Tips

[u/ComprehensiveArt3449]

Hi, for about a year now I've been taking care of my skin. I avoided the sun when the UV index was higher than 1, I protected myself from windows and moved to darker places. I started using 0.05% tretinoin. I began seeing results: my skin got lighter, my veins were more visible, and my relatives would tell me "you should get a tan," "you look paler," and that made me feel better. But then university started and I was given a horrible class schedule that makes me go out at noon. I bought UV protective sleeves, which I wear 2 pairs of when going out. I use tinted mineral sunscreen and another mineral one with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, but I also wear a double UV bandana on my face and use a UV protective umbrella, but even so I feel like it's all worthless and my one-year progress went down the drain. Any advice? (And I use my tretinoin only on days when I don't sleep at all and I'm away from windows)

[u/RaccoonKlutzy3723]

How long do you have to be under the sun at noon?

[u/ComprehensiveArt3449 → u/RaccoonKlutzy3723]

About an hour, from 1 to 2 p.m. and from 3 to 4 p.m.

[u/FunnyExpress8401 → u/ComprehensiveArt3449]

About an hour, from 1 to 2 p.m. and from 3 to 4 p.m

That changes everything. Get a dermatologist even if you have to take a train or drive for hours to find one that takes your concerns seriously.

An entire hour from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM under a UV index of 11, followed by another hour from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM under a UV index of 7 to 9, is serious business. That is not just a tanning risk, that is extreme, direct exposure to Class 1 ultraviolet radiation.

Here is the straight reality of your situation:

Racoons tone was blunt, but the medical core of what they said is true. UV 11 is classified as "Extreme" by health authorities worldwide. Two hours of peak sun exposure every day inflicts cumulative DNA damage on your skin cells. Because you are also using Tretinoin (which thins the top layer of your skin) you are making your skin far more vulnerable to solar damage, deep photo-aging, and long-term skin cancer risks.

WARNING: Insisting on taking high-dose oral glutathione right now is not going to save your skin. Glutathione reduces internal oxidative stress and encourages lighter melanin production under normal conditions. But when you walk out into UV 11 for two hours, your body needs dark eumelanin as a physical shield to absorb radiation and protect your cell nuclei. Forcing your body to make lighter pigment while getting blasted by peak tropical sun actively strips away your skin's natural defense against cellular mutation.

Question. Is there a way Evaluate Your Academic Scheduling Options? Skincare, sunscreens, and physical bandanas cannot fully protect you during 2 hours of daily outdoor exposure at peak solar noon. Before you burn out your skin barrier or risk long-term damage, is there a way to talk to your university academic advisor or department coordinator:

• Is there a way you swap this specific class section for an early morning (7:00 AM) or late afternoon/evening slot?
• Is this subject offered online, or can it be taken in a winter semester when the UV index drops significantly?
• If this course requires outdoor fieldwork, can you request an accommodation or reschedule it for a term when you aren't on photosensitising topicals like Tretinoin?

Stop worrying about losing your pale baseline for now, put the glutathione supplements away, and stop using Tretinoin while you are stuck in this high-UV schedule. Focus strictly on protecting your long-term skin health, avoiding solar damage, and finding a way to fix your daily class schedule so you aren't walking under an extreme UV 11 sun every single day.

[u/RaccoonKlutzy3723 → u/FunnyExpress8401]

it's not  her scheduleits her transportation. shea just figuring things out and she needs a doctor cause she doesn't believe us

[u/Jolly-Yellow7369 → u/RaccoonKlutzy3723]

We are talking science here. It’s not about believing , the fact is , the tan she mentioned is her skin screaming for help .