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A 48-year-old woman in Chengdu, China, recently suffered a shocking injury: she fractured a bone rolling onto her side in bed. The incident shocked doctors and the internet when it was found that her extreme sun avoidance was the reason.
Dr. Long Shuang, an emergency physician at XinDu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, reported the unusual case on May 14, pointing out the dangers of extreme sun protection.
A lifetime of sun avoidance
Dr. Long indicates that the woman had avoided the sun all her life. She never wore short sleeves when outdoors and did not use sunscreen faithfully. Although she may have been able to maintain her pale complexion, the long-term consequences were catastrophic.
Once she was injured, hospital tests revealed that her vitamin D level was extremely low. The deficiency led to a quick loss of bone and extreme osteoporosis, her bones were so fragile that simple movements like rolling over in bed caused fractures.
Are beauty standards jeopardizing health?
Over the past few years, sun avoidance has become increasingly popular in China. Increasingly, women these days dress in sunscreen protective attire, wide-brimmed hats, head visors, and even cooling masks for the face to protect their skin from the sun.
But health experts are sounding alarm bells.
"It's easy to overdo it," advises Dr. Jiang Xiaobing, a highly ranked orthopedic spine expert at Guangzhou Medical University.
“It is now common to see people fully covered from head to toe for sun protection – this is indeed unhealthy. All the bones in our body regenerate every 10 years, but from age 30, we begin to lose bone mass at a rate of 0.5 to 1 per cent per year. Low calcium intake, lack of sun exposure, and vitamin D deficiency all hinder calcium absorption. A sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and excessive drinking also compromise bone health,” he said
"Bones are renewed every ten years, but beyond 30, we lose bone mass annually," explained Dr. Jiang.
" We need to ensure adequate calcium intake, exercise regularly, and limit smoking and drinking. For instance, no more than two cans of beer per day if the alcohol content is five per cent. Menopausal women, in particular, should be exceptionally cautious,” he advised.
He recommends a healthy lifestyle: sun exposure, a calcium-rich diet, moderate drinking, and physical activity. These are especially required in menopausal women.
Responses online: Shock, alarm, and introspection.
The story soon became a sensation on Chinese social media, with the people responding in shock and alarm.
A user wrote, “This is unbelievable – she broke her bone just by turning over in bed?”
“Sadly, this reflects how society has conditioned many Chinese women to prioritise fair skin over their health,” another replied.
A third added, “This is so extreme. Was she also crash dieting in addition to avoiding the sun? Seriously, everyone needs some sunlight every day.”
Takeaway: It's all about balance.
Though sun protection is important to reducing the threat of skin cancer and premature aging, this instance is a cautionary tale about the dangers of extremes. Your body needs a healthy balance, and protecting your skin doesn't mean avoiding the sun entirely.
If you're always avoiding the sun, have your vitamin D level measured and consult with a healthcare provider about supplements or lifestyle changes.
Reference:
1. South China Morning Post. “Chinese Woman, Afraid of Tanning, Suffers Fractures from Rolling over in Bed.” South China Morning Post, May 15, 2025. https://www.scmp.com/news/people-culture/article/3311075/chinese-woman-afraid-tanning-suffers-fractures-rolling-over-bed.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal Arshad/MSM)
