To Tan or not to Tan

[BigMouth]

I look particularly white at the moment. I must admit that I like the look of a tan, but the thought of the damage that it does gives me the creeps.

 

I got really badly burnt in the Caribbean many years ago and I have avoided the sun mostly since.

 

What do you think about it? Should we go to the beach and get a natural tan, go for the orange tanning salon look or stay white (and possibly healthier)?

[moorit]

Doesn't matter to me !!!

[BigMouth]

This document - very brief makes an interesting read: -

 

http://tinyurl.com/eo5cg

[JAStewart]

You don't want to look like Dale Winton.

 

I hate fake tans.

[turrifield]

You Need Sun

The sun gives you vitamin D and is the best source you can get. Without vitamin D your bones will go soft.

 

Vitamin D deficiency is known to cause several bone diseases, due to insufficient calcium or phosphate in the bones:

 

Rickets: a childhood disease characterized by failure of growth and deformity of long bones.

Osteoporosis: a condition characterized by fragile bones.

Osteomalacia: a bone-thinning disorder in adults that is characterised by proximal muscle weakness and bone fragility. Osteomalacia can only occur in a mature skeleton

 

Ignore the warnings that sun causes premature aging and skin cancer these claims are based on suncream manufacturer funded research. A bit of common sense is all that is required:

 

Don't go out in the midday(1pm BST) sun uncovered unless you already have a good tan, tan is your natural sunscreen.

 

Build up your tan by going out in the sun as often as possible from spring onwards.

 

If you are out in the sun and need to protect yourself use a hat and white clothing insted of sunscreen.

 

Read the ingredients of your sunscreen many of the chemicals used have not been tested for safety. Many of the have been linked to cancer and other health problems. Your sunscreen will do you more damage than the sun.

 

I am outside alot in all weather but especially when it's sunny and haven't used suncream for years.

[Njugle]

Use Bisto. Its cheap and harmless.

[BigMouth]

Whilst the sun may be beneficial it may cause premature sking aging and skin cancer when taken to excess.

 

Unregulated tanning emporiums have the potential to make things worse. Their claims for health improvement may hide the fact that although their treatment "might" help in some cases, it is very likely that you can be damaged for life by some of the more amateur operations. Even if they are competent it is a fact that UV rays cause cumulative skin damage.

 

A recent check by Environmental Health Officers discovered some businesses were not even giving tanners goggles 8O There can't be many quicker ways to cataracts.

 

"dry, coarse, leathery, and wrinkled appearance", not my shoes but the way your skin may be after sunbed usage.

[Roxy71]

Fake it man!

I use Avon Be Bronze it's cheap & cheerful. You dont have to worry about cooking yourself under artificial lights, or getting burnt on a beach. I grew up in Oz and never exposed myself to harmful UV rays, all my friends out there in Oz look considerably older than me now.

[Mario]

I've actually been thinking about this too.

 

I don't really enjoy being painfully ghost-like and I wouldn't mind just the smallest of 'glows', basically so I don't blind people when the sun hits me.

 

What's the tanning place @ Bolts like? Has anyone ever been there?

[turrifield]

Don't use fake tan they contain untested dangerous chemicals.

[HacksawDuggan]

Don't use fake tan they contain untested dangerous chemicals.

 

 

Which ones?

[turrifield]

http://www.theecologist.org/archive_detail.asp?content_id=419

 

Here's a web page with information about the sun and sun cream Information about fake tan comes from the same source but is not on-line. I will need to look out the mag it was in.

[squintpinkies]

you can still tan without getting burned. Keep your sunscreen above 15 no matter what, try to reapply your sunscreen at least every 3 hours. The best way to build up a tan is to have bursts in the sun rather than a whole day of baking, 2 hours a day for a week or so, without burning and you should start to tan.

[turrifield]

Your right squintpinkies you should build up your tan with short bursts but you should not use sunscreen at all

[squintpinkies]

Your right squintpinkies you should build up your tan with short bursts but you should not use sunscreen at all

 

 

unless you want people to get skin cancer thats hardly the advice you should be giving out. even the slightest redness means you have been burned, and each time you are burned you are increaing your chances of getting skin cancer. Those who are fair skinned or have freckles, light hair/red hair are allready in the 'high danger' as it is.