Why Are People Still Tanning?!

November 7, 2011 12:00 pm     Posted in Body, Health  Garnet Henderson g+ page


By Garnet Henderson

I’ve written before about why I don’t tan, and unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you know that tanning carries with it some pretty serious risks. Still, up to 80 percent of people under 25 are convinced that they look better with a tan, and every single day, more than one million Americans visit tanning salons. As dangerous as natural sun exposure can be, it seems that tanning beds may be even worse. People who have used indoor tanning beds are at a 75% higher risk for melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer.

So why do people take the risk? Because they want to look good. And, according to a new study, they may be addicted. In 2005, scientists showed that many sunbathers met the medical definition of substance abuse disorder. This inspired researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center to dig a little deeper. Their results, which were published over the summer, found that brain scans of frequent tanners showed activity that was similar to the patterns of drug addiction.

The subjects of the study were people who reported tanning at least three times a week, and said that maintaining a tan was important to them. Researchers suspected that the tanners were addicted to the UV light they were exposed to in the tanning beds. So they gave participants a normal tanning experience sometimes, but at other times used a special filter to block out the UV rays. And even though the tanners were unaware of the change, they subconsciously knew that something was off. Participants enjoyed the normal sessions, but after the fake sessions, subjects said that they still felt like they needed to tan. Researchers say that these people really do appear to be addicted to tanning.

And now, if there are similar tanning addicts who are under 18, they’re about to have a problem. Just a few weeks ago, the Governor of California signed a law making the use of tanning beds illegal for all minors. A few states already ban tanning beds for people under 16 or under 14, and now 17 states are considering laws similar to California’s. Many medical organizations and skin cancer advocates say this is a great step, and have voiced support for these laws. But owners of tanning salons worry that this will hurt business and cause people to lose jobs. Most of all, frequent tanners complain that tanning is a choice, and one that they have a right to make.

What do you think? Should people be able to make their own choices about tanning despite its risks? Or is it important to pass these laws in order to protect people, especially teens?

10 Comments on "Why Are People Still Tanning?!"

  1. Ashley L. Coates says:
    Mon, 7th Nov 20112:20 pm 

    Tanning should definitely be regulated! I know that when I was in my early teens, I didn't "get it" about skin care and the link between tanning and cancer. I lived near the beach, so I wasn't a tanning bed person, but that was bad enough- I rarely wore sunscreen. I finally realized that if I continued the way I was, I would look like a handbag at 30, so I started a rigorous sunscreen regimen.

    My cousin, on the other hand, keeps herself really really dark from tanning beds- her mother's been taking her since she was 13, and now the girl is addicted. Laws absolutely need to be put in place to prevent something like that from happening.
    http://textbooksandtofu.blogspot.com/

  2. Allison says:
    Mon, 7th Nov 20114:01 pm 

    I'm not a fan of tanning beds and they're terrible but a lot of them market themselves as somehow not being so? This girl in my class that works in such a place always argues that they've done their research and the UV rays you get from a tanning bed are somehow not harmful. This is not true at all, however somehow people believe it. I think that's part of why people still tan – lack of education.
    Tanning beds are terrible for you but that being said, tanning in direct sunlight can actually be good when done in moderation. Because let's say…15 minutes in morning sun, when UV rays aren't strong yet can help you get a good dose of vitamin D and help your skin develop an ability to synthesize it but also to develop almost an immunity to the harmful effect of the UV rays. While people that completely avoid it will not have this ability to withstand it and so when they are exposed to the sun, the impact it will have on them will be a lot greater and potentially more harmful. Also, I hope people start to realize that sunblock has some ingredients that are considered carcinogenic (it has been banned in Europe because there's a serious link between cancer and sunblock use). So really, don't hide from the sun and avoid putting that crap on your skin, but also don't be an idiot and fry in a tanning bed.

  3. Eimear says:
    Mon, 7th Nov 20114:12 pm 

    Because they're idiots. Simple as.

  4. Anna says:
    Mon, 7th Nov 20115:45 pm 

    I wish being tan wasn't equated to being beautiful. I think pale skin is beautiful!

  5. Kate says:
    Mon, 7th Nov 20119:25 pm 

    I totally agree! I always tell people that back in the Victorian era, pale skin was a symbol of beauty and high class, because it meant you didn't have to work on a farm or in the sun all day. Even today, I associate tanning with trashiness. I mean, I would hardly call the Jersey Shore cast "classy."

  6. Megan says:
    Tue, 8th Nov 20114:52 am 

    Seriously? The government should NEVER regulate things like this. If people want to tan and get skin cancer, let them. Just like if they want to eat fast food every day and get fat…that is THEIR PROBLEM AND THEIR FREEDOM OF CHOICE.

  7. Eimear says:
    Tue, 8th Nov 201112:42 pm 

    And the problem is that the government end up paying money towards healthcare for these people. I understand your argument, and in an ideal world, I would agree with you completely. But your tax money ends up being spent on people who get sick because they have nothing between their ears.

  8. cephaloscotti says:
    Wed, 9th Nov 20111:31 am 

    Because looking good now is better than living later.

  9. LP says:
    Sat, 19th Nov 201112:02 am 

    I'm going to completely play devil's advocate by saying I do use tanning beds, but not regularly. I haven't gotten into one since June, but that's mostly because summer came around and I haven't had money in the last couple months to blow on tanning. However, when I was tanning, I would only go once a week. I'm fully aware of the correlation to cancer, but honestly, everything these days is "linked" to cancer (obviously some more than others). I liked tanning because I like looking good, so screw me. I also liked the relaxing feeling. I went into the turbo beds very few times. I normally went into the low and medium ones just so I can have the advantage of being in them a little longer and just experiencing a little warmth. But there are cases where it becomes ridiculous. One girl from my high school went maybe four to five times a week. She had a problem and wasn't admitting it and would DENY to everyone how often she would tan, but one of the girls working at the salon saw how often she actually went tanning.
    So basically, I think there SHOULD be some kind of regulation to prevent people from going to those extremes. But it's still a business, so they're not going to do that and turn away many customers. Again, it's a personal decision and an unpopular opinion of mine but I like tanning and I plan to go again.

  10. LP says:
    Sat, 19th Nov 201112:02 am 

    Sorry for the novel of a post :P

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