Holy hell! Tanning beds as harmful as arsenic

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  Posted by Katie B Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:03am PDT

  I wonder how much is too much though... one time? ten times? once a week for a numerous number of weeks?

  I wonder this because I have used tanning beds only a handful of times when trying to get a base tan for my honeymoon... because after all no one wants to burn in Jamaica on their honeymoon... but I also don't want to have to worry because I used a tanning bed all of maybe 10 or 15 times total.

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  Posted by Katie B Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:04am PDT

  Personally though I prefer the actual sun tanning my skin (which I haven't even done that in few years or so)

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  Posted by Mrs. P Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:09am PDT

  Is this news? Did people really not know tanning beds were dangerous??

  I have never used one, but I have been tempted to. Ultimately I decided my future health was much more important than having a "glow" for a few weeks.

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  Posted by Theresa Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:10am PDT

  I agree. Nobody ever gives the information about how much is too much. It's like putting a warning label on something without even explaining the full cautionary.... blah I'm babbling again.

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  Posted by Mysterious Gryphon Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:10am PDT

  THANK GOD people talk about this. Tanning is a disgusting way to disrespect your body and everyone who loves you.

  There is NEVER a reason to use a tanning booth. EVER. Not even to build up a "base tan" - Katie B., what were you thinking? Just wear sunscreen on vacation!!!!

  We as a culture really need to eliminate the trend toward tanned skin. It is harmful to our bodies in so many ways, and even more harmful to our minds. Black women want to be lighter, white women want to be darker ... JUST BE HAPPY HOW GOD MADE YOU.

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  Posted by Sharon B Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:14am PDT

  Its true, I went into a tanning bed and a few days later a spot was on my chin, It wouldn't go away. Finally, I went to the doctors office and he told me it was skin cancer..not the dangerous kind which is melanoma but basal cell carcinoma..

  But still it was a type of cancer so I had it treated and vowed to NEVER go back to a tanning salon!

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  Posted by luminousbrowneyes Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:18am PDT

  I took a public speaking class last summer at my college and there was a girl who worked at one of our local tanning salons and for our persuasive speech assignment she gave hers about how good tanning beds are for the body because of the vitamin D you get. There was a nurse in the class who let her have it during the Q&A portion. It made my day.

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  Posted by Katie B Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:22am PDT

  Lord, thanks for the judgement post Mysterious.... Sunscreen does not totally protect you from the sun (even at SPF 100).... especially when what you want to do involves this thing called water and you are in it all day, so unless I want to be dressed up as a nun on my honeymoon in the middle of the summer... :/ Honestly, I would rather have a base tan than sun poisining because I forgot to put on sunscreen because I was too busy learning how to snorkle or catamaraning or the myraid of other things that you do while on vacation.... But thanks "mom" for your "concern" on what I do or have done to my own body...

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  Posted by pretty much amazing Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:30am PDT

  Now Gryphon, lets not get crazy. "Disrespect everyone who loves you?" Every use Splenda? It contains Arsenic which is on that list. (I've mentioned this before on here.) Wow. That's like direspecting your family!

  I think, for the most part, people know tanning beds are bad for them. What I want to know is WHERE this is a big issue. I've read how skin cancer isn't so common where I live (the hot south.) The people at high risk are those in the northern states with light complexions. Why? They apply so much sunscreen that they have no way of judging the amount of exposure they've gotten. Therefore, they get too much. Surely there's an amount of tanning that is too much just like anything else. What's the big difference between bed tanning and tanning in the sun? I always get dark in the summer simply because you go outside = you get tan. I like to be outside. If there's more info, please do share. Thanks!!

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  Posted by pretty much amazing Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:31am PDT

  Katie B rocks, too.

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