Soleus]

I noticed a slight increase in UV sensitivity on treatment although not enough to keep me out of the sun. I was using more sunscreen well before treatment because of middle-aged skin and living in south Florida. I had no other skin sx and did receive a few mild sunburns on treatment. But they didn

[layla]

Normally I am in the sun a lot since we have a sailboat but while on tx it made me sick if I was in it too long. Before I could spend an entire afternoon in the sun but while on tx I would have to make sure I had good coverage or better yet got out of the sun within an hour. I've heard others are much more sensative than that. I did go into a tanning bed but for a much shorter time than I normally went but the added dryness to my skin was so terrible I stopped. Normally I could stay in long because I am not at all snesative to the sun but even just 6 or 7 minutes was too much. LL

[RUNNINGWOLF]

Tanning beds are wonderful,,, I missed mine this summer while on tx,,,,,I am on 40/48   THERE'S A LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!!!!!!!  tANNING BEDS DRY OUT YOUR SKIN AND CAN CAUSE MORE ITCHING,,,,i TRIED LAYING OUT IN MY BACKYARD WITH SUNBLOCK ON AND i STILL GOT A RASH AND itching1111111111111111

gOOD lUCK,,

gLENDA

[britgirl]

I had to keep out of the sun while on tx as otherwise I came out in a rash. Sun beds are a REALLY bad idea on tx, and a really bad idea anyway in my opinion. They have been shown to increase the rate of skin cancer quite significantly.

[Jane_s]

I suffered an extremely bad case of sunburn and sun stroke a few weeks ago, more than I thought I should have considering the short length of time I was in the sun. When I mentioned it to the clinic sister she said that the meds can/do make you much more sensitive to the sun. Not sure if there would be an impact from a tanning salon as well

cheers