In the 90s, I, like many others, enjoyed the use of indoor tanning beds and booths. Always very fair skinned, my body would hold a warm glow when I tanned. Living in Michigan, I found it extremely relaxing to walk into a warm tanning salon on a cold and rainy Midwest night. And of course, I enjoyed the golden colored skin. I can almost remember the smell of the accelerating lotions and scents of the salon that I inhaled as I entered the front door. But that is not the final memory that I have of indoor tanning.
About nine years ago was the very last time I used a tanning bed. I was getting ready for my wedding and wanted everything to be perfect, especially for me to have a tan to show off my dream dress. I decided to tan at the health club that I belonged to and bought an unlimited pass. I was happy and excited as an employee behind the front desk handed me a towel and a small packet of Hemp Accelerator lotion. I moved into my room, undressed, applied the lotion all over my skin and proceeded to lie on the tanning bed. Within minutes of the bulbs heating up, I felt like my skin was on fire. I quickly got up and looked in the full length mirror. My skin seemed to be transforming to burnt shade of pink. I immediately got dressed and tried to figure out what happened.
It didn’t make any sense to me. I had been tanning many times before and never had a reaction like this. I hadn’t even been in there that long. Even out of the bed, my skin still felt like it was burning. I walked back up to the front desk and told them that there was a problem. The staff seemed confused and as I explained, I began to feel very light headed. I asked for some water and somewhere that I could sit down. Before anyone could answer me, I passed out and dropped to the floor. When I awoke, I found health club staff crowding around me.
Passing out is a frightening thing and it is worse to have happen in public. I was brought a cold, wet towel for my forehead and a glass of water to drink. My hand shook uncontrollably as I lifted the plastic cup to my mouth. The club staff helped me move to their cozy back office and insisted that I stay for a bit. I just wanted to go home. The manager didn’t want me to drive and asked if I could call someone to pick me up. My biggest problem was that I didn’t have anyone to help. My fiancé and I had just bought a house and the phone line wasn’t hooked up yet. We had a single cell phone and I had it with me. There was no way for me to reach him as he drove home from work or arrived at our house. I was on my own.
I stayed just long enough to gain the strength to pick myself up and walk out to my car. The fresh night air offered me little relief. I still felt a little shaky but desperately wanted to be home. The bright street lights seemed blinding against the dark sky. I drove carefully and even more consciously than usual during my short drive home. Once I finally pulled into the familiar garage and turned off the engine, my body relaxed in the driver’s seat. I exhaled a great sigh. I was thankful to be home.
My skin remained that strange burnt pink color even after I showered that night but faded after the following day. The only thing that made sense to me is that I may have had an allergic reaction to the Hemp Accelerator lotion. Whatever the reason, that experience spooked me enough to never want to tan in a tanning bed again. Never. Where I was once the girl that enjoyed tanning, I now slather on the 45 SPF (or higher), I wear hats to shade my face, and I never leave the house without a SPF lotion on my face and hands. For me, a bad thing happening resulted in something positive. Ever since that day, I take great care of my skin.