Do you TAN? (lotions, facial, belly, Chicago)

[RDSLOTS]

If girls today would just take the initiative, and stop tanning, none of you would feel that being pasty white is unattractive. There was a time when being tanned was a sign of being a field hand or farm worker, and of a lower class.

I don't mean that as ugly as what I am sure it came across. It just bothers me to hear young women condone damaging their lovely skin because they think a tan looks better -- even healthier. What you are looking at is damaged skin. It is brown for the same reason bacon turns dark, dries out, and crumbles. You have 'fried' it whether it has been done safely or not.

My husband went to the dermatologist just this a.m. to have a place on his face looked at. Just wait until a dermatologist or surgeon starts carving-out small chunks of your face for biopsies to confirm whether what they are seeing is a basal cell, or squamous, carcinoma or an actual melanoma. And then, repeat the process in a matter of a few weeks or months.

And please explain to me the mentality behind continuing to tan as a young adult because you assume whatever damage done to your skin was done as a child? That makes about as much sense as putting hot compresses, or a heating pad, at the very least, on an old burn.

[fabumom07]

I agree RDSLOTS .Women need to appreciate their natural skin tones, which can be improved with a little bit of makeup if they are pale or sallow. The most gorgeous skintone in the world is probably like JLo or Vannessa Williams, that cafe o lait color. But that does not mean a really dark woman or really fair woman is not beautiful.Sure it takes a little time to find the right self tanner and makeup to give you some color if you are pale, but I fail to see how it is any harder to do this than all the effort put into tanning beds,laying out in the sun just for tanning, etc.
We need to get to the point where fair skin is considered attractive again for reasons other than being a sign of being an upper class caucasian.We all want to be beige nowadays.

[the one]

ladies and gents, please dont tan. and if you do, just do it lightly at the beach, ocasionally. be glad with the color of your skin. its better than suffering the consequences later on in life.

seriously do you guys really want to end up lookin all wrinkled? or worse...ORANGE!!! its disgusting to see so many men and women go get tans only to come out lookin orange! but the worst part is that they think they look good!!!! very Jer-Z. so just dont do it!!!

[LittleMissSunshine]

I went through the whole tanning salon addiction, gotta be dark dark thing when I was 19 for about 6 months. Then I realized how stupid it was, very dangerous.

I am Italian and am naturally pale in the winter and naturally tan in the summer from being outside. Usually now in May, I will go in a tanning bed maybe 6 times, just go get a BASE as the seasons change. This way the first time on the beach, I tan totally and don't burn. If I don't do this, I somehow wind up with bad sun burn on my shoulders which is also really bad for you.

[RDSLOTS]

Another point to ponder: after years of damaging your skin with a tan, you never really UN tan. I have not had a tan in at least 15 years now, but you can still see tan lines from swimsuits.

My daughter asked the dermatologist once, after whining about being so white, why she didn't tan like I did, and he talked to her, too, about the damage done. I have always been honest with her too, and have shared my regrets over tanning summer after summer in my youth.

[Leana76]

I go tanning in my backyard every other day, for just 1 hour. No more. I do use a SPF 30 sunblock and a tiny dab of Hawaiian Tropic tanning oil. I also wear a big, floppy hat and sunglasses. I have a pretty good tan going on now. But by June I cut back to just 1-2 times a week and then by mid July I pretty much don't tan anymore.

[Leana76]

Originally Posted by the one

ladies and gents, please dont tan. and if you do, just do it lightly at the beach, ocasionally. be glad with the color of your skin. its better than suffering the consequences later on in life.

seriously do you guys really want to end up lookin all wrinkled? or worse...ORANGE!!! its disgusting to see so many men and women go get tans only to come out lookin orange! but the worst part is that they think they look good!!!! very Jer-Z. so just dont do it!!!

I agree. Don't do it everyday and don't do it all day long. Just every other day or 2 is fine, but no more than an hour or so.

And the part you say about the people who tan way too much and look orange, and think they look good; well, I've seen that here too where I live in Arizona. They think they look hot, when they look like a leather bag!! Their skin looks like leather!

[emdotjaydot]

I tan starting in April. I go to the tanning salon every other day or every three days and get TAN.

I go to the beach once or twice a week in the summer so it keeps my tan nice and dark.

I tan really easily because I have olive (French) skin. Because of my skin type I am not prone to skin cancer but be careful if you are.

ALSO, there is a new tanning bed out that supposedly will NOT burn you. You go for a half hour, and you come out with a dark tan that fades after a month. So if you use this once a month your good to go, with little risk of wrinkes or cancer. YAY

[itlchick]

A tanning bed that doesn't hurt you is impossible.

The tan color is actually skin being "burnt" and damaged.

So if you change colors, it is because your skin cells are becoming damaged, and it is not safe.

Sun-Safe Strategies to Prevent Skin Cancer

[Ron.]

Nope, I don't need to.I was blessed with a "natural" tan.

Originally Posted by southernjewishgal

Are you tan? Do you sun tan? Use a tanning salon? Sunless tanner?