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.
Add A New CommentWe value and respect the experiences of all of our HerWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Add A New Comment26 Comments
Anon
My kids could eat 10 servings of fruit and veg everyday and they'd burn to a crisp out in the sun without protection. One of them will begin to burn if out for more than 10 minutes. Their diet is healthy and varied but all the antioxidants in the world won't prevent sunburn.
I agree that being in the sun is good for you - my kids get 20 minutes of unprotected sun every day but they are outdoors a lot longer than that. Anything more than 20 minutes (and more than 10 continuous for one of them) would damage them very badly.