Tanning: Yay or Nay?

Scottish_charlene_84

I tan on beds when im ging on holiday and know my skin is going to be in a lot of hot sunlight. Other than that i an on a thursday night i swear by benefit tanning lotion and use it with a tanning glove

jonnyman41

not sure if anyone already said it but bio oil is good for stretch marks and scars and is not too expensive

SunshineGRL76

Thanks for the suggestions about carrots & tomatos!! I need to get into the tanning salon before my trip to Hawaii. Was thinking about starting tomorrow Don't wanna burn on holiday...

I don't see the problem in trying tanning in a tanning salon. Just make sure your skin doesn't get sunburnt and ask for advice!

Another advice; eat lots of carrots or tomatoes. I tan a lot more and deeper when I eat a lot of carotenes!

Oh, and always use good skin care products in advance and afterwards. Make sure your skin is very hydrated! I use skin oils. I'm fortunate enough to be naturally dark-skinned. I tan very easily...

ElizaRoche

ive been called Casper, chicken legs, glow in the dark, etc... And i really dont mind, I hate the sun (and lots of bad stuff ive heard about the tanning beds), so I will stay that way.
Why would I look for cancer for free?, not crazy. I like my white skin

MissCarter79

I think the best look is natural. I'm pale and I always wanted to look tan, but it's not worth it. They make really good bronzers that make you look even and glowing. I think Bare Minerals make one.

twinkle77toes

No - don't do it. Factor up nice and high when you go out in it. Look at all those really aged, leathery old women out there that have spent too much time in the sun. Then take a look at the nice, pale skinned old women with MUCH better skin.

A stretch marks no big deal.
A sun bed risks outweight the benefits.

Danardeener

I'd try spray on tan...Remember, if you can't tone it, tan it!

hausofnichele

A study just came out today that concluded 170,000 cases of skin cancer per year are caused by tanning beds.

No thank you. I'm a fair, half Italian Jersey girl and skin cancer runs on both sides of my family. I'll take being pale with great skin any day over baking myself.

Also, my son's name is Casper. Kind of neat to see the name mentioned so much in this thread.

deadbeatsummer

If you have pale skin that doesn't really tan very dark then sun beds probably wont do a lot for you other than damage.
I'm White fair skinned English/Irish with blue eyes. I have pale skin but can slightly tan/pinken on holiday in the sun.
Going on a sunbed twice a week for a month sometimes for long intervals did nothing. I once went on for a long time as I was frustrated and just burnt my bum. And I dont think I even sound as pale as you.

You need to find a decent self tanner, as it will cover up your stretch marks better than a natural tan. Pay good money and get a decent spray tan done - fake bake or st tropez, dont go for the cheap £10 salon own one. There are thousands of good looking non streaky fake tans out there, me and my girlfriends use them all the time. I like St Tropez, and this spray fine mist one by loreal in medium. But i would recommend going to get a spray done professionally and opting for a light colour - do NOT go for 'medium' or 'dark' as you WILL be orange!

Danardeener

I dont always tan but when I do its poolside with a frosty beverage .....

Gorgeous ink! sunscreen will help the color stay longer... or is that a myth? that's what i always heard anyway. my only color right now is in my armpit, so not too much sun exposure.

we buy tons of sunscreen I always have it on any visible ink when outside

I do too!

Elise1324

Naaayyyyyyyyy! The suns burnses the skins. Stay inside until dark, then go out and feed on the humans.....

OGM lmao! this is me!

monipie

nay!

tanning might make you look good now, but in a few years, you'll look even older than you really are (think leathery, brown, spotted shoe). besides, i think all shades, from ivory to ebony, are beautiful in their natural state. if you really feel like a tan will boost your confidence though, opt for spray tans.

I'm 58. Been tanning every spring for 20 years. No skin conditions, Leathery skin, etc. No skin cancer. My wife is 50. Looks 30. Very smooth skin.

I think if you don't overdue it, don't have family history of it or are otherwise predisposed to cancer, artificial tanning can be better for you than burning in the sun. I'm outdoors all the time. I consider artificial tanning to be preventative medicine.

Everyone is different.

i agree, also,there are studies that prove, it promotes a healthy production of vitamin D and can help with depression. i tan all the time and my doctor tells me it's fine- granted i am not pale but in moderation or minimal time exposure i think you will be fine. of course, you could check with your doctor first. just giving my opinion on tanning. not trying to cause anyone to have skin cancer.

cecimaguina

I've read everyones comments and they're all valid: not worth it, skin cancer, don't overdo it..all of them. To me is very simple, if having a spray tan will make you feel and look better go for it. I wouldn't do it every week, but once in a while to boost your motivation up a bit and/or look awesome on a special gathering is more than fine.
Go to a recommended, well stablished place and ask for the brush, I think that's the safest method.
I'm also fair skinned and live in Miami....HELLO! everyone here looks like they've been at the beach all day!! I'm not going to say that they know what they're doing because I'll be lying BUT a once in a blue moon thing to help you is not bad.
I started this journey back in March and have lost a total of 41lbs, my main motivation is a family wedding event in January 2013 and of course I want to ROCK the party! Guess what?? I already have my appointment for a brush tan and I know I'll love it!!
I think the risks of a "fake" tan are the same as if you were to lay under the sun for hours - the only difference: at the tanning place you control how much you get.
Good Luck!

kelseyhere

learn to enjoy your ghost-like appearance. other people would kill for it. i used to feel the same, then i went to mexico for a year and women were raving about my skin. you just have to look at it from another perspective. tanning is bad for you and expensive. it will also dry your skin out, and probably make you break out.

a girl i grew up with had cancer, beat it by freshman year and was in remission. then she started tanning, got skin cancer, and she died. this is a true story.

virichi08

I say nay (at least for now) try using the bottled products first

Gloworm46

My daughter use to go to tanning salons because she is also very pale - she ended up with Melanoma which scared the c**p out of her entire family as her grandmother died from Melanoma. I say NAY - it's not worth the risk particularly since you had severe sunburns as a child. Yes a tan makes you look healthier but looking healthy in a coffin is probably not what you're going for. I say try the spray tans from a place where you're local body builders go.

virichi08

learn to enjoy your ghost-like appearance. other people would kill for it. i used to feel the same, then i went to mexico for a year and women were raving about my skin. you just have to look at it from another perspective. tanning is bad for you and expensive. it will also dry your skin out, and probably make you break out.

a girl i grew up with had cancer, beat it by freshman year and was in remission. then she started tanning, got skin cancer, and she died. this is a true story.

Beating cancer, i would be afraid to tan :sick:

runnermama81

See if you can find a professional spray tan at a salon. They last about a week and don't come off with sweating/bathing. This is the best of both worlds!!! No skin damage plus a nice toned look!

youcandooeet

I'm the one that called your trainer stupid, sorry for hurting your feelings. But telling someone that you're trying to help get healthy to subject themselves to something that could cause... not just promote but literally CAUSE cancer isn't excactly SMART. So I shouldn't have called them "your stupid trainer," I should have just said, "Your not-smart comment making trainer."

Good luck! Pale is actually way more fashionable now, but do whatcha gotta do to feel good about yourself.

LetsTryThisAgain54

nay!

tanning might make you look good now, but in a few years, you'll look even older than you really are (think leathery, brown, spotted shoe). besides, i think all shades, from ivory to ebony, are beautiful in their natural state. if you really feel like a tan will boost your confidence though, opt for spray tans.

I'm 58. Been tanning every spring for 20 years. No skin conditions, Leathery skin, etc. No skin cancer. My wife is 50. Looks 30. Very smooth skin.

I think if you don't overdue it, don't have family history of it or are otherwise predisposed to cancer, artificial tanning can be better for you than burning in the sun. I'm outdoors all the time. I consider artificial tanning to be preventative medicine.

Everyone is different.

Same here! 58 and never had any problems. In fact, I lived on an island in the South Pacific when I was 17 - 19 years old and was in the sun constantly. Never an issue. Like you said, everyone is different.

juliecat1

Nay!!

Super fair skinned red head here. The skin cancer risks are even higher for me. So no way would I risk it.

I feel silly with the sunless tanners on so I can't recommend any. My sister uses a really great one from Clinique I believe? It's expensive but looks perfectly natural on her.

qtiekiki

Tan does make it hard to see my stretch marks. But I wouldn't tan for that. I tan really easily though.

Sbehlmer

Nay, too many health risks involved with it (there are many self tanners that work great).

freefa11

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/shortcuts/2012/jun/05/face-shows-damage-from-sun

persephone87

artifical tanning increases the appearance of stretchmarks. Get a decent St Tropez from a reputable salon with someone who can match it to your skin tone.

ErikaD1979

.

I was diagnosed with melanoma at age 28. It's just not worth it. If I could do it all over again I would have never stepped food in a tanning bed. I only tanned for a few months in my late teens + a few bad blitering burns growing up. It doesn't take much. I know many who have died from "just skin cancer". I thank God mine was caught early because I may not be here typing this otherwise.
If you've had blistering burns you absolutely should not get any more sun.

If the skin cancer doesn't scare you, maybe looking older will? :-).

Angie_1991

Nay...I had melanoma in 2004....

Miss_dannii

I've been glow-in-the-dark white since I was a small child (not counting the blistering red sunburns from prolonged beach visits) and add being overweight to that and I looked like a beluga whale. However, after losing 35 pounds, building some muscle, and constantly whining about the stubborn stretch marks, my trainer suggested that I try tanning in an artificial environment.

Now, I know the health risks. Being fair skinned, I'm not a moron and I'm well-versed in the woes of tanning and skin cancer. However, I was looking to maybe add a LITTLE bit of color to my skin. Trainer says that having some color will fade the stretch marks a bit and help me to look more toned. But who has the time (with two jobs) to lay out in the sun for a few hours? Besides, it's October and I live in Delaware. Not great tanning weather. :laugh:

I've tried self tanning lotions and had terrible, streaky, orange-Snooki results. But I'm tired of being so icky and pale. Should I give the tanning a go or let the idea fall by the wayside?

Trust me, try Sally Hansen tan, think it's called perfect legs but I use it all over. No streaks, perfect finish and you don't have that awkward phase where it goes patchy when it's fading because it comes off in the shower.

ErikaD1979

PS, check out my friend's blog. A stage III melanoma survivor.

I love the pics she posted in link below. All of the pale girls are 100x prettier.

http://adventurewithmelanoma.blogspot.com/2012/06/tanning-is-new-trashy.html

Pixi_Rex

But I'm tired of being so icky and pale. Should I give the tanning a go or let the idea fall by the wayside?

I am sorry but there is absolutely nothing icky about being pale. I am pale, I prefer being pale, and I will remain pale to avoid skin cancer.