The Pros and cons of tanning beds?

hannable80

Thinking of going on a taning bed ?i have fair hair and fair skin how long will it take before i get a tan ....are they all that good, any healt reasons i should and shouldnt go for?

Lisapeep

I wouldn't know all the ins and outs of tanning beds but I would be completely against them! I would prefer to be white and healthy than be bronzed and have skin cancer! I just don't think it's worth it when you can get the same effect from a bottle, without the nasty repercussions!

vibrant

Depends which type of sunbed you were on, which product you were using on the sunbed, and how long you were exposed during each session.

Personally, I don't mind the sunbeds once in a while - but I wouldn't go overboard; I think I've been on 2 sunbeds in the last six months. Did it give me a deep tan? No! It gave my skin a nice little glow, which was all I was looking for.

Much prefer sunbeds to bottles of false tan - while I understand and acknowledge that PROLONGED exposure to sunbeds can lead to cancer, hopping on every once in a while whilst taking proper precautions won't hurt.

Lisapeep

You can't say for definite that it wont hurt! I'd prefer to spend the money in a beauty salon getting fake tan done properly!

Danni

I dont think there are any GOOD health reasons for going on the sunbeds to be honest. Although i heard before that it cleared up excema on a girls leg but i'd prefer to use creams to get rid of excema rather than risk getting cancer.

On the other side i don't think that occasional use will do much damage (but who am i to say that).

If you've fair skin & hair, i'd recommend only going for 3/4 minute sessions at a time & no more than 3 session a week until you get you're desired color. My cousin is very fair skinned & she went on the beds for 6 weeks (twice a week) before her hols. It didnt give her a tan but it gave her a nice base & she felt she got a good colour on hols instead of getting burnt.

WetDaddy

Speaking as a guy who actually HAS had skin cancer (not from UV exposure though), I'd stay well clear of them if I were you. It's definitely not worth it.

I'm quite fair skinned and I burn easily enough in the sun. But I wouldn't go near them anyway for two reasons: (1) I'm a guy (2) Just think about what you're actually doing...

I'm not trying to get all high-and-mighty, but I think they're an abomination. Apart from the fact that you're subjecting your (more than likely) Celtic complexion to intense UV radiation, think about WHY you're doing it... Can people not find another way of beautifying themselves?

I dunno, I'm starting to blabber now... Admittedly, people look good when they have tans, but the whole thing just disgusts me. Not only grilling your skin, but doing it intentionally and artificially, risking damaging your body and all just so a few people will think you look good.

Sorry, but I've gone and gotten riled up about this. Don't even get me started on the whole video store/tanning salon hybrid establishment... Anyway, my suggestion is by some new clothes instead!

How often have you heard somebody say "Oh, he/she looks a bit pale. They really should have a tan"...?

Nala

I completely agree with Deathfunk. Besides the risk of getting skin cancer, sunbeds give premature wrinkles.

I dunno...I like my snow-white skin.

climaxer

I think you should stay away from sunbeds because not only are they dangerous and can cause wrinkles and skin cancer but they are addictive. I have been using them since I was 15 and still use them now and then (i'm 28!). Wish I could take my own advice but I just love having an all over tan! Luckily I havn't any wrinkles or moles and I'm naturally fairly sallow and have black hair so get a tan after only a few sessions and never burn. Go with what the others say and get a fake tan done professionally. My aunt got a fake tan done professionally a few weeks ago for a wedding. Basically they apply the tan in the salon all over including your face and you let it on overnight and then shower the next day. The colour comes up according to your skin tone. So if you are fair you wouldn't get as dark a colour as a dark haired person. My cousin's girlfriend is really fair and got the same done and she had a lovely healthy glow. One other thing my friend went on the sunbed years ago - she is fair with fair hair and she only burned and couldn't get a tan.

Sleipnir

There are no real pro's to using sunbeds, there are only cons. Cancer not enough of a con for ya?

"Question: Is it a good idea to lie down and slowly destroy my skin cells with high concentrations of UV radiation in order to be "a bit browner"?
Answer: No.

Worst invention, ever.

bug

Hrm,
I use sun beds during the summer I do eight mins a week generally.
Then I stop doing them during the winter.
If you are very fair and freckly it can prevent you from getting burnt on holiday before you go away by getting your skin used to UV rays. 2-3 mins twice/three times a week for two/three weeks before you go away. BE VERY CAREFUL. If you have any moles I find the best thing to do is cover them with white round stickers and keep an eye on them. Cover your face if possible.
I started using them before I went to turkey two years ago and it stopped me from getting burnt. I use them now because I don’t have to wear makeup during the summer and I find false tan sloppy and it also stains your clothes.
Keep an eye on your freckles/moles and note any change of colour of change of shape at all.
Read up from any of the major tanning shops websites, there are a lot of do's and don'ts regarding sun bed use. If you are on certain medication like antibiotics you are not supposed to use a sun bed. Remember the UV light from sun bed bulbs are intense and direct, not like outside where ray's can be less intense because of dispersion.

Anyhow read up, access the risks yourself, and then make a decision

dathi1

I think you're better off hitting the back garden for a few mins. :eek:

Lisapeep

You should wear suncream even when hitting the back garden on a sunny day - it's not worth the risk!

Nala

Sleipnir wrote:

There are no real pro's to using sunbeds, there are only cons. Cancer not enough of a con for ya?

"Question: Is it a good idea to lie down and slowly destroy my skin cells with high concentrations of UV radiation in order to be "a bit browner"?
Answer: No.

Worst invention, ever.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

ArphaRima

I have been thinking about using one for a while myself. In pretty much the same situation as hannable80 skin-wise. I am about to go to the far east for a few years, and i am seriously concerned about burning initially. I feel that (and chances are I wont do it) I could prepare my skin for the intense sun over there by 3 or four short sessions in a bed here.

I need more research though. This "getting a base" thing is what i want to be sure is actually true.
The cancer risks I feel are negligible at worst for what I plan. I see no problem there. Besides the lung cancer will kill me first.

bug

For those of you with pale skin.
I heard a dermatologist recommend that ROC is the best sunscreen to use.
Other than that you really cant go wrong with P20 its fantastic.

tooting-away

Iv been using sunbeds for about 4 years now, i go on for 12 min's 5 times a week.
the pro's are; a fabulous tan, a REAL tan that wont wash off or go patchy after a few showers, a bit of time to relax, you get vitamin D, it helps prevent burning on a hot day after you have built up a good tan, YOU decide how dark you want to be unlike fake tans.
the cons are; possibility of skin cancer, it can cost a lot of money if you go on for a long time often (it should cost me £6 or around $11 each visit which would be £30 or $55ish a week, but i pay £90 or $170 a month instead of £120 or £230 a month as i use the 80 mins for £30 offer. a lot of salons offer this) and premature ageing.

so there is a lot for pro and only 3 for cons, i personally love them, and use accelarators when on them and on sunny days, which are rare in the UK, to help get a deeper darker tan.

BUT when i go on a special occasion i do use a little false tan, i reccomend fake bake Xtreme gel, but only use it if you are used to using false tanners otherwise go for the fake bake lotion.

eVeNtInE

This post has been deleted.

Alice1

Oh please don't use a sunbed. Premature aging is a possibility but skin cancer is a probability. If you must be brown go to a reputable beauty salon and have a fake tan applied. If you exfoliate beforehand (specially knees and elbows) you will have a lovely natural looking tan without the danger.

what2do

A friend of mine spent 5 mins on a sun bed recently and ended up burnt to the degree that her skin peeled - how can that be good for you???

Glowing

tooting-away wrote: »

so there is a lot for pro and only 3 for cons, i personally love them, and use accelarators when on them and on sunny days, which are rare in the UK, to help get a deeper darker tan.

Oh my god, are you deluded? Cons: Cancer and Premature Ageing.

Go talk to someone who has sat through Chemo, lost their hair, had to sit though painful skin grafts and ask them what they would have done to avoid the pain and discomfort they had to go through, not to mention the risk of DEATH.

The premature aging is not a risk, its inevitable. What are you going to do with the crows feet, saggy cheeks, sunspots, blotchy skin. You'll have skin like leather before you're 30.

Oh yeah, that is definitely worth a tan.
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

pfk-0p

pros:you'll have a tan for a while

cons:high risk of skin cancer
skin damage
ages prematurely

Larianne

This was a big story last year when I lived in Melbourne. The craze of tanning salons over in Australia is huge and partly the reason for skin cancer being the highest form of cancer affecting people over there.

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22410791-2,00.html