A random rant on paleness...

MandaJean83
MandaJean83 Posts: 675 Member
edited November 12 in Chit-Chat
I just feel like complaining for a couple of minutes about the fact that my skin is lily white, and no matter how much weight I lose, paleness always makes people look less skinny than they actually are...anyone else ever notice this?

Now, I'm not one for tanning...I've never set foot in a tanning bed or gotten a spray tan and I'm going on 29 years old this year. A large percentage of my friends tan at least once a week, sometimes up to three times a week, just to look better. But I know the possible long term effects on your skin, and it's just not worth the risk to me, personally! My family has a huge incidence of melanoma, so I know what I'm up against if I were to start.

But seriously, I just wish I could be naturally slightly tan!!! It hides your figure flaws so much better!! *End rant*
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Replies

  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    Take comfort in the fact that you aren't putting yourself at risk for skin cancer and premature aging :smile:
  • CMmrsfloyd
    CMmrsfloyd Posts: 2,380 Member
    I'm pretty pale, too. I don't tan, I burn, peel, and then turn white with new freckles. LOL I lost my mind in highschool and tried tanning several times, no telling the amount of damage I did to my skin, never again. Now it's high-SPF sunscreen and lots of shade for me. I take comfort in knowing that staying away from the sun will *hopefully* mean less wrinkles for me when I'm older. And hopefully since I don't do that craziness that I tried in highschool anymore, hopefully avoiding it from now on will put me at a lower risk for skin cancers than people that tan continuously.

    I have considered getting one of those lotions that has just a tiny hint of coloring to it, that builds up over time the more you use it. Seems like that would be the most natural looking way to try and get just a little color, since it's not a 'all at once' fakey tan. IDK. Might try one out a couple of times with the summer coming up. I haven't worn a bathing suit out in public in YEARS but now with all the weightloss I just might this year. Don't want to completely blind people unless it's with my newfound awesomeness. LOL
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I never liked baking in the sun. At the beach, I'm the one under the umbrella and hat. Just had my check up with the Dermatologist and she said I looked great for 56. Go me. :drinker:
  • muddyventures
    muddyventures Posts: 360 Member
    I like my pale natural skin, I don't tan and I don't wear makeup (maybe once or twice a week, and lightly). I'm no beauty queen, but I just think this is the way I was born and I enjoy it. I'm not super confident either, I just like plain.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    After you've been to a few high school reunions and keep getting compliments on how young you still look, trust me, you'll be happier with your pale skin. I've spent some time in the sun (it's unavoidable in Tucson) but limit it as much as possible and wear sunscreen every day. At 45 I have almost no wrinkles on my face. I know it's part genetics but I look at my friends who tanned into their 20s and 30s and the difference is obvious.

    I'd suggest the tanning lotions that are out there. There are some good ones. The tan goes on gradually and it doesn't look fake as long as you're using the light color one and don't try to go dark.
  • mommared53
    mommared53 Posts: 9,543 Member
    You said "just to look better"? Look better to who? I guess it's a matter of opinion but I used to work with women who tanned really often like that and I don't believe they looked better at all. Personally I like being pale but I think you're right, it doesn't do much to disquise the flaws. Maybe try tanning lotion?
  • ElizabethRoad
    ElizabethRoad Posts: 5,138 Member
    paleness always makes people look less skinny than they actually are...anyone else ever notice this?
    No, can't say that I have noticed this.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    I also look like a ghost. You can see blue veins across my chest and upper arms if I wear a tank top. =( It's lame. It'd be nice to have just a slightly less pale skin tone.
  • Lauren8239
    Lauren8239 Posts: 1,039 Member
    I'm so white I glow in the dark. I freckle, heavily in the the summer. My hair bleaches from blonde to almost white from the sun. I burn.........I have to be so careful. My boyfriend loves to touch my skin because it is so soft.........(his words), no sun damage. I look younger than my years. I prefer health over taking risks by tanning or putting fake slop over my skin. I'm 47. :smile:
  • d5d14m66
    d5d14m66 Posts: 150 Member
    I'm envious of women with "pale" complexions -- I prefer the terms "peaches and cream" or "alabaster."

    I'm pretty fair, but tan easily. My tanning method growing up was to spend 4 hours in the sun (wearing baby oil in lieu of sunscreen) and the next morning, my pink skin had already turned tan. Great, right? My freshman year in college, I had my end-of-summer tan by Spring Break. Cool, huh?

    Well, a melanoma diagnosis at age 25, followed by 2 surgeries, changed my opinion on the so-called "healthy" tan. I'm blessed to have caught it early. And people tell me I look much younger than 45. Who needs wrinkle cream, when you haven't spent your life "tanning your hide" in the sun?

    One note, for anyone who avoids lots of sun exposure over several years -- ask your doctor if you need to take Vitamin D supplements (a simple blood test will tell). After my diagnosis, I reduced the amount of sun I got, and ended up needing therapeutic doses of Vitamin D in order to protect my bones. I'm not complaining -- I'd rather take a pill every day than have skin cancer.
  • sportyredhead01
    sportyredhead01 Posts: 482 Member
    I feel your pain.
    I'm a natural redhead so I will never tan either, my skin doesn't have the ability!
    My profile pic is how I look when I'm at the beach actually---sunglasses, a hat, and baby sunblock. I've had a few weird moles removed as well that keeps me from ever trying to tan, EVER.

    Just keep in mind that your skin is going to look awesome later on in life while everyone else will look like a worn leather purse.

    That's my motivation!
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    By the end of the summer, I might be one shade darker... like my makeup will be "Ivory" instead of "Bisque." :laugh:

    I love being pale. I love the contrast between my dark hair and my light skin.
  • sassylilmama
    sassylilmama Posts: 1,493 Member
    <<<notice my pasty white legs. I know how ya feel.
  • CoryIda
    CoryIda Posts: 7,870 Member
    I am not a fan of my pale white skin, but I would look ridiculous with a tan, so I will just deal with it.
  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
    I think pale skin is beautiful, you should be proud that you have such a lovely skin color♥
  • grrrlface
    grrrlface Posts: 1,204 Member
    I'm pale too and I love it. I agree it makes the lumps stand out but I'm not too fussed, the worst thing for me is in summer when I finally decide to get the legs out... People say they reflect light, they're that white!! :( So I just put a pair of tights on and I'm sorted. :bigsmile:
  • kim_mc
    kim_mc Posts: 321 Member
    I too, am white as white can be and never even get a hint of color except red from the sun. ALL self tanners make me into an orange person which is much worse looking than the whiteness.

    I tried the tanning bed thing in high school, but even a few minutes in there and I'd be overcooked, fire red, and looking like a lobster!

    Even after losing weight, shorts still look gross on me since my paleness doesn't hide ANY imperfections. If my legs could just get a hint of color, it would look so much nicer! But they won't.

    I think we just have to accept that we will never be tan or even close and just try to work on what we can :sad:
  • La_Amazona
    La_Amazona Posts: 4,855 Member
    I have an awesome natural tan that looks great on my legs. (especially when I grease them up with baby oil when I go out :devil: )

    But I'm attracted to pale skin.. Mmm it's dreamy!!!! I love pale men!!! :love:
  • kanmuri
    kanmuri Posts: 112
    I'm so white, I'm almost transparent, especially at this time of the year. For me it's not te weight thing that annoys me, it's being continually asked if I'm ok because I look pale. Yes, I'm fine, thank you!!! Story of my life.
  • brittanidigby
    brittanidigby Posts: 247 Member
    I love being pale! Pale skin = Sexy. Tan = yuck. :)
  • kim_mc
    kim_mc Posts: 321 Member
    On the other hand, it's super easy to buy makeup. I just have to pick the lightest shade available and BOOM, perfect match! LOL!
  • moran1917
    moran1917 Posts: 1,133 Member
    my husband says i am so white i am see through :laugh:
  • jedibunny
    jedibunny Posts: 321
    I am a GHOST compared to most people I know (including my immediate family - they got my mom's more olivey skin and I got my dad's mom's creamy white!). I burn very, very easily. The only time I've ever come close to a "tan" that didn't look like a burn was when I spent a week in California in the summer and wore 100 proof sunscreen all day and all night... that gave me a pale-gold-ish tinge, but I've never achieved it again. Interesting side note: my aftorementioned grandmother lived in NorCal for most of her adult life (50+ years) and never tanned. Not once. Yayyy genetics!

    Sometimes I like it, other times I hate it, but I refuse to set foot (or body) in a tanning booth and I'll always wear sunscreen when outdoors between the months of May--August. Otherwise, I'm a lobster.

    If you feel healthy, don't worry about your skin tone - you're healthy!
  • addies_mom
    addies_mom Posts: 40
    I'm also uber pale... Scottish ancestry is to blame in my case. I will occasionally spray tan in the summer, and I did for my wedding. I hate the smell of the spray tan solution, so I won't do it regularly.
    I just make the best of it, dress in colors that flatter my skin tone!
    The one thing about being fair-skinned, I never got the linea nigra (vertical line on belly) or dark stretch marks when pregnant. The stretch marks I did get faded so pale that you can barely tell. So once I'm down to my goal weight, I'm gonna rock a bikini, pale or not :D
  • tig_ol_bitties
    tig_ol_bitties Posts: 561 Member
    You think pale skin makes you look larger than what you really are?? Yeah, tell that to Nicole Kidman.
  • Classalete
    Classalete Posts: 464 Member
    My Gold's has tanning tied into my membership.

    Needless to say I look fantastic.

    Oh, and I'm not concerned with melanoma, I have real problems to worry about.

    Get a tan.
  • bebreli
    bebreli Posts: 227 Member
    I don't think that tanning makes people look less skinny but I would say tan fat does look better than white fat - I am referring to my own thighs here ;o)

    They do the super crazy tanning for competitions, however if you have ever seen a really ripped guy/gal with amazing abs and they are very white it looks just as nice as if it were tan. IMHO
  • pauljsolie
    pauljsolie Posts: 1,024 Member
    Pale and proud of it!!!! PALE POWER!!!!! All kidding aside, I avoid the sun as much as possible. Living in the north it is somewhat easy. When you get older you will be thankful that you did. One thing I like are the people who think I'm still in my 30's, that is until I take off my hat. :grumble:
  • azure7
    azure7 Posts: 136 Member
    I feel you, girl! I live in Miami and I barely show my legs b/c I hate how white they are. On the up side, b/c of my pale skin and the fear of sun damage, I'm a sunscreen Nazi...and I look 10 years younger than all my friends because of it :)
  • secretgirl4611
    secretgirl4611 Posts: 474 Member
    Im mexican haha not from mexico but yea sry I like to say that. as I BARELY can even speak spanish. but um my skin is a weird pale not white pale but like an olive off color pale. sometimes I look in the mirror and it looks like im siick but im not. its just my skin color. you cant really tell from pics but in person more...I HATE IT. but I wouldnt want to be darker either.. so im stuck
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