How do you like your toast?
Given the choice, we would all choose tan over white. It looks healthier, right? The question is, how healthy is it? And is natural healthier than the tanning salon? We’ll see!
There are three ways to get that beautiful tanned body: the natural way, the fake way (tanning salons), and the “other” fake way (sunless tanning). A tanned body is good: it enhances body definition, looks great, and makes you desirable. However, is all that positivity worth the dangers your body can take?
Well, let’s take a look at them individually.
Traditional (Sun) Tanning: Is It Safe? Tanning is, in essence, the skin’s reaction to damage already done and a defensive attempt to protect itself from further damage. So when you head out into the sun-drenched garden, don’t forget your sunglasses, towel, and sunscreen! So is sunbathing dangerous? It may be, as the sun’s ultraviolet radiation falls on your body, it literally burns your skin: your tan is your body’s natural defense against this, a healing mechanism, a scab if you will. This is a great risk of skin cancer.
If you are going to tan in the sun, avoid doing it between 12 and 3 o’clock since that is when the sun is most fierce. Use a low factor sunscreen. Be careful if you submerge yourself in water, as some sunscreens are not waterproof, and wear a sun hat and t-shirt.
Use of hammocks. These try to eliminate the UV rays that come in contact with the skin, while also giving you that healthy tan that you crave. In addition to this, they also control your exposure to UV rays, which reduces the risk of getting skin cancer. However, there is still a risk: the British Association of Dermatologists recommends not spending more than 10 hours a year on sun loungers. Can you imagine having only 10 hours of sunshine a year? Does this mean that none of us is safe?
Fake tans! These are the safest! There are bronzing powders, usually applied to the face as blush, bronzer that you apply for a day and then wash off when showering, and self-tanner. The latter is the most complex, but it basically contains a chemical called dihydroxyacetone that is absorbed by the surface cells of the skin and turns brown in the presence of oxygen. The tan lasts until these cells shed naturally. Tips for this type of tan involve exfoliating dead cells and moisturizing the skin before application to achieve the best possible absorption of the tan. Also the application of the lightest tone since you can always darken it later.
It seems that the safest method is fake tanning via lotions, followed by total avoidance of the sun’s rays; if you can’t do that, use a low SPF sun cream when you go out in the sun, because even if you’re tanned it’s fake, you can still burn yourself and you don’t want to end up like a slice of toast that’s been sitting under the grill too long, TRUE?
