My girlfriend hates tanning and hates that I once in a while go. Her reasoning isn't even that it's dangerous and could give me skin cancer. It's that it is fake and that 'it looks funny'. I know that she worries about me and I know the fact that it is dangerous bothers her also, but she never tells me that she tells my friends and her friends and everyone except me.
When I told her I was thinking about starting to go tanning she flipped and was like but I don't like it. She wouldn't even tell my why at first, then she just gave in and said I could do whatever. The next day my mom came home and told me that she had gotten me a membership at the tanning salon and had put money on it so I could just go in whenever I felt like it.
Chelsea was pissed and fought with me over tanning. There is no reason good enough to fight over tanning. It isn't even like I asked my mom to do it. She just did it because I had mentioned that I might start going. That isn't my fault.
So now my mom has spent a ton of money on tanning so that I can go and Chelsea is pissed at me for it. And no matter how much I try to explain that I'm not even going to get tan she doesn't listen.
The other day Chelsea even compared tanning once in a while to her saying that she is going to start cutting or smoking but not everyday.
See the thing is: it wasn't even really my idea to start going. My therapist brought it up because she thought that it might help with my depression. That is the only reason that I even considered going.
And yet Chelsea still doesn't understand that it will help me with my mood and not make me so depressed on a day to day basis.
I know that also sounds dumb but it really has been helping. And it isn't like I go everyday or even every other day it is just once in a while and I don't know how to make her see that I just need to do this for a little bit.
How can I bring up the subject and make her understand if every time I try to talk to her about she gets mad?
Help?
Tanning
By paige_4769 - Posted on March 9th, 2008
Tagged: Body Image
There is good reason to fight over tanning. Even if you don't think you'll get tan, you are still hurting yourself. Definitely not nearly as much as if you were going every single day (kudos for that) but there is still some damage being done.
She's just worried, because she knows the results and what can happen. She probably doesn't want to seem like a goody-two-shoes and is only giving you the reasons that it looks fake (which is does for the most part)
But if you're being sent to the tanning salon for depression, that's something to worry about. True, many people suffer from 'winter blues' or depression in the cold months for lack of sunshine, but then it's probably just a mental thing.
Maybe instead of tanning, go to the local fitness club and take a swim.
tanning.
hmmmm.
i've gone tanning before, but only for events like homecoming or in a little while, prom.
(gosh)
but that was only to have "even" color, not unnatural orange color.
what are your reasons for tanning?
you mentioned it helping your depression, but is there any other reasons you want to?
i personally think that tanning on a regular basis "just because" is a little vain of us, don't you think? i understand if someone just "looks better w/ a tan," but is "looking better" really worth our time, and our money? but it's all a matter of personal opinion, so i'm not too firm on the matter.
i'm curious though,
as i have struggled with manic depression for years now and have also gone tanning several times,
how does it help your depression?
something with the rays?
its interesting.
it pretty much is just for the depression i know it probably is just a mental thing but it seems to help at least a little bit...
but like i said i'm not going that often
like once or twice a week if that
and it isn't about the tan...i could care less if i'm pale all year round it's not really a big deal.
it is just because it seems to make me feel better but idk if it actually does or if it's just that i think it does
does that make sense?
Ok tanning can cause cancer and it also makes it easier to get cancer but I understand you going for depression. I know a lot of people who do that.
Yes, I agree that tanning can make you feel better but it is dangerous. When I was 36 years old, I was diagnosed with bacell cell skin cancer (slow growing cancer) on my nose that is caused by the sun (tanning). The surgery required the end of my nose to be removed and fill back in with ear cartilage. The incision required 350 stitches and a lot of swelling and pain. I thought my life was over when I seen myself in the mirror the next day after surgery. With as much cancer they had to take out, the doctor said I had probably had the cancer since I was a child from sunburns on my nose all the time. I am very careful to wear sunscreen and keep my children covered in it at summer time. I really enjoy the tanning bed and laying in the sun but after this happened, I am very cautious. Please be very careful...
Just picture your skin looking like a leather couch in 10 years :).
+mspin
I used to go tanning but realised when I got older that I really didn't care how pale I was or what people really thought. Your therapist should have suggested that you sit out in the natural sunlight for about 10 minutes a day each day. This would improve your mood. Plus from a tanning bed you are not only making yourself age faster but also not allowing yourself to get the vitamin D that the sun provides which is 80%-100% of our daily intake. It is your chose but if you want to improve your mood then natural sunlight 10 minutes a day or even more if you don't get burned would greatly improve your mood more than the damaging causes of that tanning bed.
Something people should know about:
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
Responsible exposure to both sunlight and tanning beds is not bad for you. The benefits of exposure to UV rays by both sunlight and tanning beds can be good. It is not the exposure to the UV rays that causes cancer. If you tan responsibly (NEVER BURN!) then you don't put yourself in the position of increased risk of cancer.
The person above probably go skin cancer because of repeated burning of the skin. It is burning of the skin that causes damage to skin cells - not just merely exposure. If just exposure caused cancer than anyone who ever stepped foot outdoors in daylight would be at risk of cancer.
Indoor tanning can in many ways be safer than tanning outdoors. When you are outdoors the variables of UV exposure are many - clouds, time of day, lattitude, length of time... However, if you go to a good salon (Smart Tan certified) they will evaluate your skin type and place you in a tanning bed for a limited amount of time based on your skin type to ensure you will not burn. You get a very controlled exposure to UV light in a comfortable environment.
The tanning salon I go to has many people who's doctors have sent them. For skin conditions like psoriasis (sp?), for mood enhancement and for vitamin D deficiency. Don't worry so much about going to the tanning salon. It seems to be doing you some good to lift your mood. Just be sure you go to one that has certified and trained staff and follow the golden rule of tanning - NEVER BURN - and you should be fine.
Here's some web sites for more information about the benefits of tanning and the negative effects of not being exposed to UV rays (sunlight or tanning beds).
http://www.sunshinevitamin.org/
http://www.sunlightscam.com/sunscare.html
http://www.sunarc.org/
http://www.vitamindsociety.org/