Tanning??

kyle4jem

I don't tan, I just burn instantly

Like Dale I've got a typically Scots complexion and am very pale skinned. I would love to tan, but that's never going to happen. I get freckles in the sun and have to slap on spf 50 if I'm going to be in the sun for long periods. :glasses: However, I'm also rather hirsute, so fake tan is not an option, unless I want to have orange-hairy arms, legs, beard & chest :laugh:

My beloved husband tans naturally and quickly :grumble:

GretelPetal91

I use Palmers gradual tanner. It takes 2 or 3 days of application to get to my preferred shade so I know I'm not going to turn orange.
Tanned skin looks more toned in my opinion but I'm not too keen on real tans because my dad has been prone to skin cancer and now he has been getting melanomas

jerber160

As a licensed esthetician, I am strongly opposed to tanning beds! Even if you take the skin cancer factor away, tanning will really age your skin and can cause hyperpigmentation (dark spots/freckles). You can't reverse the effect of damaging your collagen and elastin, once it's gone it's gone - and tanning even a little contributes to the damage. Products can temporarily help, but nothing is permanent.

I love being tan as much as the next girl, but if you're gonna tan, spray tan is the way to go. Please don't use the beds! Love your skin and treat it well!

All I heard was that sound when adults talked in Peanuts... lol

Y.O.L.O - You only live once. Enjoy it.

THat's a hoot! I LOVE to tan and feel calm and relaxed when I have one... but I don't do booth. the beach,, with the food and relaxation and everything involved is GOOD. my last tan-fest mentally lasted me for almost 2 1/2 months. and YES, tanning is a sport

TheRoadDog

I tan every year. Just started last week for this year. Not for vanity, but because I ride a motorcycle . I'm half Irish. Pretty pale. I find that if I get a base tan going before summer, and use my spf, especially on my ears and nose, I am less likely to burn while on long bike trips or when on vacation.

LorinaLynn

I use SPF 30, but still end up a little tiny bit darker by the end of summer. But by "darker," I'm talking instead of using "ivory" instead of "bisque" foundation. :laugh:

dad106

I tan... and I love it!

My mom has had pre-melenoma and I've had many moles taken off to be checked.. and none have came back yet as cancer. It's a fact of life that I have a lot of moles... and little bit of sun/tanning beds won't hurt them

SweetSammie

I used to go to tanning beds. Now I wear sunscreen, AND reapply, but as much time as I spend outdoors when it's warm, I still pick up a little tan and I'm fine with that. I do love the feeling of the warm sun on my skin, though.

I am not SUPER pale naturally, I have sort of a light olive skin tone. Plus I eat plenty of colorful fruits and veggies (addicted to sweet potatoes, carrots, red peppers and greens)... and I think that gives me a little glow.

http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/01/21/5887384-tan-schman-for-a-better-glow-eat-your-veggies

phillieschic

I tan...year round. Winter, at the salon. Summer, hours on the beach. I know that I will pay for it later in life but I enjoy the sun and I do use sunscreen.

My guilty pleasure, I suppose.

Doomfrog

I live in Florida. I just go outside. But I wear SPF for even the most minimal sun exposure. I do usually end up with some kind of tan though because when I'm at the beach, I actually spend most of my time in the water (gasp!). But when I'm on the beach I'm full of SPF 30 and huddled under the umbrella.

JenAiMarres

I tan in natural sunlight and i wear spf 50 but still get very dark.I don't care if a person has a tan or not as long as it is the most flattering look for them, but I understand others not being tan for health reasons. I used to be tannorexic. Not a good look. ... It will definitely catch up with you at some point!!!!

chrishgt4

I don't believe the hype about the whole skin cancer thing.

I think those cases tend to belong to tanning 'abuse' rather than the average user.

I used to burn quite bad every time I went on holiday so I started getting a base tan in advance. Ended up looking better cos of the tan anyway, and since I don't ever burn.

Tanning is the body's natural defence against the sun. It is why from an evolutionary point of view, those living in sunnier climes have darker skin naturally whilst those further north tend to be pale. It is to do with the uptake of vitamin D. Paler skin absorbs more vitamin D and because the further north the less yearly sunlight there is, it needs to be absorbed as much as possible when it is there. Conversely if there is plenty of sun then it needs to be restricted via the skin tanning itself.

The studies that suggest there is no such thing as a healthy tan were based on Australia and then exported across the rest of the world.

In fact - one of the results of the study is that a lot of older people are seeing issues typical of low vitamin D through following the advice to always stay out of the sun.

To me - using a sun bed is a way I can control exactly how much I am exposed to it at a time and build my skin's natural resistance up gradually.

iuangina

I love being multiracial - year round tan, no need to go to the tanning bed or lay out in the sun for hours. I personally think that all tanning is boring and stupid. But that's just me.

LReneeWalker

1. I am a firm believer that SPF lotions cause skin cancer
2. We all have to die from something
3. I prefer to tan in the sun cause its free and I am a cheapo. Also God made the sun so I feel safe under it lol.
4. Some people smoke, some people tan, I use SWEET n LOW!.... Others choose to get hit by a bus. To each their own!

rbn_held

I tan easily in the summer so I usually just use a gradual tanning lotion in the winter months if I want a glow and then in the summer I don't have to be outside long to tan. I know too many people that have gotten skin cancer due to tanning beds (and some of them with olive or darker skin).

Melissaol

I tan in a tanning bed and outside when summer comes. If i dont tan before i spend the whole summer burning.

jaymek92

1. I am a firm believer that SPF lotions cause skin cancer

jaymek92

I don't believe the hype about the whole skin cancer thing.

I think those cases tend to belong to tanning 'abuse' rather than the average user.

my grandfather was a coal miner when he was young and a school teacher from when he was in his 20s-60s. he was a redhead when younger and comes from german and irish ancestry.
he has been diagnosed with melanoma multiple times.
do you know how often he even tans? never. i have never seen him tanning. any time i see him outside for an extended period of time, he's wearing one of those big floppy hats to protect his head, ears, and face and sunscreen, plus he generally wears a long sleeve shirt.
no, tanning "abuse" is not the cause of skin cancer. the cause is exposure to uv radiation.

HealthyBodySickMind

I'm sure she was serious. There are some pretty neat chemicals in our personal care products. You can look yours up here: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/moisturizer/

I think pale is pretty, on me at least. My husband likes my freckles. I also think tans are just skin damage. However, I am outside a lot, and almost can't help but pick up a little color by the end of summer. I liken someone getting a "base tan" in a tanning bed so they don't burn later to someone lighting up some full flavors so that their lites don't make them cough at the bar later.

1. I am a firm believer that SPF lotions cause skin cancer

TheReese1206

I just noticed I posted this in the wrong place. I'm sorry. I meant for this to go in the chit chat forum.

jerber160

today is the first time in my life ( I think) that I cut the grass with a shirt on instead of tanning. a sweat shirt no less. it was only about 45 or 50 degrees I HATE to waste that hour in the sun

chrishgt4

I don't believe the hype about the whole skin cancer thing.

I think those cases tend to belong to tanning 'abuse' rather than the average user.

my grandfather was a coal miner when he was young and a school teacher from when he was in his 20s-60s. he was a redhead when younger and comes from german and irish ancestry.
he has been diagnosed with melanoma multiple times.
do you know how often he even tans? never. i have never seen him tanning. any time i see him outside for an extended period of time, he's wearing one of those big floppy hats to protect his head, ears, and face and sunscreen, plus he generally wears a long sleeve shirt.
no, tanning "abuse" is not the cause of skin cancer. the cause is exposure to uv radiation.

But if this is the case then he hasn't been exposed to UV?

tarak83

I tan, but not religiously. It's the only thing that keeps my psoriasis at bay!

swisspea

My opinion is, If you want to drastically heighten your risk of skin cancer, go in a tanning bed. I went to one before I got married (I had the craziest tan line on my back and needed to fix it), and although I went for 3-4 days a week for 2 weeks, I hardly changed anything, except getting rid of that tan line. I'm very pale, but have an olive complexion so I usually have a tough time getting a tan- it takes my skin a long time to change colour. I believe that in the winter I'm pale and pasty and in the summer I have a nice glow- it's just the natural way.

Miss_dannii

I love having a tan, I always feel so much better about my body and myself when I have a tan! I just use Sally Hansen, it's easy to put on and easy to get off xx

kayleesays

I love my ivory-ish skin. Other people seem to have a huge problem with the fact that I have no "color" and I get rather rude comments about how I must never go outside. I'm French-Canadian and English, for ****'s sake.

However, some people look awesome with a tan. No judging either way (although I think it's a general consensus that overexposure to UV tanning beds is a no-no).

Lab2809

This topic made me thankful that I never have to tan. Lol.

chrishgt4

I'm sure she was serious. There are some pretty neat chemicals in our personal care products. You can look yours up here: http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/browse/moisturizer/

I think pale is pretty, on me at least. My husband likes my freckles. I also think tans are just skin damage. However, I am outside a lot, and almost can't help but pick up a little color by the end of summer. I liken someone getting a "base tan" in a tanning bed so they don't burn later to someone lighting up some full flavors so that their lites don't make them cough at the bar later.

I think you got your analogy the wrong way round - it would be like someone smoking lights so that their full flavours don't make them cough later.

I guess it is horses for courses to a certain extent. Personally I know that I will hardly ever apply sun cream when I'm outside. By getting the base tan down I know I have potentially caused damage, but that base tan will prevent against further damage, of which I believe for me there would be more of given my love of getting out in the sun and my laziness surrounding sun cream.

Also tans look cool and I'm not going to live forever, I'd rather look good in the meantime.

tbresina

There is no such thing as a safe tan and I get so mad at "health clubs" "gyms" that have tanning beds......Seriously, we are here to get healthy not cancer!

tbresina

I don't believe the hype about the whole skin cancer thing.

I think those cases tend to belong to tanning 'abuse' rather than the average user.

my grandfather was a coal miner when he was young and a school teacher from when he was in his 20s-60s. he was a redhead when younger and comes from german and irish ancestry.
he has been diagnosed with melanoma multiple times.
do you know how often he even tans? never. i have never seen him tanning. any time i see him outside for an extended period of time, he's wearing one of those big floppy hats to protect his head, ears, and face and sunscreen, plus he generally wears a long sleeve shirt.
no, tanning "abuse" is not the cause of skin cancer. the cause is exposure to uv radiation.

But if this is the case then he hasn't been exposed to UV?

Which you get from tanning beds and sun.........

CarolanneG

I'm a total 'tanorexic' and I don't care!! :laugh: