autumnnight Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I wasn't sure where to put this. I have heard mixed reports. My kids and I are going on a cruise over spring break, and I wanted to not be so completely white before I am on a boat getting sun. I have heard that slowly building up is not dangerous from sources and that it is from others. I've also heard that the climate you live in makes a difference. I am trying to decide whether to visit a tanning salon before our trip. Link to post Share on other sites
amaysngrace Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Something about radioactive lightbulbs burning my skin til it glows just doesn't sit well with me. Just pack some Maui Babe. 2 Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 They are safe, when used in moderation...The purpose you are using it for is ideal and actually a very good idea...If you or one of your kids gets a wicked sunburn early in the trip, it will put a damper on the vacation.. Id say the only time its really a problem is the people that use it year round and are constantly being exposed.... Have fun...! TFY Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 ExW had one in her shop and probably still does. Made good money off of it. Any photosensitive medications on-board? Some meds make one more susceptible to damage from UV. Think of it the same way as you would for other aspects of cosmetology. Get referrals. Check out the salon. I noted my exW moving away from UV and more into chemical tans as she got older, but she wasn't an avid tan person, though, like yourself, she did consider that aspect when we'd go on cruises a couple times a year. Myself, I didn't see the big deal. She had northern Italian in her and had great skin coloring IMO. Me, with tons of Irish, I just burned. As far as dangerous, I think they're a lot safer than what I do every day, exposing myself to arc rays from the welding equipment and plasma cutter. Still alive though and have all my skin. Link to post Share on other sites
badpenny Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 The minute your skin changes colour you are in effect inflicting burn damage on your skin. you are deliberately causing your body to react to an application of something that will physically harm you, if you stay there. And I don't know if you realise what the numbers on the suntan lotion bottles mean.... Let's go for factor 15. OK. So, on a warm, sunny summer's day, expose your arm to the sun's rays. Check the time. Keep a careful note of how your arm is feeling. At one moment, you'll notice a mild tingle, a little bit of 'pin-pricking' on the arm. This means that your skin has now already safely absorbed all the sun's rays it can, and is now losing its resistance to the burn. More exposure of this kind, will lead to reddening and burning. How long was that? Well, at maybe 1pm in the afternoon, that could have been, let's say, 5 minutes. 5 minutes, multiplied by (factor)15 = 75 minutes, that is, one hour and a quarter. That is the MAXIMUM TIME you should spend out in the sun, when wearing that lotion. It will only protect your skin, for that amount of time. Re-applying the cream will have no further beneficial effect. It' done its job, and is not going to protect you more, however much more you put on. Naturally, the higher the Factor Number, the longer you can stay in the sun - but obviously, the tan will not be as pronounced. That was a public Information Post brought to you by your local friendly correspondent. Glad to help! Link to post Share on other sites
Author autumnnight Posted March 12, 2015 Author Share Posted March 12, 2015 They are safe, when used in moderation...The purpose you are using it for is ideal and actually a very good idea...If you or one of your kids gets a wicked sunburn early in the trip, it will put a damper on the vacation.. Id say the only time its really a problem is the people that use it year round and are constantly being exposed.... Have fun...! TFY That is what I have heard and read. I am from the south, so my skin is used to almost year round sun. If I lived way up north, like NY or PA or MI, I'd be more worried. Unless of course I was one of those weird George Hamilton types who tanned all year long. Link to post Share on other sites
Mrs. John Adams Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 I just left the tanning bed. We always tan before a caribbean vacation. The dr said better to have a base tan that to burn. I love tanning it feels so good and lifts my spirits. I have used a tanning bed for 17 years.. No cancers yet...so I must be ok. I am 1/8 Native American so I get really dark Link to post Share on other sites
CarrieT Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 From the Center for Disease Control (I have made bold the section having to do what the OP was talking about regarding a base tan): Using a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan is called indoor tanning. Indoor tanning can cause skin cancers including melanoma (the deadliest type of skin cancer), basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation also can cause cataracts and cancers of the eye (ocular melanoma). Dangers of Indoor Tanning Indoor tanning exposes users to two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB, which damage the skin and can lead to cancer. Indoor tanning is particularly dangerous for younger users; people who begin indoor tanning during adolescence or early adulthood have a higher risk of getting melanoma. This may be due to greater use of indoor tanning among those who begin tanning at earlier ages. Every time you tan you increase your risk of getting skin cancer, including melanoma. Indoor tanning also— Causes premature skin aging, like wrinkles and age spots. Changes your skin texture. Increases the risk of potentially blinding eye diseases, if eye protection is not used. Facts About Indoor Tanning Tanning indoors is not safer than tanning in the sun. Indoor tanning and tanning outside are both dangerous. Although indoor tanning devices operate on a timer, the exposure to UV rays can vary based on the age and type of light bulbs. Indoor tanning is designed to give you high levels of UV radiation in a short time. You can get a burn from tanning indoors, and even a tan indicates damage to your skin. A base tan is not a safe tan. A tan is the body’s response to injury from UV rays. A base tan does little to protect you from future damage to your skin caused by UV exposure. In fact, people who indoor tan are more likely to report getting sunburned. 9 Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 it really depends on how lilly white you are to start with. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Phoe Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Indeed, slowly building up a tan, a few minutes at a time, over a course of a few weeks before a vacation, can definitely help prevent against burns. Very intense sunburns are much worse for the skin than a few weeks of moderate exposure. As long as you're not making the tanning salon a regular habit, I think it is okay. When pale, I am prone to very bad burns no matter what SPF I am wearing. I can try to hide all I want but I will come home like a lobster and in some cases, blistered. However, I went to Hawaii a few years ago and did tan in a bed for the month before, starting out with just 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Very short exposures. The eventual tanning of my skin combined with use of SPF in Hawaii, left me coming home 2 weeks later with nothing more than a slightly peely nose. Link to post Share on other sites
alphamale Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Indeed, slowly building up a tan, a few minutes at a time, over a course of a few weeks before a vacation, can definitely help prevent against burns. Very intense sunburns are much worse for the skin than a few weeks of moderate exposure. As long as you're not making the tanning salon a regular habit, I think it is okay. When pale, I am prone to very bad burns no matter what SPF I am wearing. I can try to hide all I want but I will come home like a lobster and in some cases, blistered. However, I went to Hawaii a few years ago and did tan in a bed for the month before, starting out with just 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Very short exposures. The eventual tanning of my skin combined with use of SPF in Hawaii, left me coming home 2 weeks later with nothing more than a slightly peely nose. Thats too bad that you white folks have to go thru all that hassle. I'm brown and I don't even know what a sunburn feels like. i was down in sarasota for 10 days and sun bathed like 6 hours per day with out any sun lotion. I got a few shades darker but did not burn at all. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Phoe Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Thats too bad that you white folks have to go thru all that hassle. I'm brown and I don't even know what a sunburn feels like. i was down in sarasota for 10 days and sun bathed like 6 hours per day with out any sun lotion. I got a few shades darker but did not burn at all. It's a pain in the butt having to think 24/7 about whether or not you have SPF on, how many minutes you've been in the sun, is there an umbrella nearby? A tree? I need shade! And then despite all that fuss STILL come home blistered. My current shade of paleness? 10 minutes out here in the sun and I will be pink. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Els Posted March 12, 2015 Share Posted March 12, 2015 Any UV exposure without sunblock is potentially dangerous, and there is no medical evidence for it preventing sunburns. So yes, tanning beds are dangerous, but so is getting prolonged sun exposure without sunblock at the height of summer. Your best bet is to avoid the tanning beds and slather on high-SPF mineral sunblock every couple of hours during your vacation. 6 Link to post Share on other sites
regine_phalange Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 More than 20 minutes in the sun are unhealthy, unless it's afternoon. Sunblock, white clothes that cover most of your body, sunglasses and a hat, and you're set. Since it's going to be a cruise you'll be able to wear something with long sleeve due to the soft wind on the deck I'm mediterranean and still very sensitive to the sun, especially my eyes (dark brown). I get awful headache coming from my eyes after sun exposure, even when I'm tanned. Link to post Share on other sites
badpenny Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 "Damned if you do, and damned if you don't"... If you're a lady and thinking of having children, it's important to have a regular dose of Vitamin D (exposure to sunlight): Apparently there has been an increase in cases of Autism since Sunbathing became such a critical cancerous issue. Far-fetched? Not so much.... Link to post Share on other sites
ufo8mycat Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Indeed, slowly building up a tan, a few minutes at a time, over a course of a few weeks before a vacation, can definitely help prevent against burns. This just isn't true. Solariums are banned in my state Solariums banned across NSW - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) the younger you start using them, the higher your risk of melanoma. UV exposure is UV exposure regardless of the source. A "base"tan offering sun protection, unless you have naturally darker skin is a myth. See advice above from CDC. Australia has the highest rates of melanoma in the world. Our sun really is different and it kills many, many young sun lovers, usually with metastatic disease of unknown primary. I genuinely don't understand why people want to tag. Any sun exposure will damage and age your skin. In my mind suntan = crocodile handbag 5 Link to post Share on other sites
guest569 Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Wow, can't believe some of the responses here. all tanning is bad. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author autumnnight Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Let me clarify. I do not want to be dark. I do not want to be like that woman on the news a couple of year ago or those weird middle aged people with dark tans and white teeth in December. I just wanted to be able to enjoy the sun without a burka, go swimming, etc. and not fry like a lobster. I'm not going to go on a cruise and then cover myself from head to toe 24/7. Link to post Share on other sites
veggirl Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Get an airbrush spray tan. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
Author autumnnight Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Get an airbrush spray tan. I did do that once. It smelled funny to me lol. Also, apparently they forgot top tell me not to shower for 24 hours. Ever seen a zebra girl hahaha I think I'll just get uber SPF and take breaks where I go inside to read my trashy beach novel. Link to post Share on other sites
Auspecial Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 There is no way they can be healthy. The few times I have tried it, I have been extremely fatigued getting out and for several hours afterward. I am very healthy and not on any medications. Obviously I am sensitive to something about them, the UVA or UVB or the plastic. I think this can't be healthy for anyone, even if a person isn't aware of how its affecting their body right away. Link to post Share on other sites
thefooloftheyear Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Let me clarify. I do not want to be dark. I do not want to be like that woman on the news a couple of year ago or those weird middle aged people with dark tans and white teeth in December. I just wanted to be able to enjoy the sun without a burka, go swimming, etc. and not fry like a lobster. I'm not going to go on a cruise and then cover myself from head to toe 24/7. Too much hand wringing by some of the other posters, IMO... You will be fine, IMO...and I dont see how, if you use it the way you described...It will be detrimental...I am an Italian and tan easily, but I still would burn pretty bad if after a long winter, I plopped myself in San Juan or St Thomas, tomorrow without some prior exposure.. I mean, think about it... Is it detrimental to your health to constantly expose your unprotected skin to the harsh rays? sure...But its also detrimental to your health to be overweight....Its detrimental to your health to not exercise regularly, drink soda, smoke cigarettes or weed, abuse prescription drugs, drink coffee, eat donuts...blah blah.....Heck, a woman got breast cancer recently because she stored her mobile phone in her bra.... Live your life and be sensible...very few people suffer too much from doing anything in moderation.. TFY Link to post Share on other sites
Author autumnnight Posted March 13, 2015 Author Share Posted March 13, 2015 Too much hand wringing by some of the other posters, IMO... You will be fine, IMO...and I dont see how, if you use it the way you described...It will be detrimental...I am an Italian and tan easily, but I still would burn pretty bad if after a long winter, I plopped myself in San Juan or St Thomas, tomorrow without some prior exposure.. I mean, think about it... Is it detrimental to your health to constantly expose your unprotected skin to the harsh rays? sure...But its also detrimental to your health to be overweight....Its detrimental to your health to not exercise regularly, drink soda, smoke cigarettes or weed, abuse prescription drugs, drink coffee, eat donuts...blah blah.....Heck, a woman got breast cancer recently because she stored her mobile phone in her bra.... Live your life and be sensible...very few people suffer too much from doing anything in moderation.. TFY I have always joked that I am just waiting for the day they say that broccoli and chocolate cake cause cancer. I'm going to go twice a week for the next 2 weeks. My skin is pale, but it has an olive undertone. Funny thing - when I was in high school with terribly oily skin and breakouts, my dermatologist actually recommended moderate use of a tanning bed. Link to post Share on other sites
sweetjasmine Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Is it detrimental to your health to constantly expose your unprotected skin to the harsh rays? sure...But its also detrimental to your health to be overweight....Its detrimental to your health to not exercise regularly, drink soda, smoke cigarettes or weed, abuse prescription drugs, drink coffee, eat donuts...blah blah.....Heck, a woman got breast cancer recently because she stored her mobile phone in her bra.... Live your life and be sensible...very few people suffer too much from doing anything in moderation.. You're conflating a whole lot of things that shouldn't be compared. We have evidence that drinking alcohol in moderation provides health benefits. Coffee has also been tied to some health benefits, and even carrying a few extra pounds has shown to be beneficial in some studies. Weed is even less harmful than alcohol. And you can't talk about moderation and then mention abuse of prescription drugs. As for the cell phone thing, you can't give weight to a single anecdote when cell phone radiation hasn't been shown to cause cancer. On the other hand, UV exposure confers very little benefits (5 to 15 minutes in the sun a few times a week is enough for vitamin D production), and smoking has zero health benefits. You can't apply the "everything in moderation" argument to things that cause more harm than good. Moderation is easy to aim for with things like coffee and alcohol, but the threshold between "beneficial" and "harmful" for things like UV exposure is very low in comparison. The thing to keep in mind is that UV damage accumulates over a lifetime and is not reversible. UV causes adjacent thymines in DNA to stick together, and sometimes this damage isn't repaired properly by the cell. Sometimes, if the cell can't repair the damage, it'll simply die, and when enough cells do that, you end up with sunburn. If you're burnt, then you've caused enough damage to enough cells that the percentage of cells mutating and dying are high enough in number to cause you noticeable pain. Sometimes, the cell doesn't die, so when the two thymines stick together and don't get repaired, they create a bump that can cause errors in DNA replication, and that mutation gets passed down as the cell replicates. There's no way to get rid of it once the mutation has been passed on. It's a matter of statistics and luck as to whether any given instance of mutation is going to lead to a tumor. Bottom line/tl;dr -- UV light is a mutagen, and the "use in moderation" level is quite low. Tanning beds are directly harmful to your health every time you use them. And, no, "I use them and don't have cancer" isn't any better of an argument than "My grandpa smoked cigarettes from age 15 to 90 and he didn't get sick." 5 Link to post Share on other sites
carhill Posted March 13, 2015 Share Posted March 13, 2015 Here's what the CDC publishes on indoor tanning: CDC - Indoor Tanning - Skin Cancer I haven't been around verifiable indoor tanners enough to observe anything meaningful, but did spend enough time in the desert either racing or recreating, to note how 'desert rats' (locals) have an appearance all their own, largely shaped by constant sun exposure due to their climate. The ones my age generally appear tanned, leathery and wrinkled. In the OP's case, she's deciding whether to tan a little for a cruise, not anything long-term. Can it increase her chances of skin cancer? The CDC says yes, it can. Hence it's a risk versus reward scenario. 1 Link to post Share on other sites
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