It’s no secret that tanning is terrible for our skin. We have been taught from an early age that tanning not only causes wrinkles later in life, but also skin cancer. My parents tried everything to educate me on the dangers of tanning. Despite their efforts, I fell into the tanning trap during my middle school years.
Being tan made me feel like the most beautiful version of myself. There was no better feeling to me than watching tan lines form under my bikini as I lay in the sun. Tanning quickly became an addiction that I could not stop from spiraling out of hand. I couldn’t imagine life without having extreme tan lines and the perfect bronzed glow. Despite being well aware of the risks, I was willing to risk my own health and longevity just for the sake of conforming to society’s beauty standards.
Skin cancer is extremely deadly and takes the lives of over 2 Americans every hour. Having 5 or more sunburns during your life doubles your risk for melanoma (the deadliest type of skin cancer). The truth is there is no such thing as a “safe tan”. Anytime the skin is exposed to UV rays and darkens in color it is damaged. The more your skin is exposed to UV radiation, the greater your risk of skin cancer and the faster your skin will age.
But if we know tanning is so bad for us, then why do we keep doing it? For me, I didn’t tan because I believed it was healthy, I tanned because it made me feel more attractive and confident. Tan skin is associated with beauty, health, and youth. As a former tanning addict myself, I can confirm that I always felt more confident after tanning. The girl I saw in the mirror after tanning appeared to be a more beautiful, 2.0 version of myself.
After getting one too many painful sunburns, I finally resolved to quit excessive tanning. It was hard enough trying to quit and seeing my friends with their tan lines. I didn’t account for the fact that social media has made it impossible to escape pictures of perfectly tanned girls.
After much self-reflection and self-love, I finally began to embrace my natural skin color. Confidence in my natural skin tone did not come overnight, but I grew to love the skin I was born with. The temptation to tan remains, but quitting has given me a newfound love and confidence in my natural beauty. Taking a break from tanning gave me the perspective I needed to realize that feeling good temporarily is not worth the risk of skin cancer. I realized I cared about my skin way too much to ever damage it again.
Whether it’s eating junk food, doom scrolling for hours on TikTok, or tanning with no sunscreen in UV index 12: we all do things that are bad for us sometimes. Tanning a few times may not directly cause skin cancer, but it is a slippery slope that could lead to addiction. Just like anything else, tanning can be enjoyed in moderation if the right precautions are taken.
While protecting your skin is important, it’s also essential to enjoy life, and it’s okay to indulge in tanning occasionally if it isn’t excessive. For example, if your friends plan a day at the beach, it would be wrong to say no because you are afraid of the sun exposure.
If you do plan to tan, be sure to reapply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 every hour. It’s easy to lose track of time while tanning, and even easier to forget to apply sunscreen to protect your skin. Even if you happen to be one of the lucky few who don’t burn in the sun, you are still causing irreversible damage to your skin. No matter your sun tolerance, sunscreen is always essential when you are in direct sunlight to protect your skin from damage.
Although it’s important for everyone to be aware of the dangers of tanning, whether they choose to tan is entirely up to how much they value their skin health.
My best advice to chronic tanning addicts: Try quitting for a few months. Don’t tan outside. Don’t tan in a tanning bed. Don’t fake tan. Just learn to love your skin for its natural color.
You might find that you end up feeling more confident and authentic in your own skin than you ever did with a temporary tan.
