Tanning and Tanning Beds: Don’t be an Idiot
By: Keith
I know I call a lot of people idiots (including myself), but this time I really mean it. I think we all know that being unprotected in the sun for long periods of time is pretty stupid. Young women, being somewhat shortsighted, spend a lot of time concerned about their looks and figuring the solution is to change their skin color. Somehow they missed the lessons on eating well, hydrating and exercise. I tell myself ‘if they only knew’. If they only knew how they’re going to look when they hit 40 because then maybe they wouldn’t do it. But they do, idiotically. This all brings me to my point.
New research states that tanning beds triple ones risk of melanoma. The study compared people who had never tanned indoors but might have tanned outdoors (the study was not about tanning outdoors which is also bad) vs. people who regularly tan indoors. People who have spent 50 hours or more tanning indoors had a 75% greater melanoma risk than those who didn’t after adjusting for known risk factors. The users of high pressure tanning beds had an even greater, 4 times, risk of melanoma. The FDA, in response to the study, is considering new regulations on tanning beds that could include requiring parental permission for teens. Naturally the tanning booth industry disputes the validity of the study (even though it was designed to specifically answer the tanning industry’s objections to the last study done a few years ago which showed similar results).
To demonstrate the myths revolving around indoor tanning (many of which are promoted by the industry), Fox News did a survey to find which US cities were the most, and least, knowledgeable about sun safety. One of the questions was “Is it smarter to tan indoors in a tanning bed than outdoors.” 75% of Bostonians responded “no” while only 57% of the participants in Seattle and San Diego got it right. Another myth pushed by the tanning bed industry is that a base tan protects skin from sun damage. Fewer than half the respondents got that question correct. 57% of Hartford resident correctly said “a base tan does not protect from sun damage” while Atlanta residents were below average with only 41% responding correctly.
The Top and Bottom Cities for sun safety knowledge according to Fox
Top 5
1. Hartford
2. Salt Lake City
3. Denver
4. Tampa
5. Boston
Bottom 5
1. Los Angeles
2. Seattle
3. Cleveland
4. Chicago
5. Pittsburgh
Age Spots
Age Spots are appearing on younger and younger people these days. The risk of Melanoma for a child born in the 1930s was 1 in 1,500. The risk for a child born today is 1 in 60. The incidents of malignant melanoma have increased 270% in just the last 30 years. To make things worse tanning beds cause the body to release endorphins, and that in turn causes a compulsion among some people to keep doing it. It is quite literally addictive (Dr. Paul Hazen, Clinical professor of dermatology at the medical school at Case Western Reserve University).
Somewhere along the way we decided that being bronze colored was attractive. It’s attractive for a naturally dark skinned person, sure. But it isn’t attractive on a person from, say, Scotland or Norway. It just looks alien. If you have fair skin, live with it. If you have dark skin, live with it. I know the grass always looks greener over the fence, but skin color is something that was never intended to be a buffet of options.
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Ha, I have to laugh seeing Seattle on there. I don’t doubt that we don’t know anything about sun safety, since whenever we see it it’s like pagan sun worship time. I’m sure the consumption of tanning bed services is high here too.
.-= Dad is in the House´s last blog ..Feng Shui Step 1 =-.
Dadinthehouse: I really wasn’t very surprised to see Seattle on that list either
I’m sure you’re right, too, about the proportion of tanning salons to population in certain cities. I hadn’t thought of that.
primero,EL QUE DIJO IDIOTA, YO SOLO TE DIGO, YO DOY MI CORREO Y LA CARA JILIPOLLAS, YO TENGO, MAS DE 9 AÑOS, DE METERME A LAS CAMAS DE BRONCEADO
ES MAS QUIERO COMPRAR UNA, LA CAMA TE BRONCEA DE ADENTRO ASIA FUERA Y NO
TIENE, LOS RAYOS, PARA DESARROLLAR UN CANCER.
MI CORREO, PARA VER SI ALGUIEN VENDE UNA CAMA BRONCEADORA
maraalcubierre@hotmail.com
LLEVO MAS DE 9 AÑOS USANDO LAS CAMAS, LO QUE HACEN LAS CAMAS, ES QUE TE
BRONCEAN DE ADENTRO HACIA FUERA, Y NO TIENEN LOS RAYOS MALIGNOS,
QUIERO COMPRAR UNA, SI USTED TIENE UNA QUE YA NO QUIERA, LE DOY MI CORREO
maraalcubierre@hotmail.com
This is scary stuff– might as well use those fake brown creams if you’re really concerned about looking tanned while living in Seattle.
.-= Dennis Yu´s last blog ..Facebook deals a MASSIVE blow to small business =-.
I know this is near to your heart. I agree totally. We live across the street from a swimming pool and every year, I KNOW my kids get too much sun. Even with sun lotion, etc. They think I’m a tyrant for the way I make them wear shirts and hats while all the other kids are getting brown. I guess that’s what it means to be a Mom, though. Sometimes, ya have to be tyrant too.
Beth: yes, it is something I really care about. And, I too cringe a little when I see all the kids running around getting burned during the summer while their parents sit by totally unaware of the danger. You’re right, parenting sometimes means making your kids look like dorks. But, they’ll be the ones who look perfect at 40 while all the other kids are running to the cosmetic surgeon.
Now explain, too, why mothers and fathers of twelve year olds are buying them “tanning minutes”.
You know, I kind of like my pale skin. And I certainly enjoy not having cancer, or putting myself any more at risk for it than I’m already at from all the…. smog/BPA/lead paint/processed foods/dyes/oil in the ocean/etc….
Lindsay: With all the other stupid stuff that’s killing us it’s hard to understand why people would willingly add another. You’re right about that. There should be some sort of law against 12 year old’s tanning. You just taught me something new. I figured that would be impermissible. It’s definitely indefensible, that’s for sure.
Hmmm… frightening actually. My wife tans about once or twice a week and I love it… but I may have to rethink my reasons after reading your piece…
.-= Papa K´s last blog ..Mother Goose Needs Therapy =-.
plus, fortunately now you can turn yourself weird colors of orange with sprayon tan
Stefan: So true. The best is when people pick the wrong shade for their skin and it ends up looking like spray paint
Hey um
im white, a little bit more than normal so i went to a session of 6 minutes cause of my color and i was okay but i went today and took another 6 minutes and went home took a shower and then i looked my legs and they were full of red points and red areas so my question is can this be cured?
Alexandra: I’m guessing it’s a rash. You’re skin is irritated. Don’t tan, do use moisturizer, and drink enough water.
Thank you very much! i starter to think this was permanent. Seriously thanks.
Alexandra: I’m not a doctor or anything. keep that in mind. But, I have seen stuff like that before so I’m pretty confident it’s just a rash.