Sun Safety Week and Society's Obsession With Being Tan
It seems that most women and men feel the need to be tan in order to fit into society's definition of attractive. Of course, there are obvious detrimental effects of catching too many sun rays.
National Sun Safety Week, which takes place from June 1 to 7, according to http://www.sunsafetyalliance.org/, is a great way to get more information about the dangers of the sun.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has its own Web page dedicated to providing information on how to "protect your skin from the sun": http://www.healthfinder.gov/prevention/ViewTopic.aspx?topicID=44.
Here are tips on how to prevent skin cancer from the U.S. Dep't of Health and Human Services:
- The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect your skin from the sun.
- Stay out of the sun between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher.
- Cover up with long sleeves and a hat.
- Check your skin regularly. This is called a skin self-exam.
Despite all the information and awareness, as a college student, I see so many men and women with fake tans, real tans and sunburns. I'm sure they know what they're doing - they just don't want to be labeled as "too white," which seems to be considered unattractive.
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As a fair skinned Arizona native, sun exposure and skin cancer is often on my mind. My dad has had many basel cell and precancerous growths removed from years spent in the Arizonan sun. No thanks. I'd rather stay pale.
The notion that tanned is beautiful comes from at least the 1920's Hollywood era, later reinforced during the 1950s-1960s beach tanned movie star era. Hollywood also helped promote the notion that tanned meant healthy, as an outdoorsy lifestyle is seen as healthier than a sedentary indoor lifestyle.
My grandfather had lupus and skin cancer. I have lupus, as well. Lupus flares are triggered by exposure to the sun. My grandfather aspired to be a professional tennis player (and he definitely had the talent and played with the pros of his day), but had to give that up and played tennis at night. I spent most of my life on the beach, not knowing what lurked in my genetic heritage. Although I have been living with lupus since diagnosed in 1990, I'm a marathoner exposed to the sun a lot. But, when I'm out on a run, I wear my heavy-duty sunscreen, including in my lip balm, and wear a cap.
Whether pale or dark-complected, we all need to be aware of the dangers of sun exposure, take what precautions we can and protect our children. At the same time, we need a bit of sun exposure to trigger our natural synthesis of Vitamin D, absorption of calcium, and numerous other natural immunological and neurological functions.
However, there is such a thing as an unhealthy tan. Take George Hamilton, for example, the epitome of overly-tanned, and notice the effects of heavy sun exposure on Robert Redford, Clint Eastwood, and even female celebrities who are sporting sun damage in the form of spots and otherwise damaged skin.
Personally, I prefer my "tan in the bottle" from my daily application of self-tanning lotion. It helps diminish the obvious runner's shirt and sock lines, LOL!
I'm already tanned so no need to lie out on the sun here. I live in Miami and we've been having heatwaves lately...it's EXCRUTIATING. I can't imagine laying out in the sun right now without the fear of the suns rays seeping into my skin but it's not always boiling hot here and some days are so beautiful you can't help but WANT to spend the day out. I have a lot of friends who are fair skinned and love the sun. I have absolutely no problem with people who enjoy spending a day in the sun-- as long as they are using sunscreen why prevent them from enjoying themselves? I think to each its own. If you choose to go out in the sun with no protection then so be it. I think the majority of people are already well aware of the consequences and choose to do it anyway.
Society has a lot to do with it too...but to be honest, I had a tough time growing up because I was usually the most tanned girl in class. I learned to embrace my skin color and now, I would not change it for the world.
Here in Asia the opposite is true. I live in Taiwan and the lengths the Taiwanese go to to keep the sun off is ridiculous sometimes. Like the Japanese, they happen to believe pale is beautiful.
As for myself I like having a tan. Originally I'm from the UK and we see very little of the sun there. Being able to go outside and swim and read beneath it is a luxury for me. Not to mention the benefits of vitamin D.
Yes, too much sun is dangerous and should be avoided. So is too little. As with most things in life - coffee, alcohol, foods full of starch etc - balance and moderation are key.
My Grandmother, born in the late 1800's, knew how bad the sun could be for your skin. When working on the farm with Dad and Grandpa, she always make me wear long sleeves and a hat. All the other girls went back to school in the fall with "great tans." I went back white as a ghost. Even with all the precautions, I have had one melanoma removed and 16 biopsies since! Imagine how bad it would have been without my Grandma's vigilance. By the way-she was 98 years old when she died in 1986-and her skin was beautiful and smooth. Go Granny with the sunbonnet!