I’m pale.
No, I’m not a ginger, an albino or a character from Twilight. I’m just pale.
I know: come and get me, fellas.
We all have our insecurities. If any of you watch The Bachelorette, then you know Ashley has her fair share of hers. Well, being pale is one of mine.
Correction: it was one of mine.
Some of you are probably rolling your eyes, wondering what the big deal is. And I agree: being pale is nothing to lose sleep over.
But in a time when tanning salons are everywhere and my friends freak out when they can’t find a few hours in their weekends to lie out, it can be hard to be the odd woman out.
I am from North Carolina, a wonderful place where the summers are not so wonderful. They are hot and humid, and my hair often looks like Monica’s hair when she’s in Barbados.
Okay, not really, but you get my point.
Despite the heat, I constantly wore pants because I was that insecure. In the South, you are practically shunned for not being tan in the summer. The few times I did wear shorts or skirts, I would feel really self-conscious, and my brother would usually never fail to point out how pale I was.
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When I was younger and played soccer, I had an awesome tan. I don’t know how it happened because I never wore sunscreen (which was stupid). But when I stopped playing soccer, I had to say goodbye to my awesome muscles and bronzed skin.
The easy solution would be to just lie out, but I HATE to lie out. Let’s be honest: it’s hot and boring.
Plus, when I was 18, I had the brilliant idea to not wear sunscreen while I lay out. I figured I would burn a little and then tan. I wanted to be tan like my friends, damn it!
Long story short, all I did was burn, and I was housebound for the next two weeks. At least I finally got to finish The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. Side note: Kostas … yum.
Needless to say, after that experience, tanning hasn’t exactly been my first priority.
You may be asking yourself, “Why doesn’t she just get a spray tan?” Well, I have. It was splotchy, and while I was getting it, I didn’t hold my breath long enough. So yeah, my tongue became tan, too. And I momentarily thought I was going to die from inhaling tanning spray. Good memories!
I’ve also tried tanning lotion. It didn’t work – unless you count the tiny tan parts on my knees, which looked more like bruises.
Don’t even suggest a tanning bed. I’m claustrophobic, and they are terrible for your health.
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I just have to resign myself to the fact that I’m pale. When my friends and I take a group picture, I will be the one who most resembles a ghost – and that’s okay.
Sure, I may blend in with the sand when I’m at the beach, but so do Anne Hathaway, Emma Roberts and Keira Knightley. I’m not going to complain about being compared to these ladies instead of to Snooki.
I also don’t have to worry as much about skin cancer. Not only does this mean I’m healthier, but it also means I’m making my dermatologist pretty happy – and my dermatologist is really cute.
Don’t get me wrong: I still have my insecure days when I don’t feel like bursting into an impromptu performance of “Born This Way,” but I’m increasingly accepting my pale skin. Some days I may feel like resorting to the comfort of a pair of jeans, but my skirts and dresses are usually just too cute to resist.
So if I blind you when the sun hits my skin, I’m sorry – you’re just going to have to get used to it (or buy sunglasses).
Sources
http://whenagirlsgottagab.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html
http://cno7.com/celebrity-news/2010/07/05/pale-skin-summer-safe-kristen-…
http://www.fanpop.com/spots/twilight-series/images/2552855/title/cullens…
http://www.myhousecallmd.com/archives/tag/sunburn