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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I just had this conversation with my friends as it is a beautiful sunny day and we all want to spend it in the pool. The most important thing when it comes to sun exposure is moderation and the use protection (sunscreens, etc.).
As a person with a Vitamin D deficiency, there is nothing more that makes me feel better than the bright sunshine. We must protect ourselves but not be afraid to enjoy the pure joy that sun brings. Be safe.
OMG... I can't believe that in this day and age people are still tanning. It's the same with smoking, and drinking. Jesus here in Ca. 15 minutes out in the sun without an umbrella and you can FEEL the burning. If you ask me I would like nothing more than to have blue eyes blond hair and Ivory white skin.
You do realize that you need exposure to UV rays to get vitamin D? and not only that, it also helps clear up skin.
Yeah too much is bad, but you need some!
think it's mad how people still want to tan when we all know the dangers. I see girls at my college campus all lying out in bikinis, looking like easy women aswell, as getting all burnt. I don't get it!
I am very pale, of Danish background and think that I am beautiful as I am. People who are naturally brown are beautiful too. What looks bad are these little pale girls, trying to look like bronzed goddesses and just ending up being prematurely aged and having possible melanomas in their 20's and 30's.
.... Lol, juest because they sun bath on campus there easy?
Jeez, you need to relax.
number 1: sunburn is caused by your skin not having enough antioxidants in your body, so eat tons of berries and other antioxidant rich foods.
number 2: sunscreen has many chemicals in it that actually cause cancer, instead of preventing it. It also blocks ultraviolet radiation from reaching the skin, preventing the body from producing vitamin D.
number 3: being out in the sun is good for you, it provides your body with vitamin D, which prevents over 77 different types of cancer
doctors recommend sunscreen because, like with prescription drugs, they get a hefty pay to advertise for the sunscreen companies. Not too long ago doctors recommended cocaine and cigarettes as ways to improve your health. The doctors aren't the ones that do the actual research on products such as these, so they only go with what they are told by the drug companies. Don't believe everything you are told by the media, because they sugarcoat everything just to make a profit. do your own research people.