To Tan or Not to Tan?
56There is no doubt that we all like to look attractive. There is also no doubt that, to most people tan skin is more attractive than pale skin. However, along with our desire to look our best, we need to make sure we take care of ourselves. No amount of beauty or sexiness is worth risking our health. Right?
But what should we do? One day, we are told to protect ourselves from the sun at all costs! The next day we are told how great our tan looks, and how it makes us “glow”. Talk about receiving mixed signals! It’s time to stop vacillating, and make up our minds.
Is it okay to tan, or isn’t it?
The answer is yes, it is okay to tan. And no it is not okay to tan.
About now someone is probably preparing to get upset. Wait a minute, though, don’t throw that bottle of tanning lotion through the window yet. There’s an explanation coming.
When a person’s skin turns tan in the sunlight, it is merely protecting itself from the sun. There is a chemical called Melanin in skin cells. That chemical comes closer to the surface after extended exposure to sunlight. That is what we see as a tan: Melanin moving closer to the skin’s surface. If we are only out in mild weather for a short time, and the Melanin kicks in, it is a natural defense. If, however, we are out in scorching heat for hours, and our skin burns, that does irreversible damage to our cells.
It is best, when outside to use a sunblock.
Are tanning beds better than natural sunlight for tanning?
Many companies are claiming that tanning beds are safer. We see celebrities on television with incredible tans, and they talk about having used a tanning bed.
If companies are allowed to make those claims, and so many big-name people get their tans by going to tanning salons, then tanning beds must be safe, right?
JUDGE FOR YOURSELF
This is how tanning beds work: they douse your body with ultra-violet radiation. The Melanin in your skin reacts, and presto! You have a tan. So what is wrong with that? According to the president of the Society of Melanoma Research, Dr. David Fisher, exposure of this type---the ultra-violet radiation---is responsible for thousands of people dying each year.
Yet, flip the whole issue over and examine it again, and we see that, while there may be a connection between ultra-violet rays and melanoma (skin cancer), tanning beds, and the sun also causes the body to make vitamin D. Vitamin D works with the body to actually fight off diseases.
What about tanning lotions, sprays, creams, etc.?
Tanning products---lotions, creams, etc.---were unreliable and unsafe when they first came out. They have been on the market for a long time now, and many not only give good color, but also provide moisturizer for the skin, as well as SPF. A person can still end up looking like an over-baked Christmas yam if he or she isn’t careful when using tanning products
We simply need to remember to take care of ourselves. A live pale person is more attractive than a dead tanned person any day.
