Exactly as I said, it is all about moderation. There are benefits and risks to everything out there, and people can & should make their own decisions about things. They should also be allowed to make their own decisions without being hounded by other people.

Never did I claim a sunbed was "safe". What I said was there are benefits to sunlight. That can be found in textbooks and on other websites, one that might be up to "your" standards. It is a fact, though, regardless of where the information comes from: There ARE benefits to sunlight. Nobody said you should go stand in the sun 24/7/365 and burn yourself to death. I just said there are benefits. You don't agree with that it seems.

While I think that people should use sunscreen, that is a personal preference, so the statement that it is not "necessary" is a true statement because it's not required, though recommended. I personally do not use sunscreen every time I go into the sun. That's my choice.

I also never, ever once said that anyone should "take medical advice from the internet". Technically, I suppose, if anyone took advice from you through this medium, they would be doing just that also since Bloop is a website, even though you may have gone to medical school. People shouldn't accept medical advice from you or anyone else online, even if they do claim to be a doctor. People should seek out real medical advice. Obviously, if someone has skin cancer they should see an oncologist in REAL LIFE and not take medical advice, or especially treatment, from the internet.

On a side note: Doctors are human, they make mistakes, they misdiagnose, and they have opinions, so one doctor's opinion on any health issue should not be taken as the only opinion there is. People should seek more than one opinion from doctors and specialists on ANY health issue they have, whether it is cancer or anything else. Which means that even less than taking advice from the internet, one should not take the advice of a single doctor, especially not one who might think that they know everything. I personally know too many doctors who are on drugs themselves. I know doctors who are simply inept. I know doctors who are arrogant and who think they know it all. I know surgeons who have left objects inside of people. I even know one personally who shoots himself up with cocaine before performing heart surgery. Doctors are not perfect. Doctors do not know everything simply because they are a doctor. I know some of them would like to think they do, but they don't.

I just said there are benefits. You don't agree with that it seems.

Can you read? Quite clearly above I agreed with the fact that there are benefits from the sun (in MODERATION). NOWHERE did I disagree with that statement.

I absolutely agree on the point about taking medical advice on the internet. That is why this thread concerns me so much. Because others have suggested to Amber that using a sunbed 2-3 times a week won't do any harm. That is incorrect medical advice.

I also agree people certainly shouldn't take advice from someone just because they claim to be a doctor on the internet (including me!). And for that reason I usually try very hard to avoid making any comments online which could be considered to be medical advice (and I would certainly never give a diagnosis online or offer any treatment suggestions). The only occassions when I DO offer some very basic medical advice (such as I have here) is when I see others giving medical advice which is clearly incorrect (and dangerous).

And if someone (like Amber) asks a direct question about sunbeds and if they're harmful, I will answer that question with the knowledge that I have. That is not to say that my advice should be taken as a replacement for researching the subject herself and speaking to her own doctor.

Anything that I have said here is available through respectable medical and skin cancer charity websites (who take their information from medical professionals). These sort of websites do serve a very important purpose in terms of health promotion. They can help people protect themselves. They cannot replace a visit to a doctor for first hand advice (and they certainly cannot aid diagnosis or treatment of any type).

I also agree with your final paragraph. No-one is perfect, and doctors DO make mistakes and they do misdiagnose. However, I don't see the relevance of that to this particular conversation. The belief that sunbeds cause cancer is not an opinion of one doctor. It has been shown to be true by evidence from extensive research. It has nothing to do with diagnosis or personal opinion. The evidence is right there... sunbeds significantly increase the risk of skin cancer. Very few medical professionals would dispute that and I doubt any doctor would advise someone to use a sunbed (except for under supervision for specific health problems).

And I do not think, nor have I ever said that I know everything. Everything I have said here though, I have backed up with evidence and with recommendations from medical bodies such as the WHO. So it really isn't about what I know... it is about presenting the information (from trustworthy sources) to people. In this case, I am presenting the information I know of to Amber, to make her think twice before she jumps under the sunbed... at least make her think enough about it to read about it some more before making a decision which could seriously harm her health. I would think it would be worse of me to stand by and say nothing but watch the people urging her to go for it, while I have good reason to believe it could harm her.

I mean if she was asking if she should take up smoking and some people started encouraging her, would it be wrong of me then to tell her of the health risks?

Most doctors are well aware that they don't know everything simply because they are doctors. That would be ridiculous. I'm not sure what this has to do with the topic above though.

I know of doctors who are on drugs, or are inept or arrogant too. There are many good doctors, but there are bad ones too. However, again, I fail to see the relevance of this point to the topic we are discussing.

Obviously, I can read. I can write. I can type as well. I'm typing this right here. What is up with you being such an outright bitch? Honestly.

First of all, I responded to your first note which I read before your second note, which is the note that you agreed there are benefits to sunlight. And there ARE benefits. Nothing I said is not true.

I never said that you should not tell anyone of health risks if a question is posed. Where did I say that? If you're saying that I said, "RedFraggle should not ever tell people health risks about sunbeds or smoking" then maybe it is you who cannot read.

What I wrote last was not relevant to this discussion - it was a "side note". That's why it's called a "side note". That's why I even stated "on a side note". CAN YOU READ? When one says "on a side note" it means that it's not on the subject at hand. I suppose you do not understand everything that Americans say.

Many forums go off topic and people post things off topic. I've seen it many times. What does it matter if you think it's not relevant? Does that mean that it should not be said? Is everything moderated by you now? Are you the only person who has a say in what is relevant/irrelevant/allowed to be posted on the forums? Just because you don't think it's relevant, does not mean that people should not or can not say something. It also doesn't make it any less true. You do not have to comment on every word that every person writes.

your not liking that she's a doctor giving medical advice that almost any other doctor would in person is actually irrelevant to this subject. she's a doctor, get over it.

MY SISTER'S BOIF IS AN ARROGANT DOC, BUT HE'S TOTALLY LOTS OF FUN, YO! AND HE IS A BRILLIANT BOTTOM SURGEON! HOWEVER HE HAS BEEN INEFFECTIVE IN STOPPING MY VAIN SIS USING SUNBEDS!

JUST WEIGHING IN ON THE HARDCORE DEBATE WITH SOME INVALUABLE INFO! ;D

INCIDENTALLY, I HAVE NEVER USED A SUNBED, AND EVERYONE SAYS I LOOK YOUNGER THAN MY SIS, WHO IS REALLY FOUR YEARS YOUNGER THAN I AM! (GOSH, I HOPE MY SIS DOESN'T COME ONTO BLOOP AND READ THIS!).

Surgeons do tend to be the most arrogant in my experience. Especially male surgeons. Anaesthetists tend to be more laid back. I've met very few arrogant anaesthetists (although I'm sure they exist). Perhaps it's because traditionally the public used to have this huge respect for surgeons... they were sort of put on a pedastool... Thankfully the public attitude has changed and patients now recognise surgeons are human beings too, and are less tolerant of arrogance.

Anaesthetists on the other hand... most people don't have a clue what we do, and a lot of people don't even realise we're doctors. So it's not really a speciality which encourages arrogance.

(Jodi's totally going to tell me off now for talking about something irrelevant to the thread. And it will be your fault for starting it! :P)

YO, I LIVE FOR IRRELEVANCIES! ;D

TO BE FAIR ON ARROGANT POO DOC, HIS ARROGANCE IS PARTLY SHOW. HE SAYS HE HAS TO ACT A CERTAIN WAY TO BE RESPECTED IN THE SURGEON COMMUNITY. THERE'S A LOT OF GAME PLAYING IN ORDER TO GET RESPECTED AND GET PROMOTIONS AND STUFF. AT LEAST AMONG HIS GENERATION. AND PROBABLY HIS GENDER.

MY SIS ALSO ARGUES THAT SURGEONS REALLY HAVE TO HAVE A SENSE OF ARROGANCE - BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A HUGE THING TO CUT SOMEONE OPEN, YOU HAVE TO BE BLOODY SURE OF YOURSELF TO DO IT! AND I CAN KIND OF SEE THAT. CERTAIN JOBS DO ATTRACT CERTAIN PERSONALITIES, I GUESS.

It's also a huge thing to be keeping that person alive (and asleep) while the surgeon sticks his knife in! You also have to be pretty sure of yourself to stick a tube down someone's throat before they run out of oxygen and die. ;)

Surgery definitely does attract more arrogant types though. And also more men. And I think that's probably true that there's more game playing than in other specialities.

YES, YO - BUT IT SEEMS TO BE A DIFFERENT SORT OF SELF-CERTAINTY THAT YOU HAVE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A MALE/FEMALE DIFFERENCE, OR A SURGEON/ANAESTHETIST DIFFERENCE, BUT YOURS IS A QUIETER, MORE CALCULATED FORM OF SELF-CERTAINTY. MAYBE IT'S MORE OF A SCIENTIST THING - LIKE YOU ARE BREWING UP THE RIGHT CONCOCTION, RATHER THAN SLICING SOMEONE OPEN. LIKE THERE HAS TO BE A CERTAIN CALLOUSNESS IN CUTTING SOMEONE OPEN, YO.

This is quite irrelevant to the subject, but you saying that you're an anaesthetist made me think of the question: have you ever known anyone where their patient was technically asleep but could still feel everything (I know there's a technical term for it but my brain is being stupid right now xD)? That's my biggest fear if I ever have to have surgery, even though I know that it's rare. xD

GOSH, YO - THIS IS MY HARDCORE FEAR TOO, AND WHY I TOTALLY REFUSE TO HAVE GENERAL ANAESTHETIC. ALTHOUGH RED FRAG ASSURES ME IT'S VERY RARE AND IS CONSTANTLY MONITORED AND STUFF. SO THEY CAN TELL IF YOU ARE FEELING PAIN BECAUSE YOUR HEART RATE SHOOTS UP (IS THAT RIGHT, RED FRAG? I REMEMBER YOU SAYING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.)

IKR? A few years ago I had to get an endoscopy and the nurse who was putting me under warned me that I MIGHT not go under for the procedure b/c some ppl don't take to it. I literally went O___________O and started freaking out going, "YOU BETTER PUT ME UNDER YOU'RE NOT STICKING THAT STUFF IN MY THROAT W/O ME GOING UNDER!!!!!!!" XD Thankfully, I was not 1 of the population who didn't go under.

That would make sense that your heart rate would go up; in times of extreme stress and pain your heart would be pounding. God that's so scary. @___@

GOSH, YO - I HAD A COLONOSCOPY AND I TOTALLY REFUSED TO BE PUT UNDER. I HAD A HARDCORE ARGUMENT WITH THE DOC ABOUT IT! I WAS ALL 'I DON'T WANT THAT STUFF - I WANT TO BE AWAKE AND WATCH THE CAMERA UP MY BUM ON THE VIDEO!' WE COMPROMISED IN THE END. HE GAVE ME A TINY AMOUNT OF THE STUFF. I DIDN'T GET TIRED AT ALL.

....

But but....

DIDN'T THAT HURT?!?!?!?!?

My bum's sore just thinking about it.

I have a high pain tolerance but when it comes to surgery stuff I want to be under. Eep.

YES, YO! IT HURT. ESPECIALLY GOING ROUND THE CORNERS! ;D

Eeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did they find what they were looking for at least?!?!?!?! XD

NO, YO! ONLY A FEW FLOATING POOS TO BE FOUND!

Well that's... good?!?!?! XD This is quite a subject to be having on a forum. XD

TOTALLY, YO - BUM CAMERAS ON THIS THREAD, AND WAXING ONE'S VAG AND MAKING IT BLEED ON THE OTHER!

YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO MAKE MY WOMAN PARTS UNCOMFORTABLE AREN'T YOU?!?! GOOD LORD WAXING 1'S VAG.... UCK UCK UCK! XD

WELL, HOW DO YOU ... UM ... MANICURE YOUR LAWN, YO? OR DO YOU LET IT GROW WILD AND FREE?

*lmao* Shaving cream and a razor. I MIGHT one day do a Brazilian... but that's a bit maybe. XD BIG maybe. XD

Do you wax!?!?!

NO, NO - I USE A SOAP AND A RAZOR, YO. BUT THE THREAD WAS ABOUT PAST HAIR REMOVAL EXPERIENCES, AND BACK IN THE DAY, I TOTALLY TRIED THE OLD WAX STRIPS, YO! BUT GOSH, FROM OTHER SITES I FREQUENT, I UNDERSTAND THAT WAXING THE WHOLE THING IS THE POPULAR AMERICAN THING TO DO! I AM SEEN AS QUITE PRIMITIVE IN COMPARISON!

Hahaha yeah the Brazilian is pretty popular here.... Supposedly it makes sex better? xD I dunno.

*shudders* Thankfully, I've never had to wax. I only shave every once in awhile b/c my leg hair simply doesn't grow. If I shaved every day I'd be shaving my skin off. XD

Don't be silly, yo!! Estella's bum is well stretched, after all the action it gets!!! ;)