The danger of tanning 101...
Melanoma, the deadliest form of cancer, is also the second most common form of cancer for women between fifteen and thirty, a statistic we can attribute to the societal pressure teenage girls and young women face to look tan. Not only are we bombarded with images of celebrities who have developed a deep bronze due to unhealthy intakes of sun, we're told that it's normal or a "healthy glow". What is described as a "healthy glow", is anything but. Melanoma cases in young women have increased fifty percent since the 1980s. Why are women and girls actively engaging in an activity that has been proved cancerous?
Cosmo has been covering the dangers of tanning beds as part of their ongoing Practice Safe Sun Campaign. Here are some questions that were asked to Tanning Salon Operators in regards to dangers of tanning:
COSMO: “Does indoor tanning cause cancer?”
TRUTH: Yes. But They Said:
• “Any of the studies that find any significant link at all are with people of a skin type who should not be in the sun at all—living far north and not getting much sunlight. That’s not any of us.”
• “The dermatology association is in bed with big companies to promote their product: sunscreen. You really don’t have anything to worry about.”
COSMO: “Can I get a safe tan inside a tanning bed?”
TRUTH: No. But They Said:
• “I recommend this lotion if you’re afraid you’ll burn. It’s thick, and it’ll protect you from burning.”
• “This [lotion] will help you tan better, and it has moisturizer so you won’t burn. This has very little SPF because the bed itself has SPF already. You don’t need to worry.”
They also called some of the top dermatologists in the country to get their take. “There’s no longer any debate about UV radiation causing cancer,” explains David J. Leffell, MD, professor of dermatology and surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. “Any attempt to obscure this is dishonest, ignorant, or both. The indoor-tanning industry is misstating the facts for its own gain.”
I have very light colored skin and I always wished that I would get super tan or have naturally bronzed skin but it's very hard for me to get color so I use sunless tanner (which surprisingly works because not a lot of people know that I use it and always comment on how natural my skin color looks after hearing that so it works!) There are literally hundreds of different brands of sunless tanner and they really do work. (It takes some practice to master the no streaking technique but practice makes perfect!) When I do lay out in the sun during summer, I use sun block non-stop (usually SPF 50), and I don't sit out for too long. Obviously we can all still lay out and have fun in the sun, but the point is to be smart about it. No one is telling you to hibernate inside during the summer but just think about your future. You might achieve that gorgeous bronzed body now from all of that tanning you are doing, but what about later when you visit the skin doctor after noticing something on your body and it is potentially harmful? It is not a risk that you should be willing to take. Just like everything else, there will always be people who do unhealthy habits 24/7 and never ever have anything bad happen to them, those who do unhealthy habits 24/7 and have bad things happen to them, those who rarely engage in unhealthy habits and have bad things happen to them, those who never do any unhealthy habits and unfortunately still have bad things happen to them, and those lucky people who never ever engage in an unhealthy habit and go through life without anything bad happening to them. No one can predict the future but there are ways to help make sure that you stay on the path of a healthy adulthood!
Ladies -- Practice safe sun!
Here are some questions for you:
1. Have you ever had a skin-cancer scare, or do you have a friend or family member who has?
2. Have you ever been concerned about the risks?
3. Have you ever asked about safety at a salon and been reassured that it’s ok?
4. Does this change the way you think about going to tanning salons?
Unfortunately I do know people in my life who I love an incredible amount who have been affected by this and I am going to do my best to protect myself. If you know that you can prevent something that has been proven to cause health risks, why wouldn't you? Years ago it was fashionable to be pale, it might not be like that today, but I guess I'll just keep embracing my pale skin because this is who I am and I wouldn't have it any other way! With all of this knowledge, we should be able to put trends behind us and go with our own glow.
Love & Pink,
Lisa
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