38 Responses to “Tanning Beds?”

1. Evelyn Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 6:01 pm

   I have never personally been to a tanning salon becuase I have really sensitive skin, but my mother has, and she got burned REALLY BADLY!!! I read online that UVB rays are the ones that metabolize vitamin D, and that if you expose your arms and face to the sun for 20 minutes a day, that is enough to prevent vitamin deficiences without causing long term skin damage (however if your skin is darker, you need more time). UVA is what gives us that golden tan color, which is why tanning beds emit much more of that. Here is my source:

   http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/vitamindandtanningbeds.aspx

   Excessive UVAs make tanning salons a very unideal place to go. On this other source I found, I read that tanning salons say that tanning beds help you produce more melanin in your skin, which causes the brownness and protects your skin. However, dermatologists say that melanin is actually skin damage caused by the UV rays! UV rays cause all three types of skin cancer. Another bad result that tanning beds have is an increased chance of eye damage, like cataracts. Here is the link to a great site:

   http://www.londonancestor.com/suntan/tan-bed.htm

   I was looking around and I found this srticle that talks about how scientists are saying that tanning beds can offer a drug like high, and one can actually get hooked on tanning! Check it out!

   http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/06/04/05/tanning_beds_why_is_science_saying_theyre_addictive_what_are_their_health_benefits_and_risks.htm

   While tanning beds offer control over UV rays, more privacy and are less time consuming, I think it’s safer to just stick to the natural way! Great post Rachel; I like how you brought cosmetics and science together.

2. Katie O. Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 6:40 pm

   It seems that there are tanning salons everywhere. Personally, I’d always been told that tanning beds where just “bad.” However when I read Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon Moalem, I learned a few things. Besides osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, vitamin D deficiency can also cause rickets in children, but since vitamin D has been added to milk, the disease is all but non-existent in America. Vitamin D is also very important to the heart, nervous system, clotting process, and immune system. Another thing I found cool, is that doctors sometimes prescribe UVB tanning beds three times a week for six months to people with Crohn’s disease, which causes vitamin D deficiency, in order to get their vitamin D levels back up to a healthy level. In class, we talked about how our phenotypes are influenced, not only by our genes, but our environments. Skin color is one of these things. Populations that have been exposed to a lot of sunlight over a long period of time have developed darker skin. This protects them from sun burn and the loss of folic acid, which is necessary to the body. An individual, though, that is exposed to a lot of sunlight will develop a tan do to the melanin (produced to protect the skin from sunburn and skin cancer as well as preserve folic acid) that is produced. (People with darker skin produce more melanin). The production of melanin is triggered by the pituitary gland, which is in turn triggered by information from the optic nerve. So, although wearing sunglasses helps protect the eyes, it does not help the skin. Cool post Rachel!

3. maryclaire Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 6:55 pm

   Good post rachel! I’ve only been to the tanning bed about 2 times even though I know about the long term effects. I found a website and appearantly there was a study made in 1994 that found an 18-30 year old woman who visited the tanning bed 10 times or more had an increased chance of getting melanoma (skin cancer) than women that did not go to a tanning bed. Also in another study made, people going to a full body tanning bed had a major increase in proteins accosiated with skin repair which causes sun damage. In other words, this indicates that UV rays from an indoor tanning facility is just as dangerous as tanning outside with UV rays from the sun. However, the tanning bed is a 2 billion dollar a year industry in the United States!
   http://www.skincancer.org/artificial/index.php
   This website describes other studies made regarding the tanning bed and different facts about it.

4. Morgan Says:
   February 28th, 2008 at 6:58 pm

   Well that is quite imortant information for tanners but as I was researching I found that UVA ray tanning beds are actually quite safe. THis is because uvb rays cause sunburns which will cause later affects such as skin cancer and permanant aging due to the affect that it penetrates the outer skin layer. Yet UVA rays penetrate the inner deeper skin which gives a person a flawless tan, many witamins such as vitamin D, and no harm whats so ever. The scary thing is is that UVA tanning is better than tanning outside. THis is because the sun gives out not only UVA rays but UVB rays. Yet there are still skeptics in the medical field about the UVA idea. But if you were to go to one make sure it is uva and not uvb. to find out more look at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/Tanning.html

5. ali Says:
   February 29th, 2008 at 10:57 am

   This was awesome rachel! I have been to a tanning bed a few times with my friends but because of the risks I don’t go all the time. I found a video regarding tanning beds and their risks for certatin skin diseases and precations you should take. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QWwz6fxLK0
   Also I was thinking, and even though you mentioned that you need Vitamin D which helps prevent certain diseases such as osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, tanning beds cause more long term damage. Even though you don’t burn as easily as being exposed to the normal sun, the UV rays from a tanning bed are very dangerous. Hopefully people can see this blog and know alot of the dangers regarding tanning beds to be warned of their risks!!

6. Taylor Says:
   March 1st, 2008 at 8:37 am

   I’ve gone to tanning beds a few times before things like homecoming or spring break and they have always made me a little bit nervous because of all the bad facts I had heard about them.

   One story I heard a while ago scared me out of going to a tanning bed for a VERY long time. I heard a girl once wanted to get really tan, really fast and she simply ignored the warnings that you should only however many minutes a day. So, she went to several different salons and the next day she was dead because her internal organs had fried.

   But don’t worry to much, turns out that story is a fraud. Read about it here:
   http://www.snopes.com/horrors/vanities/tanningbed.asp

   I know like you found out and everyone above me, that vitamin D can be given to your skin through tanning beds.
   Vitamin D helpes with many things such as protecting bones, preventing multiple sclerosis, diabetes and some forms of cancer. Some other benefits of this vitamin can be found here:
   http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20041009/bob8.asp

   However, I believe that the bad effects on you outweigh the good. Simply because you can receive vitamin D plenty of other ways such as through supplements and tanning outside without putting yourself at a higher risk of skin cancer or other skin problems.
   Even though I do it myself, regular tanning is probably safer.

7. » Skin Mr. Bird’s Biology Says:
   March 1st, 2008 at 10:14 pm

   […] A student post at Extreme Biology  discusses some of the benefits that tanning beds can have.  These are often overlooked. Can you find anymore benefits that indoor tanning has? Any other harmful effects?  Do you have any experience with tanning beds? addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fbiologyblog.edublogs.org%2F2008%2F03%2F01%2Fskin%2F’; addthis_title = ‘Skin’; addthis_pub = ‘’; […]

8. Jennifer P. Says:
   March 2nd, 2008 at 1:58 pm

   Great post rachel!
   I personally have not been to a tanning bed because i’ve always heard they are bad or only leading to cancer. Your post about the positive effects and reading the other comments from those who use tanning beds have helped me see in another persepctive. In the july 2007 issue of Seventeen Magazgine, there were many articles on tanning beds, skin cancer, and much needed information on how to protect your self from Uva and Uvb rays. The tanning bed actually emit UVA and UVB rays 15 times higher than the sun itself! Brittany, 22, Miss Maryland 2006 was a tanning bed victim and because of her pageants she felt the need to be tan all the time all year round and became addicted to tanning in tanning beds she called herself “tanorexic”(yes you can get addicted) she went about 4-5 sessions a week. Later she found a mole the size of a nickle on her back and it bled, it turned out to be melanoma. She had to have 20 surgeries on moles that seemed to be signs of melanoma and removed 2 lymph nodes under her arms to make sure it did not spread throughout her immune system.

   Uva rays are more like “aging rays” they go deep into your skin and cause brown spots and wrinkles. Look for sunblock with uva protection with zinc oxide, oxybenzone, or helioplex and mexoryl which acts as a barrier for your skin. for more info on tanning beds visit http://teenadvice.about.com/library/bl10thingstanningbooths.htm
   Like Rachel said tan responsibly.

9. Brantley Says:
   March 2nd, 2008 at 6:28 pm

   i found this article with some pros and cons of tanning beds. http://ezinearticles.com/?Commercial-Tanning-Beds—Pros-and-Cons&id=185847
   it says that the negative definately overweith the positive effects and the safest way to get a summer glow is to but tanning products such as tanning lotion.

10. Monica Says:
    March 2nd, 2008 at 6:59 pm

    Many salons now have tanning equipment that give out less or no harmful UVB rays and they also have a more limited exposure to ultraviolet light than what most have outdoors. These timed tanning sessions minimize a person’s risk for health problems compared to tanning outdoors. In the 70’s and 80’s before the harmful affects of UVB were known, tanning beds had a much larger percentage of UVB in bulbs than today. Most tanning beds these days have little to no UVB in the bulbs making indoor tanning safer than it was 20 years ago. Unlike long sits in the sunshine, a visit to a salon allows the individual to be exposed for a specific period of time in a controlled environment. I have never been in a tanning bed before but my mom says that an alternative to UV tanning is to get UV Free spray tanning. It is much quicker to get and you get the same results. Either way, there is no such thing as a safe tan. Great post Rachel, I loved how it related to everyday life!

11. Emily R Says:
    March 2nd, 2008 at 7:52 pm

    I thought what Katie said about sunglasses increasing your chances of sunburn was really interesting. I never would have thought that helping your eyes could actually hurt your skin!

    I found a great article at this site:
    http://www.biospherical.com/nsf/student/page4.html
    It talks about how the effects of UV radiation depend on a person’s skin type, and the intensity of the UV radiation. The UV Index is a scale used to measure the intensity of the radiation. It ranges from 1-10, 1 being the least intense, and 10 being the most. This scale can help determine approximately how long one can stay in the sun before getting burned.
    But, this site also states that just because no damage is visible, that does not mean there is no damage.

    I also learned why UV radiation can cause skin cancer. Basically, too much exposure to radiation can cause a gene called the p53 gene to mutate. Normally, the p53 gene prevents the spread of mutated genes that could be harmful to the body by causing them to “commit suicide”. But, if the p53 gene is mutated, it might allow the harmful mutated genes to survive and reproduce, causing harmful effects on the body.

    I have never been to a tanning bed because of all the horror stories I have heard about them. If you want to go to one, I think the best way to avoid health problems is to find out more about the specific tanning bed you are going to, such as the UV index that you will be exposed to. Cool post, Rachel!

12. ben Says:
    March 2nd, 2008 at 7:59 pm

    there is one thing that i find interesting. If we look at the biological goal “survive to reproduce” this is advantages. If ou think about it media has told people tan is good. therefore people tan to make themselves more “attractive.” This beniefits them from the “survive to repproduce” standpoint. However there is one huge thing that is important. that is moderation. All things, opther than sin, are good in moderation. the UV rays are benificial if you dont over do it. You always have to find the “golden mean” or happy medium

13. Miss Baker Says:
    March 2nd, 2008 at 11:42 pm

    Ben,

    Very nice. I found your comment to be the most fascinating as it answers the question, why tan in the first place? Apparently, there is a perception of short term gain that is considered important enough for a person to put themselves at risk. If having a tan makes you more attractive and more likely to find a mate, then it isn’t surprising why people tan.

    I find the comment made by a few above, “tan responsibly”, to be quite bizarre. It seems to make as much sense as “smoke responsibly”. How am I being responsible in my actions if I am doing something that is hurting my body? Besides, I seriously doubt you will ever find anyone who says they fell in love with someone because they had a really nice tan.

    You can buy a tan in a bottle now so why expose yourself to harm? Or forget the whole thing entirely and embrace your beautiful, natural color.

14. ben Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 3:52 pm

    this is a very good question. I only say that you should do it responsibely because it seems like there are at least some good effects of tanning. Whereas you dont see any good effects to smoking. From the blog it sounds like a little tanning can give you some vitamin C which is good.

15. ali Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 3:57 pm

    http://www.spacetravel.com/reports/Facing_Tanning_Booth_Cancer_Risk_999.html
    “First of all, you need very little exposure to activate the vitamin D cascade, and it’s more in the UVB range that activates the vitamin D,” said Baker, “and most tanning beds are UVA.”
    I found this quote to be interesting because it is a common misconception I also was unaware of. I thought that tannign beds were helpful in the sense that the light is more controlled. What I did not understand was that the light was different and not the same as the sun and is not required the same amount.

    http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/tanning/risks.html This is the official website of the FDA stating the risks. I found this to be helpful because there were several risks that I was unaware of. Like immune system supression. Overexposure to UV radiation may suppress proper functioning of the body’s immune system and the skin’s natural defenses, increasing sensitivity to sunlight, diminishing the effects of immunizations or causing reactions to certain medications.

16. Miss Baker Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 8:06 pm

    Ben said, “Whereas you don’t see any good effects to smoking”

    According to one study, smoking may lower breast cancer risk (source). It may lower the risk of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease (source) and reduce the symptoms of Schizophrenia (source).

    However, just because something has benefits doesn’t mean the benefits negate the negative effects. After watching my best friend die of cancer at age 12, the idea of exposing oneself deliberately to a carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) has been nonsensical to me, even in light of any positives they may offer.

    The risks people take to make themselves more attractive and fit in is quite fascinating from a biological perspective. Are they truly worth it?

17. ben Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 9:29 pm

    it seems to me that the more people try to fit in the more their lives seem to fall apart. Psicologically i dont think it is healthy for people to do this. I mean i have seen people brake down because they tried so hard to fit in and it didnt work.
    There is, i think a Biblical response to this. God wants you to love him and loves you, it really hurts him to see you work so hard to get people to think you are pretty or “Hot”. First off it is kinda selling him out and telling him that his time and opinion doesnt matter but peoples opinions do.
    SO i believe that you are probabaly sacrificing your spirituality with God to fit in. Therefore it is not worth it

18. Will Says:
    March 3rd, 2008 at 9:41 pm

    Miss Baker, I am very sorry about your friend. I think it would be very interesting to see, from a biological standpoint, what people are thinking when they do stuff that they know is harmful to their bodies. This is true with things other than tanning, such as smoking (like Ben said) or doing drugs. Even though they know what they are doing is wrong and harmful for their bodies, people do it anyways. There was a study done where focus groups were put together of school students. They were asked various questions, and based on their answers, it was determined that images from the media and other things gave students the impression that smoking was alright to do and cool on the social scene. The images made people feel that smoking was acceptable. The rest of the results from the study are on this website

    http://her.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/18/5/554

    I definitely think the effects of the risks people take to make themselves more attractive and to fit in is not truly worth it. The risks are, at least to me, very lopsided in the fact that there are a lot more risks than benefits.

19. Monica Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 7:57 pm

    It is very difficult to come up with a good answer to Miss Baker’s question, is it worth taking risks to make yourselves more attractive just so you can fit in? Right now, I am reading an awesome book called, “Uglies” and this book is all about “ugly” people getting surgery to make themselves pretty to fit in. But in the book, there is a group of people that are rebelling against the society and they think that it is not worth getting the surgery. They want to stay “ugly”/ different. This book proved to me that you do not have to be pretty or to change yourself to become someone great and that just being yourself is better than good. Although, in this world, especially in America, most everybody’s lives revolve around beauty and fitting in. We all know that the right answer to your question would be to say, “No, it is not worth the risk.”, but if you want my honest answer, I would say, yes, it is worth the risk. Because, ever since I was raised in this country that revolves around beauty, I have been taught that it is okay to take the risks. And this goes the same for everybody. For example, Ben and Will said that it is not okay to take the risks to make you attractive to fit in, but if it is not worth it, then why is more than half the world taking the risk? If people are willing to take the risk, then, to them, it is worth it. So, I say that it should not be worth it, but unfortunately, it is.

20. BRyant Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 10:58 pm

    Yes, well, being that mostly everything has been said, I’d like to add my two cents on pastor ben’s stream of comments.

    Ben, you’re pretty right there pal. When you look at it in terms of spirit to flesh, pushing your self twords the flesh pulls you away from the spirit. You’re so very right…

    HOWEVER!
    Monica, you’re also getting it on the head of the nail also! Great anaylitical thinking! If the American Dream is life, liberty, and the PURSUIT OF HAPPIENESS, then, yes it is worth it for some people! Even if it’s only for a short period of time.

    Though it doesn’t carry the depth of tanning or smoking, and though it’s perhaps not even an accurate comparison, what about makeup? Make-up makes young ladies (hopefully not many guys) look prettier, but it doesn’t change anything. You’re still the same person, with the same body, though you may feel diffrent-not that I’m against make-up, by all means, do what you have to do! But, you get the drift. And then, make-up on an advanced level is just plastic surgury, which is taking a risk everytime you put yourself on the opperating table. And belive it, America’s into that. There was this stupid show that came on Entertainment Network called Doctor 9019, or something, and It was all about getting plastic surgury and tummy tucks, and whatnot. According to anonymous sources, people watch shows and surround themselves with what they want to be like. , Thus the show stayed on air for a while. While there are alot of wrong things in the world, what can you do? Eventually, the problem all rolls back aroung to how spiritually mature you are as ben said, which is another comment, but like Ms.Baker said, I know , proven right there by Ms. Baker, IT IS NOT WORTH IT. Point and Case-

    Good Post, and good conversations goin on! Keep it goin

21. Meredith Says:
    March 4th, 2008 at 11:15 pm

    I agree with Monica and I think that that is a very hard question to answer. I think that many people want to fit in and they think that things like the tanning bed are necessary. I don’t think that many people care about the long term affects and concentrate on how they look today. I agree with Katie also on the fact that it seems like tanning beds are everywhere. This website explains a lot of different factors of the tanning bed. It talks about the industry, benefits, risks, and percautions.
    http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/mercer9.htm

    One of the few times that I did go to the tanning bed, I noticed that they do sell many kinds of lotions to use in the bed to increase your tan. After I read this article I found out that there are many types of lotions. This is a good article explaining the different effects the lotions have.
    http://ezinearticles.com/?Tanning-Bed-Lotions-Ensure-a-Safe-Tan&id=86160

22. Monica Says:
    March 6th, 2008 at 10:15 pm

    I was just thinking that if looks did not really matter to people, then a lot of people would start smoking and drinking or whatever. But for many people, the reason that they are staying away from these things, it because they want to look good and young. So wanting to look good can also keep you healthy and it would keep you away from taking the risks of tanning or doing surgery.

23. Taylor Says:
    March 7th, 2008 at 5:22 pm

    I really like the points Ben and Miss Baker brought up. I actually hadn’t even thought about that. But if you begin to analyze the reasons we do things we do it could get extremely complicated because we have the aspect of free will and we have opinions and different views on things.
    I know it is the biological goal to survive to reproduce but it doesn’t seem like that for humans a lot of the time.
    Sure, lots of people want to have families but some don’t. Even the ones that do are surviving for other reasons than just to have families. They have goals, and want to go to school and get a job, travel, etc.
    Our free will brings many different things into the picture that wouldn’t normally be there and make all this much more complicated.

    Also, Miss Baker, I’d never really thought of the smoke responsibly thing. I actually really think that makes sense.

    But also, Monica in response to your last comment, I think that is just the opposite. I think the majority of people smoke and drink or at least initially do for their looks..maybe not their appearance but their reputation I guess you would say. They want to look cool because that is what is advertised in our media and world now.

24. Mark Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 12:16 am

    Well, thank you Missbake about good information in tanning. almost i read that people said about the tannig bed. Also, many people disagree used to the tanning bed. i think that tanning bed is safe. Some people think i am mad. well, read about this site
    http://ezinearticles.com/?Tanning-Bed-Lotions-Ensure-a-Safe-Tan&id=86160

    Right now, Are you understand my said? Actually, tanning bed is harmful of our body. But many people want to the tans. Because, they have pallor body. So, they want to be more animation body. So, this website introduce about the safly lotion from tanning bed. I haven`t been yet the tanning bed. Because in korea have few of tanning bed salons and too expensive that. Soon i will tan

25. codie Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 1:56 pm

    This is a really neat post not only because of the great information Rachel shared with us but the awesome conversation it’s creating. I read through all the comments and it’s neat to see people carrying on a great conversation. Personally, I think that tanning beds are a ridiculous thing to use so, I’ve never been to one. Didn’t God make you look the way you do for a reason? So, why would you want to go and change that and probably end up damaging your skin? The same thing with smoking. Smoking only brings up problems for you in the future. So, why do it? People these days are so caught up in trying to fit in and look “cool”, like Monica’s comment pointed out, that they don’t care about what will happen to them eventually if it just gives them satisfaction for one day. I discovered a website that discuses how tanning beds are not a safe place for pregnant or breast feeding women to go to. Browse around, its pretty interesting. http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/387645/is_it_safe_for_pregnant_women_to_use.html
    While i was researching it’s shocking how many things you can find that are negative for using tanning beds. It makes you think if there are so many things that talk about bad things that happen to you while tanning it obviously isn’t a very smart thing to go out and do. I hope everyone thinks twice about going out to use tanning beds after reading this post.

26. Taylor Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 5:26 pm

    I definently understand what you are saying Codie with not wanting to change the way you look but, again that brings up a whole mess of other reasons people do it.
    Our generation especially is presented with so much media telling us to look this way, wear that and be like this person. Most of these “goals” are unrealistic. Still, people strive for them, tons and tons of people.
    Saying we should stop tanning, or stop other stupid things we do to look good, would be changing the culture of our generation one could even say and how in the world could anyone begin to do that? I think its a good thought you have but I just don’t see how that could happen.

27. jake Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 5:41 pm

    Like codie said above, this post has sparked an amazing conversation! I find it interesting how everyone is talking badly about tanning and the mindset of the people doing it. Dont get me wrong, i think tanning is ridiculous, however we do have the same mindset in our lives on other things. Most of us have procrastinated on school work at some point or another because we were only worried about the short term satisfaction of doing something more fun than homework. We were not concerned with the long term consequences such as bad grades or remediation. Those who go to tanning beds have the same mind set. THey arent worried about the long term effects, just the short term satisfaction. But, i do also agree with ben’s original post about finding a golden mean. You cant find that with putting off school work just to have some time to yourself. Just like tanning could be harmless or even beneficial in moderation. Great post rachel, and good comments everyone!!

28. Connor Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 6:24 pm

    In response to Miss Baker’s question, I would have to say that it is not worth it to endanger yourself to look good. No one should do anything like that. In the grand scheme of things, if you die, or get hurt, you effect everyone around you, not just yourself. If you get hurt and need treatment, who pays for that? If you don’t have a job, your parents do. If you die, not only do you put your family members in a financial situation concerning your funeral, you also have just put them through a very traumatic experience. If you don’t like the way you look, put in the time and effort to make a difference, don’t look for an automatic tanning solution, or for something like liposucton. Put in the time to get in shape, or go tanning in the sun, not under a manmade structure. Great post Rachel!

29. lacey Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 10:07 pm

    Great post Rachel I found it really intresting that exposure to uv radiation is needed, and helps the body create vitamin d, which can help reduce types of cancer, because i have always heard that tanning increases the risks of cancer, especially skin cancer. I really think that the chances of cancer depend on the person. Obviously if you are some one who lays out in the sun everyday for like three hours your chances of skin cancer would be higher than someone who lays out in the sun every other day for an hour. Which is why i think that tanning is one of those things that needs to be done responsablly and in moderation.
    To answer your question ms. baker, I do not think that the risk people take to make themselves more attractive are really worth it! Ben made some EXCELLENT points above and i agree with him when he said that the more people try to fit in the more they really fall a part. It is almost like they become so obbssessed with changing themselves to fit in that they forget who they really are!
    Secondly, to me it seems like peoples defenition of “attractiveness” is always changing, and i dont think you should put yourself in danger to become more attractive, because what may be attractive at that time will probablly not be attractive in the future, but the damage you caused yourself will always be there!

30. BRyant Says:
    March 8th, 2008 at 10:36 pm

    Well, Conner, check this-

    CONNER,
    there’s some people out there that kinda have to go and get liposuction, because they can’t even start somewhere, well, no I take that back, they could start “exercizing”, but it’d take soo much longer than you think. I mean, there’s some guys out there that have to take an elevator every where they go, just because walking up the steps is too much of a workout, but then, after they get the operation, they’re supposed to start working out, but…. ya know, from that perspective, you’ve gotta be a pretty doggone in shape guy, and you’ve had to of come from some pretty fat origins in the process of being extremely fit to really tell somebody that they just gotta get up and do it. Perhaps it’s not as hard, but I do think that if at all possible, you’ve gotta put forth effort, and that’s all you can ask, and perhaps, for that person, the way they’ve been brought up, and the effort they’ve been taught to put forth is the attitude of going to go get liposuction, instead of working out, WHICH brings me to my next point of Taylor’s comment.

    TAYLOR,
    you’re pretty daggone right! This world might not change the way we think about tanning beds for a while, but, let me present the counter argument to that statement:
    People have smoked for years, and the facts that smoking is harmfull have been around, ever since the Europeans got their hands on it. Heck, tobacco wasn’t even allowed in the colony of Georgia at first (along with Catholics and slaves!), but eventually, over time the view in tobacco became harmless. My great grandmother was a smoker since she was 11! Even still, now you have drug awrareness months and what not, and ads on T.V. talking about how bad drugs were, and even though they don’t do it here, in public school, they do this thing called red-ribbon week, where you have all these cute little theme days that all have to do with not doing drugs and stuff. The general attitude twords smoking has changed, even if people still do it, the fact that it’s bad is publicly made known, and is put out there by the media. THE GENERAL ATTITUDE OF SMOKING HAS CHANGED. EVEN IF IT DOESN’T HAPPEN TOMORROW, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR THE ATTITUDE TWORDS TANNING BEDS GOING TO CHANGE? Eventually, I say yes, although I must say TAYLOR’S COMPLETE RIGHT THAT PEOPLE ARENT GOING TO STOP TRYING TO BE LIKE OTHER PEOPLE.

    That’s all! (loving the conversation, please respond!)

31. Jennifer P. Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 1:02 am

    it is truly amazing how much attention rachel’s post is getting! It also shows what most of us tend to show interest to and relate to. Also in response to Mrs. Bakers question, I honestly do think our world has become so superficial because most people appeal to people who in fact look “good looking.” The same question can be asked for women who put on makeup. Most the time it suffocates your pores so it can’t breathe and clogs your pores. Is it worth it? There are reasons why it is. For example I was at a shoe store and this employee gave a “good” looking girl a 30% discount on her shoes and asked for her number where as when another “not” good looking girl ( in his opinion) came in, he did not giver her a discount. It is almost like when a female peacock chooses her mate she looks for the best “fit” and the most “attractive” with its feathers. A study showed that customers usually appeal and seek “good looking” employees at a store rather than “not good looking employees.” As a result, the use of plastic surgery and tanning beds have greatly increased. Most people think that. ” Oh I’m only going tanning for a few times, it won’t hurt me at all.” When in fact it does ( as reffered to in my previous post.) There was a show called “The Swan” and it was about these in their terms “ugly miserable women, getting a makeover with tanning and plastic surgery, etc, and it changing their lives for the better.” Such as saving their marraige, getting a job, recieveing positive attention, and sometimes being treated nicely in clothing stores. So for some people “looking good” Is worth it all.

32. jake Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 11:55 am

    I see what you are saying taylor. Our society has become so self absorbed that it would be nearly impossible to change that. We may not be able to change the way the media thinks or all of the celebrities but we can set the example ourselves. We are all saying how dumb this is, but we do have those wants to “fit in”. Ill admit that im not any different but if we could start thinking differently, just a small group of people, how much better would that be? It would be great, not only to not have to worry about how we really look but not judging others based on their appearance. After all, we are all equal, so why shouldnt we treat each other as so.

33. Hank Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 8:42 pm

    This is an extremely interesting topic, because there are so many peopl that are involved with so many opinions! There are thousands of people in every state that use tanning beds every week. Here is a great site that explains the positives and negtives of tanning beds in relation to your health. http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/azhealthtopics/a/tanboothworthit.htm
    This explains why tanning beds are harmful to you and the people who are at a greater risk for skin cancer and other uva and uvb related illnesses. It explains why people like me who have fair skin are at a greater risk for those illnesses and what we need to do to be protected against them.

34. Hank Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 8:57 pm

    This is a response to Miss Bakers question about why someone would risk the health of themselves just to make yourself fit the social standards of today. For someone like me I cant even get tan so I guess that it is a blessing and a curse because I do not have any pressure from the world telling me to get tan but also I might not be seen as a person who has the best looking skin either. Even if I was not born woth this tone of skin I dont beleive that I would be jumping in tanning beds trying to fit in and at the same time slowly killing myself. The community around us tells us that you have to look a certain way in order to be considerd to be good looking person, but as far as I am concerned we all look a certain way for a reason and I dont see anything wrong with the way that God made me, no matter what the media says!

35. Blake Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 9:34 pm

    In response to Miss Bakers question, biologicly it would be worth it to use tanning beds to make yourself more attractive and to fit in more even though it has serious health risks. It would biologicly be benificial to do this because most of the health risks start to show effect later in life after reproduction has been able to occour. Its like that bonus questions on one of our quizes, why would an organism have a trait that made it more likley to be eaten by predators, because if the trait made it more likely to reproduce than it would be an adventageous trait. To me thats what tanning seems like from a biological standpoint. Another reason that some people use tanning beds even though they are harmful is that when you are in the tanning bed it causes your body to release chemicals called endorphins. These are the same chemicals released when people laugh that make people feel good. I dont use tanning beds so i dont really know but this could be a possible reason. My opinion on tanning beds is that they are not worth the health risks, i agree with connor when he says if you want to get tan then just go outside. Good post rachel.

36. amanda Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 10:28 pm

    I agree with Hank, that God made us a certain way for a reason, and he thinks we are all beautiful, no matter what the media says. It seems to me that is better to love your natural healthy skin than risk permanent damage to yourself just to be tan. And, if you just can’t accept that you might be a little pale-skinned, there is always a fake tan.

    Here is a website that gives a lot of good information on tanning, including the dangers of it.
    http://www.skincancer.org/tanning/the-dangers-of-tanning.html

    The site above says that the darkening of the skin cells is natural defense against further damage from UV radiation. The question is posed: “Is tanning bad for you?” and the response is:
    “The sun’s UV rays damage the DNA of the skin’s epidermal cells, triggering enzymes that race to repair the damage. However, these enzymes do not always repair the DNA successfully, and all this unrepaired damage can lead to mutations that increase the risk of skin cancer. Also, repeated unprotected sun exposure can cause photoaging – wrinkles, sagging skin, and spots associated with sun damage.”

    So, to me it seems that there are a lot more negative effects to tanning than positive. Sure it will make you glow for a few weeks, but in the long run, it’s better to protect yourself from the sun and stay away from the tanning beds. Great post Rachel! It is very relevant to today’s society.

37. Sebastiana Says:
    March 9th, 2008 at 10:51 pm

    I personally hate tanning beds I think they are waste of money with side effects. I am not trying to be pestimistic or anything though.
    If UV radiation helps create vitamin D which decreases your risk of osteoprosis ( which means when you dont have enough vitamins or drink alot of milk your bones become bridle) most people who are lactose intolerant have osteoprosis. However back on subject if that helps you decrease your risk why dont you just drink milk instead of causing damage to your skin.
    From what I know about tanning beds and the suns contact with your sking is that it causes melanin which is a good thing which causes your skin to become brown and protects you.
    I was thinking if a fetus also known as a baby can be effected while the mother goes to a tanning bed. obstetricians and gynecologists do have some concerns about pregnancy and tanning beds. The raising of tempature of a mothers body is called hyperthermia. However the tempatture for the tanning bed only heats up to 100 so the mother is safe. There have been no incidents which still doesnt mean it is safe. But during the first 3 months of pregnancy doctors advise patients to keep away from tanning beds. http://www.tanning-advisor.com/pregnancy-and-tanning-beds.html

38. Skye Says:
    September 24th, 2008 at 8:41 pm

    Interesting post Rachael, but there is no such thing as “tan responsibly”. That’s like saying “Smoke responsibly” like Miss Baker said. How can you be responsible when you’re damaging your body? Although generally people look healthier with a tan, is tanning unnaturally really worth all the risks: no. I do not think that people will judge you or not think you’re pretty if you’re not tan. Besides, there are other ways to be tan without causing potential skin damage. Spray tans, tanning lotion, or take a tropical get away. You said that you can get Vitamin D from tanning beds, but there are also better/safer ways to be more efficient in Vitamin D. The only risk of spray tan is if you inhale it while its being applied so that’s why its optional to use nose plugs and goggles also to protect or eyes. Such as, eggs, cod oil liver and fortified milk. A simple Vitamin D pill will do the job too.http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitamind.asp
    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sunless-tanning/SN00037

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