Now that the weather has been getting nice and we are
getting closer it is important to protect yourself from the sun. Sunscreen is
something that you can find at any store yet some people refuse to wear it, me
actually being one in the past. I always wanted to be tan because I was used to
being the pale. Now-a-days everyone wants to be tan when in reality it’s a health
risk that these people are taking. There are many things that can be done to
protect yourself from the sun.
Even though there are benefits to being outside in the sun, like
vitamin D, you have to be careful. It is important to use sunscreen and no spend
all day in direct sunlight, especially between the hours of 10 am and 2 pm.
This is the worst time because it is when the sunlight is the strongest. I used
to believe that a sun burn was nothing because I would tan over the next day
but as it turns out, these burns can lead to cancer! Other things that should
be done when in the sun is reapplying sunscreen when necessary and knowing that
the sun can get to you through water and wearing protective clothing is always
a good idea. And now the UV light can get even worse, now with tanning booths there
is more risks. People are now going tanning on a weekly basis because it is
socially acceptable and make them “look better”. There are so many things wrong
with this idea but when the ones going are in their late teens and early 20s,
they just don’t care at this point in time.
In other cultures being tan is not a good thing. Woman in
Asia would lighten their skin because being fair skinned was the most
beautiful. Soon as it was thought to be beautiful, fair skill turned into a
social thing. The woman with the fairest (pale) skin was now the wealthy class.
Walking around with an umbrella is normal in this culture, but the opposite for
us.
Word needs to get out more about the effects of tanning and
people need to be aware of the outcomes and how their life can be greatly
affected, not now, but later in life.
"I used to believe that a sun burn was nothing because I would tan over the next day but as it turns out, these burns can lead to cancer!" - I know this is generally common knowledge, but perhaps a link to something that would provide some more detailed info as to what/why/how cancer is caused by the sun. I have been tanning for several years & when I first started I did it way too much, no being a little older I know not to tan too frequently. I have unlimited tanning at my gym & I COULD go everyday but my skin would look like leather & it's just excessive. There are people however who tan LITERALLY EVERYDAY! A lot of whom I have noticed are younger kids usually high school age. I tan twice a week probably on average during the fall/winter/spring for my own personal reasons and no longer take it to excess as I see so many people doing.
ReplyDeleteI think you have a potentially GREAT topic here, but you could make this a lot stronger if you provided more info or just some links to: The Cancer Issue, maybe some tanning statistics, and you end with "Word needs to get out..." How? Whose going to spread the word? Some more info/ideas on that or perhaps a link to a site where people can learn the dangers of tanning, that might help educate parents & give them the tools they need to speak to their teens about tanning dangers.... Great topic, but I think you could have done a lot more with it, perhaps a FOLLOW UP Blog with some more info?
I think you bring up a great point about tanning when you said, "People are now going tanning on a weekly basis because it is socially acceptable and make them “look better”.". In society today I think that it is preferred to be tan and that being pale is looked down upon. It is a horrible concept that is believed by too many people. I personally think people should believe and society should project the idea that no matter what your skin color, you are beautiful. This is a concept that society has struggled to accomplish for years, centuries even! From the Native Americans who had "red" skin to African Americans with "black" skin and now Americans who are too "white". I believe the stereotype that tan is the most beautiful needs to be broken! It starts with us, the people of society, to stop thinking this way, and if you're pale like me - be pale & proud!
ReplyDeleteThere's a linkage between what is considered "socially acceptable beauty" and "status." Here's how it relates to tanning.
ReplyDelete150 years ago, the paler your skin, the more beautiful you were judged. Consider the "Little House on the Prairie" books, where Laura and her sister were constantly chided to wear their sunbonnets. Why? Because low-status women had to work outdoors, and thus got tanned. A pale complexion meant you were a member of the leisured class and were able to spend time inside socializing.
50 years ago, the more tanned your skin, the more beautiful you were. Why? Because low-status women had to work indoors, and thus stayed pale. A tanned complexion meant that you were a member of the leisured class and were able to spend time outside playing tennis or golf.
This is different from hem lengths, or whether long straight hair (the 1960s) or fluffed curly hair (the 1980s) is in vogue.
I am not going to lie but I am one who in high school went tanning all the time, and still continued to do so as I entered college. Not until my grandmother caught basil cell carcinoma ( a form of skin cancer) did I stop going. I then saw some articles in magazines one of which stuck with me. In this I read that each time one enters a tanning bed their chances of skin cancer, particularly melanoma increases 76%. This was shocking.
ReplyDeleteI believe that tanning is the modern day smoking. Back in the day everyone smoked and thought nothing of it. Now with years of research and sadly deaths we know that smoking is horrible for you. We are learning more and more each day how the horrible the effects of tanning really are.