Any other pale girls out there?

You guys need to do some research.

I work for a dermatologist.
Yes, there are risks to tanning, including increased risk to skin cancers, and wrinkles, but there are many benefits as well.
Tanning can help with skin disorders such as acne, psoriasis, vitiligo, and eczema, it can also help with emotional disorders as well, including anxiety, depression, stress, and self confidence.
Tanning can ALSO help prevent other cancers, such as breast cancer, and increase vitamin D levels, which many people have a deficiency.


There are medicines that can help prevent wrinkles. Any cream or ointment that has a retinoid in it can help stop wrinkles. And moisturizing is key to nice soft skin regardless of color.

For me, the benefits outweigh the risk.

I sure hope you're not the nurse in that clinic and this is not what your doctor is teaching his patients. I am a nurse and everything you said is so freakin scary it is unreal. For one thing, treating psychiatric issues such as depression, stress, and anxiety is not within a dermatologists scope of practice. The better treatments for those conditions are seeking out a psychologist or psychiatrist, who will most definitely NOT recommend tanning but if light therapy is part of the treatment then they will recommend a light box for that, not a tanning bed.

You're recommending medicine to prevent wrinkles, such as a retinoid, however do we really need to talk about the risks with using retinoids? There are also medicines that you can take to treat acne, psoriasis, and eczema. I have family members who suffer from vitiligo and they're told to be EXTREMELY careful about sun protection all year round.

Tanning does NOT prevent breast cancer sweetheart! Breast cancers are often genetic and there is NOTHING that tanning will do to prevent something that is in your genes.

Oh no SWEETIE, I don't work at a clinic, it's a private practice.
I did NOT say tanning PREVENTS breast cancer. I said it HELPS prevent breast cancer.

There is a retinoid in EVERY single acne medicine you can get, unless it is over the counter. I understand retinoids do make your skin sun-sensitive, and if you are using a medicine that has one, you should be extremely careful about being in sunlight in any form.

Any patient with psoriasis or vitiligo should be using uvb light treatment, aka lightbox, as that is the best way to treat MOST cases. Vitilgo is most commonly treated by lightbox, so i don't know why your doctor would be telling you to stay away from the sun, it that is your only diagnosis. If a person with psoriasis can't get their health insurance to cover lightbox treatments, which can be upwards of $30 as a aselfpay visit. (and at 1-3 visits per WEEK, who can afford that?) Where do you think those patients go? dingdingding, tanning salons!

i agree a person with an emotion or mental issue should be seeing a specialist that fits their needs, but like i said, tanning beds CAN be used to help fight those issues.

And you are absolutely correct in the assumption that no dermatologist would ever PROMOTE going to a tanning bed, they would also be able to tell you everything I just did.

I'm not arguing that pale girls aren't hot, I'm just saying there are ups and downs to every situation.

Drinking alcohol can lead to liver damage, but do people stop drinking?