I heard something on the radio yesterday that really made my skin boil. A very well known Canadian Tanning Salon company had an advertisement on the radio.
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It went a little something like this:
"Feel confident in your skin and look great with [insert company name here]. Say goodbye to pale and pasty skin! Tan the smart way!"
I was instantly ticked off.
From what I gathered, the commercial was telling me two things:
1) There was something wrong with my current skin tone
2) I could tan smart.
Oh really now.
Throughout my teens are early twenties, I was not immune to the pressures of tanning my skin. I tanned for my prom. I also tanned for a couple weddings that I was a bridesmaid in and I tanned for my own wedding.
I tanned on my honeymoon.
I knew that I shouldn’t be doing it, but I did it anyways. I called myself an ‘event tanner’- I tanned for events I wanted to look my best for and the rest of the time I wore ample sunscreen.
What did tanning leave me with?
- Premature aging of the skin
- Fine lines due to the damage from tanning
Not cool.
I kept telling myself that I would just tan for special events and that would be it. Well, after my wedding last year I asked myself:
‘When would I ever be good enough? When would I start to challenge how I felt about my skin without a tan and put an end to this ‘event’ tanning?’
I had to face the cold hard truth.
I was tanning to cover up my insecurities.
The more I started to think about it, the more angry I got. Every where I turned, the media was telling me that pale skin was ugly and needed to be darkened.
Of course, magazines jumped on the Anti-tanning Bandwagon and started to promote using self-tanners.
But I couldn’t help but wonder still:
- Why do we have to use ANYTHING?
- Why can’t the skin colour that we are born with be good enough?
- Why must it be lighter, darker, or different in any way?
- Isn’t using a self-tanner still buying into the notion that we still aren’t good enough the way we are?
It is absolutely infuriating when you stop and think about all of the messages out there telling women to change their skin.
Well, I am here to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. And I want you to join me.
After my wedding last year I made another vow. This time it was to myself. I vowed that I would never set foot in a tanning salon again.
Here are some startling Canadian Statistics on Skin Cancer that may have you vowing to do the same:
Canadian Dermatology Association 2009 Skin Cancer Fact Sheet
Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Canadians.
It is also the most common cancer in the world.
• More than 75,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in 2009.
• Approximately 5,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2009 and 940 will die of it.
• Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer are the two most prevalent forms of this disease. Skin cancers, including melanoma, are highly curable if found and treated early.
• While less common, melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer since it can spread in the body and cause death.
• Canadians born in the 1990’s have two to three times higher lifetime risk of getting skin cancer compared to those born in the 1960’s. For those born in the 1990’s, there is a 1 in 6 lifetime risk of having skin cancer. For those born in the 1960’s, there is a 1 in 20 lifetime risk.
• The main cause of skin cancer is too much UV radiation.
• Skin cancer is one of a small number of cancers that can be prevented through simple measures such as limiting sun exposure, seeking shade, wearing hats and clothing, and using an SPF 30 or higher, broad spectrum sunscreen.
• There is a group of people at particularly high risk for skin cancer because of their skin type and amount of sun exposure. This includes those with: fair skin and blond or red hair; skin that burns and freckles easily rather than tans; a lot of sun exposure through outdoor work or recreation; many moles (> 50) or some large and unusual moles; a history of severe sunburns.
• Looking at all cancers found in the 15 to 29 age group, melanoma represented 7% of new cases in young men and 11% of new cases in young women, which may be attributable to social behaviours (seeking a tan), particularly in the latter group.• The rising rates of skin cancer are placing increased demands on dermatologists. There are fewer than 650 dermatologists to treat Canada’s population of more than 30 million. The number of dermatologists in Canada is decreasing rapidly as the rate of retirement far outstrips the number of new dermatologists in training.
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The truth is, there is no smart way to tan.
I am ready to learn to love my skin colour and appreciate the beauty in it. So what if most models and actresses have tans. Just think of Nicole Kidman and Anne Hathaway. They are both two beautiful role models that pale skin is beautiful.
Here is what I am committing myself to:
- Absolutely no tanning beds. Zilch. Nadda. None.
- No Self-tanner. WE DON’T NEED TO CHANGE OUR SKIN COLOUR.
- Don’t buy into the media hype that only tanned skin = beautiful. Beauty is what you were born with!
It is time that we as women start to challenge not just the focus on excessively thin ‘ideals’ in the media, but about our skin colour too.
Since the beginning of time, women have been told that we are not good enough the way we are. I am sick of it!
I hope you will join me in committing to my Love Your Skin Movement. As women, we have the power to influence trends with what we spend our money on. Stop endorsing it, buying it, and supporting things that make you feel that you are less of a women if you don’t do ‘X,Y,Z’.
Are you with me? :)
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Do you feel the pressure to change the colour of your skin or to tan? Have you ever used tanning beds despite knowing that you shouldn’t?
I also used the tanning bed to combat rashes in uni. I also loved the heat…it made my back feel wonderful.
I have grown out of my skin condition and have not used them since. I think they have their uses (above poster with serious skin issues) but should not be labelled as ‘safe’ when clearly, for some, they are not.
I tan very easily, even with SPF 50, so I always look tanned. I love the sun, but I love being alive more, so I always have the sunscreen.
LOVE THIS POST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never tanned. I burn in minutes so I’ve always had to avoid the sun. I’ve had years of extremely bad burns that already put me at a higher risk for skin cancer. I’ve actually already had a suspicious mole at age 25. It was terrifying. That’s why I hate tanning beds and even tanning just for the sake of getting some color. And I’m not about to use some chemical to change my skin color either. I’m pasty but I was born this way and it goes with my light hair and eyes. It’s just me.
I’m the same way. I have light eyes and fair skin, with multiple moles and freckles. I’ve even had 5 moles removed.
Have I ever tanned/fake tanned? No.
Do I get made fun of for being pale? All the time.
What. Ever.
I decided to get a tan this summer for the sake of it. It was an…experiment of sorts. I’m naturally *very* fair–to the point I look anemic–so I thought I’d try tanning to bring more life to my skin. I found the whole process was expensive, wasteful, and awkward.
After a couple months of tanning I looked a bit better, I suppose, but every time I’d lie down in a tanning bed I thought about the frightening skin cancer statistics. I made my very last appointment was in August. I’m going to keep it that way.
Count me in for the Love Your Skin movement! :)
I also used to be a HUGE event tanner – but this past summer I had decided to ditch the notion that I NEED a tan to look good for something! If I get a tan while I am outside doing stuff (but while wearing sunscreen obvy) then that’s all I need! I started noticing sun damage on my skin too and at the age of 25 it FREAKED ME RIGHT OUT!!!
wonderfully said Angela and I agree 100%! my dad has had various questionable moles/skin marks on his body that has had to be removed so i’ve seen first hand at what a scary and awful experience it can be. i always get after my friends who go tanning and i think i’ve stopped a few of them from visiting the local tanning salon.
i love my skin color and wouldn’t change a thing!
Great post! Seems like this indeed a very hot topic.
As a teenager, I didn’t visit tanning salons much until my senior year of high school and into college. A lot of my peers were into ‘fake baking’ – I recall my freshman year college roommate who constantly (even daily?) tanned, and was envious of her tawny skin.
After a scare with having some moles removed, I kicked the habit an have never been back in a tanning bed again. Thru really do resemble coffins, ya know?
However – I have recently gotten into airbrush tanning and bought a package so that I can get the service for special occasions.
It’s tough to chalk this up 100% to being vain… I do enjoy the special look of myself a few shades darker – but at the same time, I love my skin in it’s natural, super pale shade as well. I guess that for me, it’s like hot rolling my hair – I certainly don’t need to do that every day, or need to have it that wa to feel pretty – it’s just a different look and it’s fun!
I am with you on the importance of sunscreen and skin health awareness. I wear SPF 30 every day, protect my light colored eyes with shades and wear a protectant lip balm as well.
AMEN!!!!
I am also with you!! I was diagnose with melanoma at age 26. I was a very active tanning bed user since the age 15. The day I was told it was melanoma I vowed I would never use a tanning bed again. I kept thinking 26 is way to young to be diagnosed with such a deadly disease. Luckily mine was also caught early, so I am fine now. It took me awhile to fell comfortable in my pale skin, but I do definitely feel better now. I also think we all should feel great in our own skin, no matter how we look.
I agree with you, Angela. I am fair skinned, have never used a tanning bed, and get laughed at for slathering on SPF 30-50 daily. I’ve always felt very comfortable, literally, in my own skin!
The funny thing is, I lived in Thailand for six months last year and was envied by Thai women for my fair skin. Being pale is a sign of beauty to them. After living there for a while, I developed a tan (unavoidable even with SPF since the sun is so strong), which my American friends loved. It really made me realize how ridiculous our beauty standards can be :).
That is so true Amy! Beauty standards are rediculous! Angela, you are right. For the last few years I have not been able to spend much time in the sun, so I never got a real tan. And now I must admit that it is not that important to me anymore. I prefer being a bit lighter toned over burning myself trying to get a tan in one day. I did have people too, asking me if I was sick or something because I looked so pale/bad. I tried tanning beds to make my skin tone look ‘better’. While I was reading your post I thought: she is right but…I just need it for the light too! It helps me in those cold winter months. After reading through the comments, I changed my mind: I need to eat healthy, sleep enough and just be happy with who I am. That way my skin will glow on its own and if I am healthy it is easy for me to go outside during winters too, to get my much needed light-therapy. And I just realized that my parents’ tanning bed has a infra-red button: no poor UV radiation here, just infra red heat to feel good with.
LOOOOOOVE this post. I too have been an event tanner (I tanned for my senior prom and my wedding), but I decided after my honeymoon to give it up. Looking a bit *better* (if you want to use that term) is not even close to being worth my health. I love myself and my pale skin! :)
Great post, Ange!! skin color/complexion is always an issue…..being Indo-Canadian myself….south asians are on the other end of the spectrum….pale skin is preferred over tanned skin tone!! bahaha….i guess one is not satisfied with what they’ve been born with and the grass is greener on the other side!!
I’m with you! I depend on my sunscreen, since I’m one of those people who burns in like 10 minutes…
I’ve never felt pressure to tan honestly. I have pretty tanned skin to begin with.
I do tan during the summer when I go to the beach. But I wear sunscreen and I go in the morning. Plus, I hate being a lizard and just laying in the sun. I much prefer going into the ocean, walking on the beach, etc.
I have to admit that I love the feeling of being at the beach in the summer and feeling the sun on my face, and then seeing just a hint of color that night. I “know” it’s not good for my skin, but I haven’t worked very hard to break this habit, even if I only indulge a few times a year. Tanning beds don’t appeal to me at all though, I only like being in the natural sunlight. Good post in that you forced me to think about why I like this so much, and I do consider this a good opportunity for self improvement – to learn to love my skin as-is.
I’ve always been back and forth on the tanning thing, I have naturally a darker tone of skin and so never really felt I had to tan. I’d hold my summer tan through the winter really well too, so what was the point of tanning? But earlier this year I was at my gym (where they have tanning) and all of a sudden I had this urge to start tanning and get darker. After all, dark is sexy, right? Anyway, even though I’m a student I went and dropped like 80 bucks on a tanning package and some lotion. I still have some left, and I have no desire to use the rest of my minutes. I’ve always known tanning was bad, I just caved to the pressure. Thanks for the great post!
Totally, totally agree! I’m Irish and extremely pale (not red haired though ;) ) and have lots of ‘beauty marks’ (ahem, moles!) so I always have to be really careful about tanning.
I’ve had nasty comments (from strangers!!) about my super-pale skin while on holidays which only reinforced me wanting to not tan and stick it to those who think pale skin is horrible!
One thing that bothers me though is the use of fake tanners – I wonder if in ten years we’ll find out how toxic they are and discover that they cause issues with people’s skin/health. Both of my sisters use fake tan all year round and try as I might I wouldn’t be able to get them to stop. But I feel as though it’s a really worrying trend that people are wearing fake tan so often…something that changes your skin colour can’t be good for you, surely?
Also it’s worth noting of course that just as light-skinned people want to tan, often in some cultures there is an emphasis placed on lightening darker skin. There may be different cultural and other reasons behind this, and it would be really interesting to hear from someone who knows more about this side of things. I don’t want to draw direct comparisons of course as it is much more complicated than just ‘people want lighter skin’.
I think regardless of the colour of skin that we have, we are told that it often needs to change in some way.
Yep! Even if there are different reasons behind it, it’s sad on so many levels that it’s not ok to be ourselves – pale, tan, dark, whatever colour we naturally are!
That’s why it’s so important for people like you to speak out and make people think about this subject.
Here in Australia we are very aware of the effects of skin cancer both from the sun and from solariums. A young girl, Clare Oliver, died in 2007 from the effects of tanning in a solarium. Her legacy was to make everyone aware of the dangers of solariums, so today all Victorian solariums must be licensed and all solarium beds must carry health warnings, detailing the risks associated with the machines. New laws will also prohibit under-18’s and people with fair “type 1” skin from using sun beds.
Read more at http://www.clareoliver.org/default.htm and join the clare oliver challenge to “Ban The Tan”
PS. LOVE your blog. I find that I often feel exactly as you do on so many issues. Keep the blogs coming!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this post. I’m naturally very fair skinned and for most of my life have felt the pressure that something was “wrong” with this. I would have tanned my way through the teen years except my father is a dermatologist and a tanning bed is the WORST thing I could ever do. He sees younger and younger girls with cancer all the time and the aging effects are drastic! I cringe when I hear my students compliment each other on how tan they look after visiting the fake and bake. I wish they had the foresight to not do it!