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Why do people tan?

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I'm not critisizing anyone here who tans, but just know that even though melanoma is rare, it DOES happen.

My father died just short of age 50 from it.

He didn't go to tanning beds, or even tan outside.. he usually wore sunscreen and he had naturally tan skin.. you would never think a person like him would get melanoma. The typical candidate for skin cancer is someone who is fair skinned and spends a lot of time in the sun unprotected.

I'm just letting you know that it CAN happen, and it is devastating. When my dad first found an unsual spot, he had it removed... the doctor apperently missed part of it because 3 years later my dad started having severe pains in his back, only to find the cancer had spread to his lymphnodes, organs, and bones. He died 2 monthes later, in terrible pain the entire time unless he was so drugged up that he was passed out. It was such a horrible thing to see :(

I'm not posting this for a pity-party or to make anyone feel bad for tanning, its just a cautionary tale, and its 100% true. Please be careful, everyone! I know we all do things that are bad for us, but people overlook skin cancer a lot because it doesn't happen often. I used to totally be a tan-a-holic, in high school I'd go to the bed 3 times a week for about 2 years, and I loved how it made me look... but I realised now that its not worth it because of my genetic predisposition to get skin cancer.

If you are going to tan, PLEASE get skin checks!! Check yourself weekly, and get examined once a year by a doctor or dermotologist! sorry to sound like a mom here, but I'm just trying to protect other people from this horrible cancer :(
 
Yeah in NZ melanoma kills heaps of people, you get burnt in our sun in like 15-30 minutes if its close to midday. Ozone hole an what not.
 
My bf sees my body pretty well weekly and vise vera so we can take care of that. :)
 
I have a question about indoor tanning in tanning beds. Thats about the only way I can tan because I can't last 5 minutes outside, I get too hot. But anway, do I need to be protecting my tattoo? Will the tanning fade it? How should I protect it? What SPF?
 
Well to cover it up with clothing would not look so hot, since there is space between in (see pic) so SPF applied carefully to it would be a good idea?

TattoohealedApril6209001.jpg
 
I used a tanning bed for at least 10 years if not more and I never put SPF on my back where I have a tattoo. It did not fade. However, if I was fond of certain artwork...like my arm I now use 30 SPF on it...when I remember.
 
just get an iced drink and sip that. Turn over every once in awhile. Lake nearby is nice you can jump in and get core body temperature down (my favorite way to tan is hit one side up for 15 minutes or so, get up take a toke, jump in lake, get out, shake water off, tan other side, repeat, repeat, repeat).

Works best naked.
 
Perpetual Indulgence said:
I used a tanning bed for at least 10 years if not more and I never put SPF on my back where I have a tattoo. It did not fade. However, if I was fond of certain artwork...like my arm I now use 30 SPF on it...when I remember.
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I only have one and I'm pretty sure it will be the only one I get so I wanna take care of it.
 
pillthrill, do you realize how bad tanning beds are for you? Sorry to sound like a mom or something, but either your ignorant or stupid.
 
only have one and I'm pretty sure it will be the only one I get so I wanna take care of it.
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^Get a piece of paper, stencil your tattoo exactly on it, and cut it up using an exacto knife, and place that paper on your tattoo (dunno if you can use paper in a tanning bed as Im too lazy to find out...if it really matters to you, do some research on google! Maybe you can use cloth or something dunno) .

Place it on your tatoo and go tan. Voila! Problem solved! No pain, no gain, as I always say.
 
moonyham said:
pillthrill, do you realize how bad tanning beds are for you? Sorry to sound like a mom or something, but either your ignorant or stupid.
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Yes I know, I've been lectured. But it does a lot of good for my self-essteem and I generally do better in life. Reall right now its worth the risk, a happier more productive life is more likely than skin cancer.
 
Gaian Planes said:
I have to say that I caught some rays outside for the first time in 4 days (fucking rain!) and it made a 180 on my mood. I became a completely different person after getting my dose of UV. I guess I was just really missing it with all this rain and needed it to be happy.
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that's exactly how i am.

i'm a very active, outdoors person, and sunlight just completely recharges me mood and energy-wise.
 
Pillthrill said:
Yes I know, I've been lectured. But it does a lot of good for my self-essteem and I generally do better in life. Reall right now its worth the risk, a happier more productive life is more likely than skin cancer.
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Oh ok, as long as it helps your superficial self and the self esteem that goes with it, i guess its worth the permanent damage it does to you. :\
 
Tans are sexy, especially with dark hair in my opinion. I have the dark hair, but not the tan lol. I want a tan, desperately, but seeing as how every person in my family over the age of 40 has had skin cancer in some form or another, I think I should play it safe and limit my sun exposure. I am gonna definitely try the mystic tan, as long as it doesn't look too fake. I don't like that orange tone.
 
^^ that idea seems to sum up society at this moment. Aside from the vitamin D arguement which is weak when related to the amount of time needed to synth it all this is just ego stroking. Dont get me wrong i love to stroke my ego too but i do it in supposidly less cancer causing ways. Each to his own but youll never catch me in a tanning bed only cancer i pay for is cigs, if i want light i go outside.
 
Vitamin D is a long forgotten nutrient. More recent research seems to conclude that the "recommended daily allowance" is far lower than it should be, and one of the most interesting benefits of sufficient Vitamin D intake seems to be greatly reduced cancer risks. Low levels of sunlight might reduce the risk of skin cancer, but it greatly increases the risk of all kinds of internal cancers.
 
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