The Dangers of Tanning and 3 Easy Alternatives

Welcome to winter! The unfortunate season of dry skin, bitter cold, and being pale as a ghost. You all want to get excited for spring break and go pick out some cute, new swim suits but you can’t bear to try them on while being this translucent. So obviously, you need to go tanning… or do you? Any type of tanning, whether indoor or outdoor, will do damage to your skin. Because of that, you should take precautions every time you are in the sun. To help you stay safe, I’ve put together a few facts regarding indoor and outdoor tanning and how they can affect your health.

Indoor Tanning aka Tanning Beds:

o   People who tan indoors are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never used an indoor tanning bed.

o   SAD: Seasonal Affective Disorder: Psychiatric condition that comes along with depressive episodes, usually during winter. This happens when tanners use UV rays to improve their mood and how they feel about themselves.

Outdoor Tanning:

o   Sunburn can double a persons risk of getting melanoma later in life, especially if he or she has had more than five in their lifetime.

o    If you do get sunburn you must act quickly: moisturize, hydrate and medicate, then you must assess the damage and see if it will need medical attention before it gets out of hand. 

I admit I used to be a tanaholic in high school and into the beginning of college. I didn’t think I looked like myself when I was pale and would sometimes go five times a week if I could. After all that harmful UV exposure I began to see slight wrinkles on my face, at age 19! I have since slowed down and resorted to other ways of making myself tan. I have tried many different ways; here are three that worked for me:

1. Spray Tan

They only last for 7 days, but they are great for special events or the occasional “I just want to be tan” mindset. Some, however, are quite expensive ($45+) and require strict instructions to keep the tan from fading faster than it already does. Before you go to a random salon, do some researching on the Internet for tanning salons near you to get a good price without breaking that college budget! A great place for a spray tan on campus is The Sunroom (located underneath The Edge), where they have spray tans every day for only $15.

2. Tan in a can

My favorite “tan in a can” is the Neutrogena Micro Mist Airbrush Sunless Tan. It’s great for those tricky touch up spots where the sun didn’t get. It is also great for a quick leg/arm tan for those soon approaching spring outdoor weddings and other events! It can be washed off after the festivities and doesn’t do any damage. It can be purchased for around $10 at CVS, Walgreens or Wal-Mart and comes in a medium or dark tint.

3. Lotion and moisturizer

I have tried several self-tanning lotions; some were awful, orange skin, failures. The ones I found to work were: Bare Essentials: Faux Tan and L’OREAL: Sublime Bronze. These are both great sun replacements and don’t leave your skin orange or blotchy. The Bare Essentials brand has both the moisturizer (18$), for a more gradual tan, and the self-tanner (22$) that is lathered on for an immediate tan, just make sure you rub it in well and wash your hands after (no one likes orange palms). The L’OREAL brand is a moisturizer for a more gradual tan and comes in two skin tone colors. It costs about 10$ at your local drugstore.

For more information go to: Skincancer.org & The Skin Cancer Foundation

Picture: http://www.radiancetanningsalo…

• skin cancer
• sun
• tanning