Pale or tan?
By eloouuu
@eloouuu (176)
June 10, 2008 5:31pm CST
The long awaited return of porcelain skin is finally here and I could not begin to express my happiness. For years, the fashion and modelling industries have forced me to be envious of my orange counterparts, but alas! This is no more - and people actually envy me.
I absolutely adore being pale. I would adore it even more if I didn't fry like a lobster every time I stepped out in the Sun when it was only a couple of degrees hotter than usual, but I enjoy not having a tan. People seem to be equally divided on the matter though. There was a rather infamous PostSecret entry which claimed, "I'd rather have skin cancer than be pale." There are of course pros and cons for both conditions, but I want to know what you think!
Are white bikini marks really that attractive? Fake tan, sunbed or all-natural sun-kissed glow?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@5mayday (1053)
• Norway
11 Jun 08
I am really pale and almost have always being, except when I Was younger and was on vacation where it is really warm and I swimmed everyday... I got really tanned then, but it only lasted for 2 months.
I am thinking to get tanned for this summer and not only because I want to try out that color of skin again, but I have skin problem and solarium, sun does help abit so I am trying it out now. ^^
@eloouuu (176)
•
11 Jun 08
My family and I never really went on holiday anywhere that was warm enough to burn or tan, unless you class Yorkshire as warm. I also can't swim so that was never an issue for me. One time I fell asleep on the beach and the bottom of my back went brown, but that just made me look dirty - a tan looks ridiculous on me.
I know a girl who I used to go to high school with and she had psoriasis - she used to go on a sun bed because that used to help with her condition too. Weirdly enough, she never tanned despite how often she used them. I know that the skin gets Vitamin D from the Sun, so maybe that's why it helps?
@eloouuu (176)
•
11 Jun 08
If you are looking for a way to build a gradual tan, though I'm not sure how this would affect your skin condition, "Johnson's Holiday Lotion" is really good! My mother used to use it: it's a fantastic moisturiser even if you don't want a tan but it provides even coverage and a tan that doesn't look fake or streaky.
Because I have a deficiency of a particular hormone known as melanin, my skin doesn't really change in pigment. I don't tan and I am extremely vulnerable to the effects of the Sun: melanin protects against U.V rays. As for being pale, it compliments my hair perfectly as I now dye it bright red, which wouldn't look good if I had a tan.
I wish you all well with your tanning though.
@drannhh (15219)
• United States
18 Nov 09
I believe that diet makes a big difference in whether or not people have bad reactions to the sun, but anyone will burn if they stay out of the sun a long time and then go there all at once. Well, I don't much care either way as long as the person is nice. Looks are rather ephemeral, don't you think?
I live in the desert and like to garden, so I have a bit of a tan. I think I look a little better with it, but hubby used to always warn that staying in the sun too much would give me wrinkles. Apparently he was wrong about that. They are saying now, though, that the vitamin D in sunshine helps prevent some life-threatening illnesses. I have always thought that skin cancer comes more from lacking certain nutrients than from exposure--I think smokers are at exceptionally high risk.
@eloouuu (176)
•
18 Nov 09
What you say is certainly true. The more I am sheltered from the sun, the higher my chances are of burning when I am next exposed to it. Unfortunately this turns out to be a vicious circle as if I stay in to prevent myself from getting burnt, I get burnt worse! I take a lot of precautions with sun protection which I think many people who do not ordinarily react so badly to the sun can tend to neglect. That is a major leading factor in why skin cancer is so prevalent. Because my skin is so fair and prone to sun damage, I won't leave the house without SPF 50 slapped onto every bare inch of skin and I am always in the shade during the hottest hours of the day. I'm not tolerant of the heat at the best of times though so staying indoors is not usually a problem for me.
Just like everything else in life, moderation is the key. The sun is good for your skin if you take the correct precautions but too much and you're headed for trouble. What does interest me however is the way in which research into sun damage and consequent skin cancer is forever developing and changing. When you mentioned your husband and the misconception he held about wrinkles, it just goes to show how scientists are telling us one thing one minute and something entirely different the next - and they're supposed to be the authority!
@Nykkee (2522)
• Canada
16 Jun 08
I love the look of a tan but I have recently become concerned about the ageing effect and skin cancer risk cause by the sun. I have been useing a self tanning lotion but I have been noticeing that it gets uneven on drier areas and doesnt look so natural when you try to get a dark tan from it, it only looks natural if you just want a light tan. I have been considering trying to tan wearing SPF 15, once I get a swimsuit, that should be enough to keep me from burning but will hopefully still let me get a bit of a real tan.
@sunkissed (4330)
• United States
11 Jun 08
Well as you can tell by my user name and my avatar, I do love being tan, but to each their own. I am 56 years old, and have enjoyed being outdoors all my life, I never have been to a tanning booth or had a fake tan, I just get a natural tan.I am dark skinned anyway, so all I really have to do is get outdoors and I get a tan. I go swimming all the time because the water feels so good to me,it is the only relief I get from my pain, and the only excercise I can get.So far I have never had skin cancer. I have never gotten a sun-burn, I only get a darker tan.I am glad that you enjoy your pale skin, as long as we are happy with our own apperance, that is all that really matters. As for me, I do love my sunkissed glow.
@baebieDARNA30 (788)
• Philippines
14 Jun 08
i would rather have a tan skin than a pale skin.. i already have a pale skin right now and i dont like it.. people see me as if im always sick.. i only want to have a fair skin, not the one that makes you look so sick..