Should I start tanning?!

I enjoy tanning. I never get super tan, but a few minutes a couple times a week give me a sun-kissed glow, makes me feel and look good, and honestly EVERYTHING gives you cancer anymore. I can't live my life in fear. There are plenty of people who tan and never get cancer, people who never "go tanning" and still get it. So as much as it PROBABLY increases your chances, it's NOT going to 100% give you cancer.

I live by the rule -all things in moderation.

Stop living in fear, and WORSE - STOP trying to make everyone else as fearful as you. Instead, maybe guide her on a healthier way to do what she wants.

Is getting sun burn harmful and potentially dangerous? Yes.

Is excessive sun likely to prematurely age your skin? Yes.

Is a moderate tan, gained slowly and without burning harmful? No.

Should people with a very fair skin type take more precautions than someone with skin that tans easily? Yes.


This any amount of sun is harmful, wear sunscreen all year round band-wagon has got ridiculous, no wonder so many people are vitamin D deficient...

(Aged 54 and not turned into a leather couch just yet.)

I tend to agree
I no longer tan intentionally though (and haven't really for decades) When I was young though I worked outdoors a lot and always had a dark golden tan for most of the summer,
I don't burn particularly easily though - My wife OTOH burns in a short time and has never had a tan (a couple of burns as a kid)
don't overdo it, If you are going to do it may as well do it for free and use the sun as opposed to tanning beds and max the Vitamin D
53 and no major wrinkles (and I smoked for 40 years as well quit last summer - another thing that can age you badly I've been lucky)

Tanning is not healthy. Be proud of your pale skin. The statistics are overwhelming of the ratio to tanning to skin cancer. If you go tanning 100 x you are essentially guaranteed to get skin caner. Do the math....is it worth it?!

And what does "go tanning" mean, exactly? She's talking about going outside. Should no one ever go outside 100 times in their life because they're going to get cancer?

I work in a tanning salon and trust me there are some who make leather an understatement! It's moderation. ..I tan once every 1-2 weeks and still look like a 20 something. Moderation is the key to life!

You already have beautiful skin, but at the end of the day it's your decision as long as you take all factors into consideration. Tanning is okay if you do it in moderation. Everyone knows that there are obvious risks for cancer. It's really rather naive to say that there isn't risk. I'm 20 years old, and I go tanning regularly. You can see from my profile pic that I'm not rocking that Ohio Winter White skin. Do I worry sometimes about the safety of my skin? Yes of course. Do I tan excessively or even every day? No way. If you are just looking for some color maybe first opt for a tan out of a bottle. That's what I used to do. A lot of people only view tanning as a way for some skin color, but personally I tan FOR my skin health (as crazy as that may sound to all anti-tanners). Tanning provides extra vitamin D which is healthy for the skin and promotes anti-depressive moods. It also prevents and clears breakouts. My purpose is that it is a well-known, proven medical treatment for psoriasis and eczema as an alternate to taking injected medication with some rather scary side effects, but when I'm tan I also feel more confident in myself. I never let what people say about my tanning habits bother me because I made the informed, thought-out decision on my own. Do your research and know your options is what I advise to you because like anything there are pros and cons.

What's wrong with pale?
I live in California too, and I have seen what advance tanning and prolonged exposure to sun does to skin.
On the other hand, my neighbor is very fair, with red hair, and she takes serious precautions all the time to avoid sun, and she looks amazing at almost 50 years. What that means is: She has looked great, and will continue to look great for a lot longer than a tan lasts!

I prefer a tanning bed because unlike when I was in my teens and 20's, I don't have time to lie around in the sun. The most I tan for is 10-12 minutes in a tanning bed in May so that I feel better when I wear a tank and shorts. I don't do it more than three days a week to start and lessen it to two til the end of June.

Being that I am 49, I cover my face and chest with a towel in the booth and just focus on my arms and legs.

Go for it, tan

I was going to post "inb4 all the cancer crying irrits" but they beat me here

I'm sure you'll be this cavalier when it's your wife or daughter someday. Oh to be 21...

Nah, not really. I don't treat the sun like it's a killing machine like yourself and others. Yes, the sun can be bad if you get too much of it and don't take precautions. Just like eeeeevery other thing in the world.

There's a difference between 'catching a tan' and 'roasting in the sun' If I were to stay away from everything that could potentially harm me, I'd live an extremely sad and pointless life.

Tell me, Steph, do you stick to a high fat, extremely low carb and low protein diet, because it's studied to be a fighter of cancer?

Yes, I choose not add unnecessary health risks for the sake of vanity to my life. I'd rather be pale and 2% (10%, 20%, 100%.. whatevs) less attractive and reduce my skin cancer risk by ANY percent. I do continue to take necessary risks like eating and breathing air because I don't have a choice. See the difference?

I was not criticizing your opinion simply because you are 21, but rather observing that you are young enough that you probably have not been in the unfortunate and very painful situation of watching someone you care about fighting cancer. If you HAVE been in that circumstance, then certainly you know that no tan, no vanity in the world is worth increasing the risk by even one tenth of a percent. Cancer is awful.

Is getting sun burn harmful and potentially dangerous? Yes.

Is excessive sun likely to prematurely age your skin? Yes.

Is a moderate tan, gained slowly and without burning harmful? No.

Should people with a very fair skin type take more precautions than someone with skin that tans easily? Yes.

do i have very fair skin? yes
do i wear sunscreen religiously in the spring/summer? YES
do i spend ridiculous amounts of time outside (longboarding) in the spring/summer sun? YES
do i still end up with a moderate tan, gained slowly, without burning? YES
do i like this look? F YES
am i worried about cancer from it? not really

'tanning' for me is a managable by-product of the primary reason i spend time in the sun, not an end in and of itself.

Right. You're naturally making a risk/benefit analysis. Is taking the risk (mitigated by sunscreen use) worth it for the benefit of joy and good health from participating in an outdoor sport you love? ABSOLUTELY. This is totally different then laying out or going to a tanning salon solely for the purpose of aesthetics.

And of course everyone has the right to do their own risk/benefit analysis and obviously some people believe looks are worth the risk. Not my choice, but OP can decide for herself.

No, you should not start tanning.