To tan or not to tan, that is the question

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  • ShawnaCurley
    ShawnaCurley Posts: 82 Member
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    Tanning does SO much damage to your skin. I have seen women that think it looks gorgeous, but to me it makes your skin look wrinked and old, kinda like an old dried out piece of leather! I guard against the sun all I can but seem to still get sun kissed in the summer without even trying. I've hear too many horror stories about skin cancer!

    I don't think there is anything wrong with having pale skin! At least it's a lot more healthy than these compulsive tanners! imo!
  • fotofreak01
    fotofreak01 Posts: 397 Member
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    i too have fair skin. I used to tan all the time until I got extremely sick about 4 years ago from laying in a tanning bed that the bulbs had been changed to a much stronger buld. The owners didn't tell anyone. I was the sickest I had ever been for 3 days. Now, I accent my pale skin with beautiful tattoo work! =) I'm addicted to color so I had to get it a different way...lol
  • syam3000
    syam3000 Posts: 37
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    Someone's probably already said it, but the grass is always greener on the other side. My dad is Pakistani (and really dark) while my mom is American and AS fair as you can get... literally cannot go in the sun for 5 minutes without getting burnt. But she is beautiful, and despite how gorgeous she is with fair skin she still wishes she could tan and I think it's crazy!! On the other hand, my dad and I (I am a lot darker than my mom naturally) are always wishing we DIDN'T get dark so easily lol.
  • DaughterOfTheMostHighKing
    DaughterOfTheMostHighKing Posts: 1,436 Member
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    :) aesthetically, pale skin on slender people looks delicate and fragile. on weight challenged people a tan looks better than pale skin, but it doesn't mean it's healthier.

    I would rather be one color or the other. right now, I have dark tanned arms and legs and a REALLY white mid-section. it will probably stay that way too. the sun has never seen that part of me and if it does, I will surely burn!!!! :P I don't like tan lines... I have them on my arms and legs. :P you can see on my profile photo where the sun doesn't shine!!! :P
  • rahrahrita
    rahrahrita Posts: 225 Member
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    I'm sort of a skincare freak and I'm like scared of the sun so I always wear a hat and cover up when i go outside, so I NEVER tan. But during the summer I use Jergen's Natural Glow lotion and it's really subtle and natural, it just gives me a little bit of color :)

    During the winter, I like having pale skin because it looks better with bright red lipstick haha
  • New_Keeley
    New_Keeley Posts: 170 Member
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    You should tan, because this is f*ckin' hot!

    8645501_600x338.jpg

    Lol this woman is all over twitter today! I love a tan but living in the UK it doesn't happen often. If I lived in a hot climate I'd probably be a bit more careful
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair, with the obvious freak exception lol. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.
  • Elizabeth_C34
    Elizabeth_C34 Posts: 6,376 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.

    I think natural skin, whatever you have, is best. I hate the overly tanned look on people who are not naturally good at tanning. It looks fake and very unattractive. Embrace yourself as you are. Own it. Dress to show your best parts, and you'll be a knockout. (not that you aren't already)
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
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    7kFLg.gif
    This image will haunt me forever.
    So disturbing. :sad:

    So frickin scary! :sick:
  • Awkward30
    Awkward30 Posts: 1,927 Member
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    You can get "skin darkening lotions" or self tanner if you feel self conscious, but I think pale actually looks good on pale people. And I think that tan looks good on tan people. I hate the way I look pale because I look like I'm supposed to be tan but not. I've decided that my compromise is going to be that I won't wear sunblock when I am out (I tan easily and don't normally burn) but I also won't go to tanning beds or really do anything special to get more tan.
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,677 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair, with the obvious freak exception lol. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.

    yep. huge cultural no no. i get so much negativity about my looks because of my paleness. it's constant. all summer long, throughout the winter. every time i am in a bar. regularly when i was working customer service.

    "WHY DON'T YOU GET A TAN??? YOU LOOK SO GROSS!!!'

    wish i could. i hate standing out, especially in a negative way
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,383 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair, with the obvious freak exception lol. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.

    yep. huge cultural no no. i get so much negativity about my looks because of my paleness. it's constant. all summer long, throughout the winter. every time i am in a bar. regularly when i was working customer service.

    "WHY DON'T YOU GET A TAN??? YOU LOOK SO GROSS!!!'

    wish i could. i hate standing out, especially in a negative way

    It may feel like a negative now, but when you are older it will be a positive when you still look amazing and people ask 'how do you not have any wrinkles, you look so young for your age!?' :-)
  • PapaverSomniferum
    PapaverSomniferum Posts: 2,677 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair, with the obvious freak exception lol. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.

    yep. huge cultural no no. i get so much negativity about my looks because of my paleness. it's constant. all summer long, throughout the winter. every time i am in a bar. regularly when i was working customer service.

    "WHY DON'T YOU GET A TAN??? YOU LOOK SO GROSS!!!'

    wish i could. i hate standing out, especially in a negative way

    It may feel like a negative now, but when you are older it will be a positive when you still look amazing and people ask 'how do you not have any wrinkles, you look so young for your age!?' :-)

    :flowerforyou:
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair, with the obvious freak exception lol. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.

    yep. huge cultural no no. i get so much negativity about my looks because of my paleness. it's constant. all summer long, throughout the winter. every time i am in a bar. regularly when i was working customer service.

    "WHY DON'T YOU GET A TAN??? YOU LOOK SO GROSS!!!'

    wish i could. i hate standing out, especially in a negative way

    Dayum. People are rude. You are not gross! :heart:
  • PlunderBunneh
    PlunderBunneh Posts: 1,705 Member
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    Wow, some interesting responses! :) just for clarification, I'm not asking if I SHOULD tan, I'm turning 35 next month, so I've banned the bed. I only tanned a couple of summers pretty regularly for weddings, and it took me forever to build up a tan so I figured it wasn't worth it. I know better now :) I'm just curious if people still think tan is more attractive than fair, with the obvious freak exception lol. Here where I live, its still considered a cultural no no to be pale. Of course, everything here is also still fried and everyone still smokes, so it's not like I live in a health minded community lol.

    yep. huge cultural no no. i get so much negativity about my looks because of my paleness. it's constant. all summer long, throughout the winter. every time i am in a bar. regularly when i was working customer service.

    "WHY DON'T YOU GET A TAN??? YOU LOOK SO GROSS!!!'

    wish i could. i hate standing out, especially in a negative way

    Eff em. You're hot, and pale is rockin. It's kinda convenient to glow in the dark :)
  • kurenaikumo
    kurenaikumo Posts: 271 Member
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    I'm proudly Casper the Friendly Ghost complected and skin cancer free so far. It runs in my family. I'd rather be light than covered in removal scars and wrinkles.
  • rachelbethany
    rachelbethany Posts: 211 Member
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    From your picture, I think you have a nice skin tone. Pale is great and beautiful. (Although I think tan can be, too, but NOT tanning-bed orange tan.) But I have to admit that I hate showing my legs when they're pale simply because I have big thighs and sometimes a little cellulite. Being tan minimizing those things sometimes.
  • ChasingSweatandTears
    ChasingSweatandTears Posts: 504 Member
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    From your picture, I think you have a nice skin tone. Pale is great and beautiful. (Although I think tan can be, too, but NOT tanning-bed orange tan.) But I have to admit that I hate showing my legs when they're pale simply because I have big thighs and sometimes a little cellulite. Being tan minimizing those things sometimes.

    Thank you! But that's instagram all the way lol
  • bikinibeliever
    bikinibeliever Posts: 832 Member
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    No tanning for me! :smile:
  • RDalton84
    RDalton84 Posts: 207
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    Personally I enjoy tanning a few months out of every year. Usually got 2-3 times a week for 10 minutes. Because I sit in an office building all day I dont get outside as much as I like and going to the tanning beds gives me a nice boost of Vitamin D. :) I always feel so energized after I get out of the tanning bed. When I am outside for long periods of time though I do cover up with very strong sun block because being burnt is no fun. I think with everything, all in moderation. I do not smoke and I don't drink, all things that could also kill you but for some reason tanning seems to be so much more controversial. I say to each their own...

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