I wanted to share a recent experience in hopes that others can prevent what happened to me.
As I've recently ventured on the "skin lightening journey", I've been more mindful of sun exposure and have been practicing SAP, wearing sunscreen for the first time ever and covering up my skin even during our most brutal heatwave this summer. After some time I began noticing sore joints in my legs, meaning that my muscles were sore when I walked and it was painful/uncomfortable to walk at times. This led me to visit my doctor, where I underwent some bloodwork. Lo and behold, I had a Vitamin D deficiency; my levels were very low. I've never had a Vitamin D deficiency, maybe because I never wore sunscreen and spent the average amount of time in the sun as most other people.
After researching on Vitamin D deficiency, I discovered that sunscreen can actually cause a Vitamin D deficiency. Who knew? I also discovered that darker skin people are more prone to Vitamin D deficiency... My doctor just recommended 10,000 iu of Vitamin D to get me back on track. But hopefully everyone practicing SAP will take heed to any early symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency, such as hair loss, muscle weakness, and bone pain. I'm not sure if I should continue with suncreen at this point or just get some more sun in general, but I'll definitely be taking vitamins to supplement my Vitamin D. Curious to hear if this has ever happened to anyone and if so, how are you practicing sun protection today?
As I've recently ventured on the "skin lightening journey", I've been more mindful of sun exposure and have been practicing SAP, wearing sunscreen for the first time ever and covering up my skin even during our most brutal heatwave this summer. After some time I began noticing sore joints in my legs, meaning that my muscles were sore when I walked and it was painful/uncomfortable to walk at times. This led me to visit my doctor, where I underwent some bloodwork. Lo and behold, I had a Vitamin D deficiency; my levels were very low. I've never had a Vitamin D deficiency, maybe because I never wore sunscreen and spent the average amount of time in the sun as most other people.
After researching on Vitamin D deficiency, I discovered that sunscreen can actually cause a Vitamin D deficiency. Who knew? I also discovered that darker skin people are more prone to Vitamin D deficiency... My doctor just recommended 10,000 iu of Vitamin D to get me back on track. But hopefully everyone practicing SAP will take heed to any early symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency, such as hair loss, muscle weakness, and bone pain. I'm not sure if I should continue with suncreen at this point or just get some more sun in general, but I'll definitely be taking vitamins to supplement my Vitamin D. Curious to hear if this has ever happened to anyone and if so, how are you practicing sun protection today?