When it’s that time of year for spring dances and graduation, a majority of women choose to hit up the tanning salons so they don’t look pasty white in their outfits. So, why do women feel the need to obtain a fake tan to look better in their clothing? It could possibly be for their own happiness and desire to have a summer glow right after winter. Or could it be because of the media? With television shows like Jersey Shore, it’s no wonder women feel that in order to be attractive, you need to be tan. Is using an indoor tanning bed worth it though?
You won’t find anyone on the Jersey Shore without a tan. Gym Tan Laundry (GTL) is known throughout the country. But do those people really know the dangers of indoor tanning? The first episode of the second season of Jersey Shore, Snookie announced that she was no longer using indoor tanning beds and she started to use spray tanning instead, but not for the reasons viewers would have assumed. She simply did not want to spend the extra money on tanning. On July 1, 2010, Obama passed what is known as the tanning tax. Every tanning salon in the country was obligated to increase the tax on their sales by 10 percent.
Think there are no real dangers of indoor tanning? Well, if you are an avid tanner you are at a high risk of skin cancer, eyelid cancer and more. There is no such thing as safe tanning. All indoor tanning puts you at a high risk of disease.
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A typical indoor tanning bed has a time limit of 20 minutes. Within those 20 minutes, your skin absorbs the UV rays resulting in a tan, or burn. All tanning salons suggest that when you start to tan you build up a base tan to prevent burning, just as you would when you lay out in the sun. However, they do not tell you that tanning beds have 10 to 13 times more intensity that that of the sun. According to www.south-seas.com, one bad sunburn can increase your chance of skin cancer by 50 percent. So, if you are a constant tanner and think that you will never get skin cancer or if you would get skin cancer you would have already, think again. Skin cancer is takes an extremely long time to develop. Did you receive a bad sunburn last summer? That could take up to 20 years to develop into skin cancer.
Melanoma (also known as cutaneous melanoma or malignant melanoma) is one of the most serious forms of skin cancer but not as common. According to www.myoptumhealth.com, only 4 percent of skin cancer cases are melanomas. However, melanoma is responsible for almost 79 percent of all skin cancer deaths. In an online article from Redbook magazine, if you use tanning beds before the age of 35, your risk of melanoma increases by 75 percent. If not found and treated right away, the melanocytes can spread. If the melanocytes spread, they can grow, multiply and spread to other body parts.
Ever chose not to wear the protective eye wear that the tanning salon provides? Choosing not to wear those eye goggles or stickers could result into Basal Cell Carcinoma. According to www.skincancer.org, BCC is the most frequently occurring forms of all cancers. More than one out of three new cancers are skin cancers and the majority of these new cancers is BCC. BCC looks like open sores, red patches, bumps and pink growths that usually are located on face, scalp, ears, neck and shoulders. If left untreated, BCC can become disfiguring to the area on your body. Treatment is available for BCC, but it is common for it to reappear within two years after treatment. Along with the risk of BCC, if you do not wear the proper eyewear, you are putting yourself at risk of burning your corneas. This will lead to cataracts forming on your corneas and eventually leading to blindness. Simply closing your eyes or covering them with a towel won’t cut it, the Food and Drug Administration requires all tanning salon owners to tell their costumers about the protective eyewear for a reason. It will only help save your eyes in the long run.
If you are an avid tanner or only go once in a while, you should frequently check your body for moles. When looking at your moles, take notice if they are misshapen, darker, or are light with a dark spot in the middle. If you find any moles like this, you should see a dermatologist right away. If you feel like you can’t tell the difference between moles, you should make an appointment with your dermatologist anyway just to be safe.
Want to be tan but not go to an indoor tanning salon? Several items these days can give you the same bronze glow that won’t jeopardize your health. Tanning salons also offer spray tans. For a reasonable price, you can get a spray tan on your skin and it won’t damage your health. Jergens also has a wide variety of tanning products available. They offer their Natural Glow tanning daily moisturizer and foam to allow you to have that nice summer tan without the dangers of tanning beds.
Photos courtesy of
http://mytanningtips.com/airbrush-tanning-tips
http://pevoniaskincareblog.com.au/sun-protection-your-most-important-ant…
http://eyepathologist.com/disease.asp?IDNUM=302180