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By Kirsten Nielsen
We all love the outdoors. Whether it's camping, hiking, swimming, or just playing in the park, summertime means being outside, and being outside means sun exposure. Everyone knows the dangers of being out too long in the sun. We've all been told time and again to wear hats and sunscreen, and many people, to some degree, make an effort to protect themselves. However, as the long months of winter approach there is very little decrease in the number of people who still endanger their health by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light. Why? It is not because they are outside in the sun, it's because they go to tanning beds. In one of its symposium reports, Health Canada reported "A tan represents the skin's reaction to UVR damage. Seeking a tan is not a healthy behavior." However, the images in the media today all advertise that having a deep tan makes you a healthy and beautiful person. Those who regularly use tanning booths do so to obtain that bronzed glow that has become so fashionable. A recent study done by Case Western Reserve University showed that nearly one third of white teen-age girls in the United States have used tanning salons at least three times. Why would so many young women ignore the growing statistics proving the increasingly dangerous risks of tanning salons? Ask any of them, and the answer is they "want a good tan." However, those who visit the tanning beds on a regular basis soon move past the "healthy" glow of light tan into the color of dark, over-tanned leather. They think they look healthy, but in reality this is far less appealing than the "ghoulish white" they were seeking to avoid. Too much of anything is bad, and tanning is no exception. Painful burns are the immediate outcome of overexposure, and as far as future consequences, not only does excessive tanning increase the risk for skin cancer, it also causes premature aging. That means splotched, tough, wrinkled skin. The excuse anymore is that tanning salons are much safer than outdoor tanning. The fact is, there is ever-increasing evidence to prove otherwise. Promoting tanning salons over outdoor sunbathing has even been compared to promoting filtered over non-filtered cigarettes. It just doesn't really make a difference in the long run. Unfortunately in a society driven by image, to ask people to "stay white" seems futile when that image of beauty requires a good tan. There are alternatives to tanning beds, including sunless tanning products. Try for the healthy glow that comes from natural sun exposure while enjoying the great outdoors, and don't overdo it. Good health really is more important. And please, specially when summer comes again, wear sunscreen. NW
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