Thursday, November 17, 2011

College-Style

College-Style

The Dangers of Tanorexia

Posted: 16 Nov 2011 02:48 AM PST

By: Emily of The University of Georgia. Follow me @emilyhovis.

In a previous post, I shared with you all my day-to-day struggles with paleness. Now, I'm going to share with you why I choose to lead a pale life instead of finding a quick fix in a tanning bed. For the past six years, I have been a regular at the dermatologist's office. I'm on the four month rotation, and at times, it feels like I live at the dermatologist's. About six years ago, my doctor found an irregular spot on my body and suggested that I see a dermatologist, just to make sure. Turns out, I had premature skin cancer. Now, premature skin cancer isn't too serious, but it is definitely something that has shaped the course of my life. My dermatologist has advised me to stay out of the sun between the hours of 12-5, and while I do venture out into the sunlight, I have to take a lot of precautions. SPF 80 is my best friend, and tanning beds are my mortal enemy and a cause I vehemently argue against.

This semester, I'm taking an intro to public speaking class, and for my persuasive speech, I chose to research and present a speech about the dangers of tanning beds. The apartment complex that I live at has a tanning bed that all of the residents can use for free. My roommates hit up the tanning bed on a fairly regular basis, and each time I see them heading towards the fitness center with their swimsuits on, a little piece of my soul dies. As I was compiling research for my speech, I came across some pretty startling statistics about tanning beds and skin cancer.

The only way that this color is natural is if you’re an Oompa Loompa. Photo Credit.

According to the American Cancer Society, each year, 8,000 Americans die from skin cancer, and 65 percent of these deaths can be attributed to tanning beds. Some people, like me, have the misfortune of being cursed with pale skin and faulty genetics, and we'll have to deal with skin cancer for all of our lives. Other people, are lucky enough to have a natural tan, yet they subject themselves to cancerous UV rays on a regular basis. Tanning beds are classified as a Group 1 carcinogen, meaning that it's proven that they cause cancer. Other agents that have the same classification include cigarettes and plutonium. That's some pretty serious stuff. It's been found that people who use tanning beds on a fairly regular basis are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma skin cancer than people who don't use tanning beds. Those are some pretty sobering statistics. And if the inevitable threat of skin cancer isn't enough to make you swear off tanning beds, think about the cosmetic damages that are down the road. Tanning beds can age your skin by 30 years, and while I love leather handbags, I prefer for my skin to not look leathery.

The effects of tanning beds last much longer than the tan itself. Photo Credit.

In England, tanning beds are referred to as "cancer coffins," and the English government has banned all people under the age of 18 from using tanning beds. Right now, states across the US are following England’s example, and last month, California became the first state to make  it illegal for all users under the age of 18 to use tanning beds. I'm not naïve enough to think millions of girls across the country are going to stop using tanning beds, but next time you're feeling a little pasty, ask yourself: is this temporary dose of color really worth the risk? Hopefully, you'll think not.

Thoughts

Do you frequently tan? Do you have friends in your life who practically live at the tanning salon? Do you want to join the fight against tanning beds? Comment below, email us at info@college-style.com, or tweet us @CollegeStyle12 or me @emilyhovis. We love to hear what you guys think!

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)