Tanning Beds Are a Dangerous Trend

As someone who has two of her best friends working at tanning salons (neither of whom actually tan, but just needed jobs in this desperate economy), I’ve heard a lot of terrifying stories of guys and girls, young and old, buying monthly or yearly memberships and baking themselves in the tanning booths. They tell me about the lotions, and the bronzers, and the self-tanning sprays that they sell behind the counter, but nobody seems to buy them: everyone thinks the most effective way to look beautiful and get tan is to use the tanning booths.

They are terrified of skin cancer just by proximity to the machines, and while I’m worried for their well-being, I’m also worried about the people who go to tanning salons: what is it that makes lying down in a UV booth so desirable? What do you feel like afterwards? You must know the effects of tanning - the statistics are out there. Do you feel healthy and happy afterwards? Why put yourself at such risk? While I can’t seem to answer that question, clearly these patrons of the tanning salons can – because they return, day after day, week after week, month after month to tan themselves in the name of beauty. But at what cost?

Seventeen Magazine is taking a stand in their May issue to inform teenage girls on the risks of tanning. In a recent poll, Seventeen discovered that while 90 percent of their 18,000 polled teenage girls were savvy to the skin cancer side-effects of tanning beds, and only 12 percent wore sunscreen everyday. Theeditor-in-chief of Seventeen Magazine, Ann Shoket, is passionate about inspiring creative, healthy, beautiful lives in young teens and encourages healthier options for a bronzed, just-off-the-beach look.

Tip #1: First of all, Protect your Skin! See a dermatologist yearly, but don’t forget to be your own advocate: keep a look out for odd moles, bumps, and swollen lymph nodes. Put on sunscreen daily, and don’t use tanning beds! They are much more harmful and intense than the natural sun. Try using foundation or moisturizer with SPF.

Tip #2: Fake it! Try a little self-tanner or bronzer to recreate that sun-kissed glow. Use both products with moderation: orange skin is not attractive, and neither is especially sparkly and pixelated cheeks.

Tip #3: Develop a Healthy Natural Glow! You don’t have to fake it with waxy tanners and plastic sprays. Exfoliate weekly to bring out a healthy glow, moisturize after a day on the beach that zaps your skin or elasticity and energy, and don’t forget to drink lots of water. Your skin will show the results!

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Inspired and informed by the Seventeen Magazine May beauty article “The Tan You Could Be Risking Your Life For.”