I don't get tanning...

[TheMightyFavog]

Why do people feel the need to exponentially increase their risk of skin cancer?

[Lavender Brown]

1. It's addictive for some people

It can be hard for some to break the habit, because they find it relaxing and think it makes them look healthier. A lot of the tanning places also give out materials that downplay the cancer risk and the premature aging.

[bigwillq]

2. I don't get it either.

Not so much about the cancer part (although that is a legitimate concern), but more so for the vain part and it being "fake". Plus, I wouldn't be able to sit still in those booths.

[LeftyMom]

3. Beats me.

My kid sister is never seen without giant Paris Hilton-esque sunglasses because she read somewhere that wearing them will prevent wrinkles. But she tans, and when she's in between UV lamp cooking sessions she uses some kind of spray-on fake and bake that says right on the can that it can cause cancer. :wtf:

I'm not sure why a bleach blonde girl needs to char herself until she's that dark anyhow- she looks like a photographic negative.

[Maine-ah]

6. heh, a friend of mine does that

she looks like a fucking oompa loompa.

[Skittles]

12. lol

:D

[jonnyblitz]

4. it destroys my tattoos as well. nt

[dembotoz]

5. because tan is considered sexier in these northern climes than my

usual pasty white self.
(I do not tan myself-i have always been too cheap)

[MrsBrady]

7. I'm scotch-irish and english heritage...

I can't go outside for more than 5 minutes during the summer without burning to a crisp.

I wouldn't even go INTO a tanning salon, much less get in a booth.

[valerief]

8. It was fashionable in the seventies. Blonde hair, tanned skin, and blue eyeshadow. nt

[struggle4progress]

9. Doesn't everybody just spray on that Cheesepuff Orange color nowadays?

[SoxFan]

31. Bringin' Sexy Back...

[doc03]

10. That tax on tanning booths is going to hit Boner

hard.

[Danmel]

11. My office is next door to a tanning salon

It is mostly kids who use it. Where I live underage kids need permission. I don't get parents who would let their kids fry themselves knowing the risk involved, but there are a lot of things I don't get.

[Quantess]

13. I know someone my age who got skin cancer at age 25

She went to tanning salons.

I haven't seen her in 10 years but I'll bet she has more wrinkles than I do.

[RebelOne]

14. Having lived in South Florida almost all my life,

I knew many people who had skin cancer because they baked in the sun, including my mother. Most of those people were young 20s, 30s and 40s. Fortunately, I learned early on that best thing you can do for your skin in South Florida is to wear sunscreen. I live in North Georgia now, but still will not go outside unless I am wearing sunscreen.

[Quantess]

16. I live in the Pacific NW where it rains a lot

but I still wear sunscreen almost every day, spring through fall.
But who knows, maybe we'll find out that sunscreens have chemicals that will cause wrinkles and cancer. Until then, I'm going to keep wearing sunscreen.

[GoCubsGo]

15. Wrinkles...

One would think that would be enough to keep people out of tanning bed. One would think it's enough to keep women from ever picking up a cigarette, too. One would think, except that they apparently don't think. :-)

[Quantess]

18. Considering that most people are teens when they start smoking

they probably don't think they'll ever get wrinkles.

[lastliberalintexas]

17. Funny, I'm sitting here listening to Eva Cassidy

I don't know if her skin cancer was related to tanning or not, but she was only 33 or 34 when she died. Beautiful voice lost way too young. :(

[timtom]

32. She's my all-time favorite female vocalist.

I cry every time I listen to her music.

Such a profound voice.

[lunamagica]

19. I don't get it either. It's like living with your natural skin color

is unacceptable, that is, if you are pale (which I am). I've been told all kinds of things, many rude comments, of how I need to bake to get a "nice tone". Thank goodness I never listened.

[Taitertots]

20. Some people just need to...

Look like an oompa loompa now, and a worn leather couch in the future.

[hibbing]

21. tanning and nails

Hi,
Not sure what it is like where everyone else lives. But good golly here in the center of the country every single little strip mall has a tanning place and a nail place, sometimes combined, but often separate. I frankly don't quite get how they all survive. Literally blocks apart, very odd to me.

Peace

[SeattleGirl]

24. Lots of nail places around here. Tanning beds too, but not

as many as the nail places.

And we're talking west coast.

[phasma ex machina]

22. I hate slathering on sun screen but force myself to do it.

I also wear long sleeves and sweat pants in the hot summer.

People who choose to tan just ignore my advice.

[SeattleGirl]

23. I stopped indoor and outdoor tanning years ago. But I must

confess, sometimes I still indulge in tan-in-a-bottle.

[lildreamer316]

25. I tan AND get my nails done.

Everyone has a different health. Seriously. I've been tanning in beds since age 20. I am 36 now. Here is a picture of me taken earlier this year:

http://tiny.cc/rauzZ

Nor do I have any skin cancer. I use moderation in the tanning bed; use something designed to keep out the damaging rays on my face (but just started doing that a year or two ago); and do not ever spend a lot of time tanning in the full sun. If I am at the beach I am using the strongest sunscreen I can. Exposure to sunlight or sunlamps is the surest way to increase your body's production of Vitamin D; which has now been associated with chances of reducing several kinds of cancer.

"The major source of vitamin D for most humans is sensible sun exposure...children and adults who do not receive adequate vitamin D from sun exposure need at least 1000 IU/d vitamin D. Lack of sun exposure and vitamin D deficiency have been linked to many serious chronic diseases, including autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, cardiovascular disease, and deadly cancers. It is estimated that there is a 30 to 50% reduction in risk for developing colorectal, breast, and prostate cancer by either increasing vitamin D intake to least 1000 IU/d vitamin D or increasing sun exposure to raise blood levels of 25(OH)D >30 ng/ml."
-Michael F. Holick
Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology, Nutrition, and Diabetes, Vitamin D, Skin and Bone Research Laboratory, Boston University Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts
http://cjasn.asnjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/3/5/1548

..to cite just one study. There are many that say essentially the same thing. Tanning beds are a good way to regulate your type and time of exposure so that you are not exposed to the full spectrum of possibly damaging rays in natural sunlight(this being worse because of our depletion of parts of the ozone layer, as we all know. This does vary, but not by much).

Tanning beds also help those with Seasonal Affective Disorder.

One should do one's own research, and make a sensible decision. Just because a bunch of industry-involved doctors say something is completely bad for you does not make it so. Haven't we all seen this before? Remember that profit is always a PRIMARY motive in the healthcare industry. It's not like they suddenly decided to be truthful and caring on just this one subject. There is some truth in everything; but following all of the recommendations every time without question is like being in a religion. Find out what works for you and your skin. Do you think our bodies/evolution suddenly decided we needed to be indoor people 20 years ago? What about those who have to work in the sun? I guess in third world countries there are mass skin cancer epidemics.. I need to go look that up.

I get my nails done because at age 20, after having SEVERE acne for 9 years and the derm had done everything they could for me, getting my nails done is the ONLY thing that cured my acne. Completely serious about that. I believe I was scratching my skin in my sleep and transferring germs all over. Acrylic nails do not break my skin as easily (rounded, non sharp tips) and are easier to keep clean.

It's easy to jump on the bandwagon of dissing something because it's popular. But sometimes there are legitimate uses for these things also, and just because one has fake nails or tans does not mean one is superficial or does not care about one's health. Some people are going to need much less exposure to the sun than others. It's up to each person to take notice of their own body's responses and factor in other things such as heredity.

[Phentex]

26. Cancer aside, I don't like the look of it...

a light tan on someone doesn't bother me but the leather look with white eyes makes me cringe.

[Orrex]

27. I used to work with a woman who tanned every day during her lunch hour

And when she got back, she smelled like roasted carrion.

She dreamed of buying her own tanning bed. In fact, she wanted to replace the fluorescent bulbs in her ceiling fixtures with tanning bulbs.


She was hardcore.

[Rabrrrrrr]

28. Because the majority of people are unable to think for themselves

and are willing to let E! and People and fucking whatever the hell else tell them what they like.

[Orrex]

29. And they like that stupid Star Trek movie because the media told them to!

People suck!

[Rabrrrrrr]

33. That's exactly it!

:rofl:

[dugaresa]

30. i don't purposely tan but always get a "farmer's tan" on my arms

because even with spf 99 sunscreen I can't help but get sun on my arms when gardening. I do however wear a hat when I garden to keep the sun off my face.
I guess I could garden in long sleeves but I would pass out due to heat.

I am not sure why people pay to tan or tan in general, I am no fan of it.