The Healthy Blogger

Debunking the tan myth

I’ve written many times about the dangers of tanning, so I’ve probably done it to death.  Many readers probably don’t care too much about the dangers that may not manifest for many years.  But, it was reported today that the recession will push more people into tanning salons.  This is because they cannot afford to holiday in warm climates, where they can lay out in the sun.

I’m not going to pick on tanning salons, because I believe tanning is bad, regardless of method.  I don’t know what problem people have with the “fake tans”.  Allergic reactions are uncommon, though it does exist.  Yet, it seems the easiest and safest method for those addicted to having a tan.  So, why bother with the tanning salons or the sun and dangerous rays?

Now, sunlight is important, especially for Vitamin D.  However, you can get vitamin D even if you apply sunscreen.  And you should use sunscreen to protect against harmful rays when you plan to be out in the sun for a long time.  But, sunbathers will not do so because they fear it will prevent them from tanning.  That is not necessarily the case.  Believe me on that point.  Sunscreen does not prevent you from tanning.

There is this misconception that a tan look is “healthy”.  This is because it is associated with being outdoors and invalids are not well-known for being out of doors.  No one wants to appear sickly pale, but there are many people unfortunate enough to be quite fair-skinned.  These people are the ones most in danger of getting skin damage from tanning.  They are the most likely to burn, even with the use of sunscreens.

A good proportion of people feel that a tan makes them look healthier.  The emphasis is on looks, not on actuality.  It does not make them feel healthier, nor are they in fact healthier, but many feel it makes them feel more attractive.  Let’s step back a bit.  Do people in general find Hispanics, Asians, and Blacks more attractive than Whites?  Is that why all the Caucasians try to pass themselves off as of a different race?  I find it funny then that amongst the Blacks, they like the light-skinned ones.

Never mind that tanning damages your skin, so that in the long run, you will have less healthy skin.  Let’s just look at the way that leathery skin clings on you.  Do you find that attractive?  I wish I could find and paste some images of women with that ugly leathery skin from too much sunbathing or tanning salons.  What about those with the tell-tale red-brown look that suggests they just came out of the salon?  You call that attractive?  Premature aging attractive?

I understand the need to be attractive.  I have ugly, wrinkly hands and feet.  This is due to dry skin and exposure to wind, heat, water, etc.  I tend to forget to apply lotions.  But I get very embarrassed to show my wrinkly, peeling skin.  I would definitely not tan and make it worse.  Tanning does not make a person more attractive!  In fact, it can make them much less attractive.

Malignant melanoma can definitely be linked to sunbeds

Despite all the warnings about malignant melanoma, people, especially women, are still sunbathing, whether in the sun or on the tanning beds. Of course, The Sunbed Association would like to insist that tanning beds are safe. After all, if they didn’t, they wouldn’t make any money. They point out that there is no association between UV exposure and malignant melanoma. That is a very ignorant and dangerous statement.

Studies have shown that UV exposure does cause skin damage. And skin damage can lead to many skin disorders, some of which go on to further develop various types of skin cancer. Malignant melanoma is the deadliest, of course. So, you may not have a study linking UV exposure directly to malignant melanoma, the implications are all there. It does not take much intelligence to make the correct deductions. Need we put more women at risk by ignoring the evidence? Need we create more problems all for the sake of the almightly dollar, so to speak?

Studies show that young skin is fragile and vulnerable to damage. Early exposure to UV radiation causes damage which subsequent and persistent exposure adds to. Malignant melanoma is now the third leading cause of death in women in their 30s, behind breast and cervical cancer. Those women with malignant melanoma had a history of sun exposure, especially the use of tanning beds, before the age of 30. Does that not show that there is some cause and effect?

Though tanning beds have been promoted as a safe way to tan, some beds deliver radiation at 10-times the strength of the sun. How can this be considered safe? Burns cause skin damage, so if radiation is too strong, it can cause burns. I have seen many people coming out of tanning salons looking like lobsters. It is most unattractive. Until this tan culture is dissipated, women will be at risk for skin damage in their quest for the ultimate bronze.

In an age where everyone is pushing for equal rights regardless of age, sex, religious or political affiliation, why do we not have people pushing for a return to nature? Can we not accept that ethnically not all of us are brown? Does everyone suddenly wish they had an African or Asian or, perhaps, Latino heritage? I look forward to the day when someone goes around with a T-shirt proudly displaying “Fair-skinned and proud of it” or “Yes, I am Fair”.