fake tan or real pale?

ptweightloss

FOREVER PALE!

threeforagirl

Tanning booths don't use UV rays, which are what causes cancer. So don't let that stop you.
For goodness sake don't use a spray on or rub on tan! OOMPA LOOMPA!
Pale is ok though too.

Completely false information. One of my oldest friends got skin cancer in her teens due to using tanning booths.

Brandie1988

Simple, tell everyone you are a vampire. You may need to slaughter a few people to prove your point. Good luck!

Hands down best advice on this topic.

Agreed!

quixoticmantis

I think pale skin is absolutely beautiful - much more so than tanned or fake-tanned skin.

threeforagirl

As for the OP: I typically embrace my paleness, but I do have a few Airbrush tans saved up at one of the local places that I researched and chose due to their great reviews because sometimes you want a little bit of a sunkissed look. I know they use the higher-quality spray stuff, their airbrushers are very good (and very polite and cool, which you want if you're pretty much naked in front of someone!). If you feel the need for a bit of a sunny glow, just do some Google searching for a good AIRBRUSH tan in your area. Don't go with the automatic machines, I have never seen good results for that. EVER.

KaleidoscopeEyes1056

Well, you have this:



Or this:

applebean

I'm naturally pale and I have never gone tanning. Why pay to get cancer? I see so many girls in their 20s tanning on a weekly basis (or worse, a few times a week) and they think they look good... but by the time they are 50, they're going to be looking 70.

wildestian

Why would you ever want to tan? Pale skin is beautiful, orange not so much.

sarahsmom1

if your worried wear hose or tights

agthorn

they think they look good... but by the time they are 50, they're going to be looking 70.

misskerouac

I look like a vampire in almost all pictures next to my husband.
I get freckles, no tan.

LeanMeanFitnessMachine

Well if you want a tan by New Years you'd have to get a spray tan.. there's no way a UV bed would add any color to your skin in just 3 days. Spray tans don't influence skin cancer in any way though - its basically like painting your body. If you go to a good place and get a spray thats done right, you won't look orange.

Fake baking in my opinion is looks fine as long as you don't go unnaturally overboard with it - I personally don't do it anymore because of the HUGE risk of skin cancer. I'd rather be pale all winter than die an early death.

KyliAnnHobson

I used to tan in my early 20's and I really wish I wouldn't have. Now, I love my pale complexion!

skateboardstef

I am naturally pale and people compliment me on my skin, especially in the winter. My dad had melanoma in his 30's so I am very cautious about limiting my sun exposure and wearing sunscreen. I also work in a laboratory that does genetic testing on cancer cells, I've see some bizarre and horrible things...cancer is no joke and you shouldn't put yourself at risk for something as stupid as a tan.

clankp22

I tanned for a few months before my wedding. Not so smart because a few years ago I was diagnosed with melanoma. Thankfully, the Dr.. was able to remove all of it. However, now I have a 50% chance of it returning in my lifetime.

Please don't be fooled by the claims that tanning beds are not bad for you. They are! Do the research! Thank you to those who have posted some!

christinelipski

Tan tan tan!!! I'm such a cliche jersey girl, love my fake bake! Lol

SMarie10

they think they look good... but by the time they are 50, they're going to be looking 70.

This photo alone should be enough to discourage those who think tanning is great - just wait.. nature has a way of evening the score...

laurastrait21

I went tanning for 4+ years pretty regularly and absolutely regret it, it's such an addiction. and plus my spray tans never turned out looking natural. I guess I'm just going to have to be pale -- I'd invest in a good bronzer for the winter.

LuciaLongIsland

they think they look good... but by the time they are 50, they're going to be looking 70.

We shouldn't generalize. There are always exceptions to the rule. My mother had few wrinkles. At 90 she looked 70. Smoked drank and tanned! No. We shoulnt overdo it, but a lot has to do with genes! I base this only on my experience. I am not disagreeing tanning causes skin cancer.

Cait_Sidhe

I really honestly believe that natural pale skin is beautiful. I can't imagine wanting to change that. I love my pale skin and will never have to worry about skin cancer and I will have less wrinkles than someone who does tan. In fact, I'm often mistaken for being at least a decade younger than I actually am, sometimes 2 decades.

I also really find tans unattactive. The skin is basically baked like a turkey in the oven. The logic escapes me how burning your skin can be attractive.

*edited to add* As far as fake tans go, as far as I know there are no health concerns associated with it. But who's more attractive- Snow White or Oompa Loompas?

sc1572

I have always had pale skin naturally, and whenever I get a tan, it's directly from the sun! I always burn badly and then it tans, so I never purposely tan. In my opinion, pale>tanning. You could do lotions or spray tanning, but honestly, natural is better. Plus, if you do the actual tanning beds, you have a higher risk of cancer, and the tan looks fake most of the time. I had a lot of friends in high school who were addicted to tanning, and my mom loves it as well...it hasn't done them much good.

claire_90

I'm a fake tan junky - often obviously fake and can get streaky when I get lazy but I still love love love it. a professional spray tan will give you about 3 days and actually look really good.

edit* DO NOT go the solarium beds... they basically work like the sun does and if you're as pale as me that means burn over tan

MrsGriffin67

Spray-on tans make you look like an Oompa Loompa...no thanks!

mommared53

I have very pale skin, especially my legs because they don't get the exposure to light like my hands, arms and face do. I love being pale and if someone doesn't want to be blinded by my pale legs then they should wear sunglasses. :laugh:

Cristy_AZ

Real Pale!

I'm blonde haired, blue eyed of dutch heritage... my skin is naturally very pale and I've learned to embrass the look! And yes, I live in Arizona and do so without tanning or burning (mostly) with use of hats, light clothes and sunscreen. My mother has had issues with melanoma and I don't want to ever go through that! I see a lot of fake tans and mostly think they just look silly at best and sometimes just gross.

mommyoverboard

You have had so many responses that you might not see this one, but here is what I think. Part of this challenge of losing weight and being healthy is for us to feel comfortable in or own skin. Despite what society thinks, you've got to be willing to love yourself just the way you are. We are trying to improve or health by losing weight and staying fit, but if you are damaging your body on the outside with unhealthy tanning, what's the point? Some of the most beautiful people in the work are"pale" Nicole Kidman for example! My point is though, in order to be truly happy, you've got to embrace the REAL you!

agthorn

We shouldn't generalize. There are always exceptions to the rule. My mother had few wrinkles. At 90 she looked 70. Smoked drank and tanned! No. We shoulnt overdo it, but a lot has to do with genes! I base this only on my experience. I am not disagreeing tanning causes skin cancer.

Okay, and not everyone who smokes a pack a day gets lung cancer either. But why take the risk? Unless you have some way of knowing that your DNA repair genes are so awesome, I think it's a perfectly safe bet to generalize and say that there is no reason to tan just to please some expectation of society on what "looks healthy." Maybe if you've seen skin cancer patients (I have) with disfigurations after their skin cancers are removed, or read case reports about otherwise healthy young women leaving families behind because their melanomas metastasized to their brains, you'd think differently about generalizing. There is NO "safe" dose of UV radiation.

(Also - good for you that your mom was one of the lucky ones despite her lifestyle. My dad died at 51 from a smoking-related cancer.)

TheRoadDog

I hit the tannning beds every year right before summer. I am on a motorcycle. Riding most of the time. The tanning bed serves two purposes. Keeps me from burning my arms, neck and face. It also keeps me from having a tan face and white scalp from wearing a helmet.

When riding I still keep a very high SPF on my nose and ears.

The fact is that a serious sunburn is worse for you than gradually tanning.

yeabby

I rock the pale look and highly recommend you do the same.

In my late teens I tanned briefly and had cancer show up in 2 places, back of my ankle and my heel, in my mid-20s. It was attributed to my time in booths.

As for paying money so someone can spray chemicals on you to create a "tan." PASS. Long term effects of those chemicals aren't known. No need to add another potential problem in a world filled with ones you have little to no control over.

agthorn

The fact is that a serious sunburn is worse for you than gradually tanning.

While technically true, this is about as useful as saying that unfiltered cigarettes are worse for you than filtered cigarettes.