No such thing as a "safe" tan
By ersmommy1
@ersmommy1 (12588)
United States
September 19, 2008 1:10pm CST
Ultraviolet rays, no matter where you get them from, cause skin cancer, and the purported health benefits of UV rays, such as vitamin D production, are overstated, if not downright wrong. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with 1 million new cases in 2008. Does this change your mind about tanning? Or would you still be willing to soak up more rays?
1 person likes this
6 responses
@Cherokee_Rose (118)
• United States
19 Sep 08
Hi ersmommy...i can't tan or get in the sun for long at all.I have Vitaligo so i have no pigment to tan,i just burn real bad.I do try every self-tanning lotion,spray there is..if its out there i have tried it.Most of the stuff just streaks.But i agree,too much sun is not good.Thanks for sharing
@Cherokee_Rose (118)
• United States
19 Sep 08
*Correction* it is spelled Vitiligo...i belong to the Vitiligo support.org...hopefully they will find a cure soon or find out what causes it,it's not easy to live with
@soulist (2985)
• United States
17 Apr 09
I totally agree with you that there is no safe way to really tan. Even tanning beds are dangerous to your skin. I still go outside in the sun, i mean you cannot avoid it, but there are things you can do to protect yourself from the suns dangerous effects.
@mtdewgurl74 (18151)
• United States
30 Mar 09
I would think the only safe tan is a tan out of a bottle..one that is lotion or foam that you spread on.. I have tried those and lord they were awful....and streaky..not something I am going to do any time soon again. I am hard to tan I have tried forever to get a tan and never really get one..
@DaddyOfTheRose (2934)
• United States
2 Oct 08
Interesting to know... I had thought a little sun was good for the mood and all that. Hrm....
@katsmeow1213 (28716)
• United States
19 Sep 08
I don't actually do any form of tanning, although I'd like to. I find tanning to be boring... I can't just sit in the sun or in a tanning bed with nothing to do for more than a couple minutes, and it usually takes a minimum of 10 minutes to get any sort of tan.
However, I do not avoid the sun as if it is a plague. I don't necessarily believe what experts say, because they change their mind on a daily basis, and many of them can't agree anyways. One expert says the sun is good because of vitamin D, another expert says what you have suggested, the sun is bad and the vitamin D isn't worth it.
The way I see it, we're all going to die anyways, and I don't choose to live my life in a bubble, sheltered from all the things experts say I should avoid. I can't live my life without going out in the sun, and time is too precious to waste it putting lotion on every hour just to be in the sun... even if it is cloudy that day. Life is too short to avoid ice cream and cakes and fried foods that are so yummy. Life is too short to give up all the fun and enjoyable activities that experts say are harmful to our health.
I'd rather live a short life and have fun then live in a bubble, but see the age of 100. I don't want to live to 100...I'd rather have quality than quantity.
