fake tan or real pale?

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.

katinka13

please don't! being pale so so chic! just look at all the fashion magazines.. AND you'll always look younger, when you're pale. i'm 28 and everyone says that i look much younger than my 19-year-old cousin who's always tanned. how crazy is that?

SassyCalyGirl

I tan to keep a little color, but I don't over do it. And I never tan my face.

dalgal26

I grew up in the age of baby oil and iodine. Then bake in the sun for hours. Paying for it now with skin cancers having to be removed from my face every 4 or 5 years.

Tanning bed: Not happening! Just as dangerous as the sun! And who wants to be laying naked in a bright box.

Spray tan: Have friends that have done it and they are pleased.

Tanning Wipes: Seem to turn my pals a little orange.

Solution of those too white legs at the party: I have actually put foundation on my legs and it evens out the skin tone and makes for a nice look. Also, it doesn't rub off like I thought it might. They actually make liquid makeup for the legs now.

And bare naked legs: Nothing wrong with that, either. Choose whatever makes you feel pretty.

ashleynicoleb

Haha I'm really pale too and let me tell ya, your skin probably won't even get any color or "tan" in a booth. I've done the Mystic spray tans which work pretty well if you want to do it for a special occasion

LorinaLynn

Perfect sexy solution: Fishnets.

threeforagirl

I grew up in the age of baby oil and iodine. Then bake in the sun for hours. Paying for it now with skin cancers having to be removed from my face every 4 or 5 years.

Tanning bed: Not happening! Just as dangerous as the sun! And who wants to be laying naked in a bright box.

Spray tan: Have friends that have done it and they are pleased.

Tanning Wipes: Seem to turn my pals a little orange.

Solution of those too white legs at the party: I have actually put foundation on my legs and it evens out the skin tone and makes for a nice look. Also, it doesn't rub off like I thought it might. They actually make liquid makeup for the legs now.

And bare naked legs: Nothing wrong with that, either. Choose whatever makes you feel pretty.

I forgot about the makeup! I used the Sally Hansen airbrush makeup for legs and it works quite well. Gives you a little bit of color/evens out everything and makes your legs look nice but naturally so. VERY good idea

agthorn

Haha I'm really pale too and let me tell ya, your skin probably won't even get any color or "tan" in a booth.

This is true. Everyone has a fixed number of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in their skin, determined by genetics. When you expose your skin to UV radiation, you don't get MORE melanocytes. They just increase how much pigment (melanin) they make, in an effort to protect your skin from damage - think of it like a sun visor for your skin. If you don't have very many melanocytes to begin with, they can only make so much melanin and you'll never be as tan as someone who has a lot of melanocytes.

writtenINthestars

I don't bother trying to tan. People can just get over it that I'm pale. Some guys even prefer it.

Same here. I get a little bit of color in the summer...but otherwise I'm pertty pale..

Been told though that my brown hair, pale skin, and ice blue eyes are beautiful...so I've learned to embrace it.

Meggles63

I live in Fl and get tan in summer...feeling a bit pasty right now, quite frankly, and can't wait til Spring to really build it back up again!

capaxinfiniti

Maybe you should try make up. They have bronzer powders that you can use. Just brush a little of that on your legs and it should add some more color I never had that being pale issue, but I do have uneven skin tone so using bronzer helps me a lot