With the onset of Summer, tanning is about to be more and more popular. The idea of beautiful sun kissed skin can tempt the best of us to go to a tanning salon or go layout at the beach. But it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Tanning has many, many harmful lasting effects on your skin, and it becomes addictive. UV light is believed to produce a relaxing “feel good” effect on tanners that keeps them coming back. It seems crazy, but I can believe it. I have seen many girls, well guys too, walking around looking like they just stepped out of the oven on Thanksgiving Day. I guess it becomes so addictive you no longer notice just how dark you are, or maybe the darker the better?
The sun itself is not bad, it’s prolonged exposure (overexposure) to the sun where you start getting into trouble. There are these invisible rays also called ultraviolet-A (UVA) and ultraviolet-B (UVB) that cause the majority of the problems. No UV light is good for you, it’s all bad for you. Most tanning salons use UVA bulbs, this is even worse than being in the sun. These invisible rays cause premature aging, wrinkles, skin cancer, and is addicting.
There are some ways you can practice to protect yourself from the sun. By simply putting on sunscreen, a wide brimmed hat, and grabbing your shades before leaving the house, you are giving yourself more protection. When choosing sunscreen, make sure you get a SPF sunscreen that is atleast a 15, the higher the number the more protection you will receive from the sun. You can also try avoiding being out in the sun between 10am-4pm. If you do find yourself with a sunburn you can try:
- Soaking cotton balls in white vinegar and rubbing the balls on the burned skin
- A cool vinegar bath, (add 1 cup of vinegar) soak for about half an hour
- Apply aloe gel over the burned area
- A baking soda bath (add 1/2 cup of baking soda)
- Rub fresh cucumber slices on burn
Always avoid petroleum jelly, it holds in the heat.
There is a multitude of alternatives to sun bathing and the typical UV salon tanning, try sunless tanning, better for you and looks just as good. With all the negatives, what keeps everyone going? Is beauty really so important, that we put aside our health to just be beautiful?
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