Tanning beds have been proven to cause skin cancer. Is tan skin really worth skin cancer? Not to me.
When they announced the harm of tanning beds, I thought many people would have stopped going to tanning salons. But that did not happen at all. The majority of girls in my school go tanning at least 3 times a week...even in the summer. In the winter they probably go more than that. Why? So they can look a little bit darker?
Why is looking dark so cool? A black girl I know said that we whites are trying to be like blacks. We try to get as dark skin as possible, even though there are so many people who are still racist towards blacks. How ironic.
Now since my school's senior prom is this friday, everyone is tanning excessively. GIrls are going every single day after school. But studies have proven that laying in a tanning bed for 30 min is equivalent to laying out in the sun for 8 hours! And currently the weather is very nice here. This weekend I went to the beach every day. But these girls still are set on going to the tanning salon. Do they not care about getting cancer later in life?
I even hear girls mentioning cancer, so it is not like they are unaware of the risks. I always hear girls saying things such as, "Oh, I go tanning way too much," or, "I'm totally going to get skin cancer when I get older since I go tanning every day." How can they act so cavalier about it? Yes, many people get cancer these days, but these girls are basically counting on it. Just so they can have dark skin?
I don't believe that it's worth it at all. But today's society makes girls think that their natural white skin color is ugly. That they can't be beautiful unless they're darker.
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My tanning salon cuts you off at 20 mins but I understand your point. I tan in tanning beds for things like prom and graduation because I think being tan looks better. It is just a personal choice, if people think they look better.
I just wish that society didn't make it so you're only attractive if you're tan. Being tan is what you have to do, almost to be accepted. And that's sad. I bet peopel wouldn't be so set on always being tan if prominent entertainers/celebrities weren't always tan.
Yea, that is pretty crazy about going tanning everyday, it's so bad for your skin!
We live in a shallow society that has decided that it is attractive to be tan. It all stems from the association with tanness to celeberties, but has nothing to do with race. For some ppl, coolness out weighs the chance that they could get cancer.
Just another example of how beauty outweighs health in our image obsessed world.
~CallieV
It's a hard choice. Look good for a day, get cancer. So hard to make. Maybe they are not informed enough? They may think it is a myth or something. Maybe it is like smoking and drinking. People think they are obsolete and that nothing will happen.
I really don't think that it's just that they think they won't get cancer. I think they've just accepted that fact and would rather have tan skin than a long life. I think this because I've heard girls who acknowledge that they will probably die of skin cancer since they go tanning so often.
This issue has been reallly blown out out of proportion. The risk of UV exposure whether it is indoor tanning or sunlight is from sunburning not moderate exposure. In fact some moderate exposure is necessary to produce Vitamin D and overall good health. We evovled as a species under sunlight. Even if you buy into the media messsage then consider the actual risk we are talking about here, you are more likely to ide in a car accident driving to the tanning salon than you are to die from skin cancer from any source.
Peppermint frost, what study are you referring to that has "proven" that 8 hours in a tannig bed is equal to 8 hours in the sun?
Pep Frost;
#1 Tanning beds/booths come in many different styles with different UV wavelengths and outputs. All 20 minute or 30 minute beds are not created equal.
#2 Natural sunlight intensity is controlled by the following variables: time of day, time of year, proximity to the equator, pollutants, cloud cover, and reflective surfaces such as snow, sand, and water.
So, 30 minutes in a tanning does not equal 8 hours of sunlight. Example: what location is the 8 hours of sunlight coming from? Ireland or Jamaica? In January or July? At 7am or 12pm? On a clear or cloudy day?
For those that want to weigh the risk/benefit of indoor tanning based on factual information visit www.suntanningedu.com
I would never ever EVER go tanning. I think they're disgusting and unnatractive, not to mention, in this case, FAKE. On top of all that, they're DANGEROUS. I don't get why people go tanning...
I honestly think it looks bad when peole tan too much. Your natural skin color is beautiful, whether it be white, black, brown, or purple. You shouldn't have to change it to be attractive or popular.
I don't need drugs - I have genetics.
I know the risks of tanning but I DO NOT over exceed on going tanning. I don't tan in the winter and when I do tan, its mainly right around prom and soon I wont have any more proms. I may still tan for a little bit but I don't think that tanning is worth skin cancer or making your skin look leathery. ewwww. The tanning place that I go to only allows up too 20 mins and if I start feeling the least bit uncomfortable then I get out.
In my family, we can't tan. I just turn red, and my sister, oddly enough, once spent 2 hours on the roof in August to get some color, but came in 3 shades whiter.
I don't need drugs - I have genetics.