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Thread: If You Tan Please Read

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    Default If You Tan Please Read

    I know that there is a tanning thread right now but I wanted to make sure this was read.

    I am thirty three years old and have tanned aggressively for the past six plus years. I live in South FL so I tanned outside as well as inside. I used tanning beds about 3 times a week for four years.

    I went to the opthamologist because my left eye was chronically bloodshot and had the sensation that something was in it. I also noticed that I was developing a white spot on my iris. I was diagnosed with a pterygium. A pterygium is a UV burn that causes scar tissue to grow. Surgery to remove the lesion with a tissue graft to halt regrowth was recommended.

    I had the surgery Thursday. I have a nasty black eye where the medication to block movement of the eye was administered. I also have eight stitches in my eye which is really uncomfortable.

    I was an ass and did not always wear eye protection. While working last Saturday night and talking with other girls about this I was surprised to find how many people do not wear eye protection while tanning. Ladies, please protect your eyes, not only in coffins (tanning beds), but outside as well. There is a forty percent chance that I will have to have this surgery again because of the high recurrence rate of pterygiums.

    In addition to the damage to my eyes I had three moles removed last week. I am awaiting the pathology report. My primary care doc gave me a script to see a specialist because of something she found more troubling on my nose. I see the dermatologist on Tuesday and will keep you all posted.

    I have two large dark spots on my cheeks and two smaller ones on my forehead. I am treating those with 4% hydroquinone and they seem to be lightening. If you want parmaceautical grade hydroquinone for $20.00 vs. $100.00 plus, got to Canderm. I have deeper wrinkles on my forehead and around my eyes than others my age. My mid face is pretty damn saggy in comparison with others my age as well.

    I started doing research into skin cancer when all of this started happening. Many studies illustrate, that if you tan indoors ten times a year, you are seven times as likely to develope melanoma. Google melanoma or skin cancer and read the findings.

    I am an olive skinned (sans tan I look yellow) person. I have Mexican and Sioux Indian (along with Welsh and Dutch) in me and tan very easily. I do have green eyes. I am only telling you all this because those issues play a role in skin cancer.

    It was not always desirable to be tan. Back in the day having a tan meant you were a poor farm worker. Coco Chanel went to the French Riviera and came back sporting a tan. Thanks Coco.

    I am not one to scare easily but I am scared as hell right now. I look at my beautiful eight year old daughter every day and hope that my vanity has not lessened my time with her.

    There is no such thing as a healthy tan. You can get the vitamin D that you need from five minutes of sun exposure to your face alone or from vitamin supplements.

    If you absolutely feel the need to tan, do not stay in for the full time allowed and wear your googles even if they make you look like a Racoon.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    thanks for sharing. I myself always wear eye protection and was shocked when I learned my cousin NEVER wears eye protection in the booth!


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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Thanks for sharing this. I used to not wear goggles when I first started tanning - I know - shame on me. I have bad vision to begin with and I honestly believe that tanning without goggles and opening my eyes made my vision worse. I've been very good in the last three years though about wearing goggles.

    Keep us posted. Let us know what your derm says. Best of Luck to you....

    I so wish there was a half decent way to satisfy my tanning cravings without destroying my body
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    God/dess SundayMorning's Avatar
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Thank you for sharing your experiences....I very much appreciate the information. Please keep us posted and I hope the best for you!


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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    I always covered my eyes with googles and my face with SPF 30 and a towel while tanning... I figure when I'm 65 I'll happily wear a turtleneck in the summer to cover up my hyperpigmentation and leather like skin- but you can't pull that up over your face so I'll just self tan that.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M View Post
    I always covered my eyes with googles and my face with SPF 30 and a towel while tanning
    I do the same thing. But now instead of a towel I've got:



    It swivels down like a welding mask!


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    stellaforstars
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Thank you for the information. It's truly appreciated.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Neither towels or sunblock work in blocking "sun" in tanning beds. When I still tanned I tried both in order to avoid darkening the existing spots on my face. Neither kept the spots from darkening.

    I bought a Tanfacia which blocks 98% of rays from Hollywood Tans. That was the only thing that I ever found that effectively blocked my face from "sun".

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    I've never heard of this tanfacia! I wish more salons carried them because towels don't do much to block the uv light...what's it (towel) equivelent to? like spf 15 maybe?

    look at the tanfacia!


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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    The pterygium and the hyperpigmentation that I already have are the least of my concerns. I worry far more about the moles and the actinic keratosis that cover my back. Actinic keratosis is the most common precancerous lesion. No amount of clothing covers up cancer.

    The Tanfacia does work well. It is like a shower bonnet you wear over your face. Maybe I'll sell mine on ebay.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    This kind of stuff scares me yet I still tan. I love being tan, it makes me feel pretty! It just sucks that everything that makes you feel so good is usually the things that hurt you the most But thanks for posting this! Now I have another thing to worry about while I'm sitting in the booth roasting

  13. #12
    cameron_keys
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    I use a towel, it doesnt provide a lot, but I double it over at least. ANd I dont get color on my face so it must be blocking something. That tanfacia looks like it would work much better..though it kind of creeps me out...looks like something the villan woudl suffocate you with in a horror movie.

    Thanks for the info though.

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    Member xcuzmylife's Avatar
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Towels block roughly 10% of UV rays. I tried using three towels to no avail. Because of the over-production of melanin on my cheeks and forehead those areas still darkened while the rest of my face "appeared" untanned.

    You get a natural tan from the sun primarily by UVB rays which work on the surface of the epidermis.

    UVA (tanning bed rays) work more deeply in your epidermis. That is why you become darker more quickly from the tanning bed. You are still getting sun on your face using a towel or sunblock, it is just at a deeper, more damaging level so you don't see it.

    Contrary to what the tanning industry tells you, UVA rays cause burns also, it is just at a much deeper level.

    If you absolutely feel you must tan, your safest bet is in the sun, with full spectrum sunblock. Not all sunblocks cover UVA and UVB rays.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Quote Originally Posted by LoveSexMoney View Post
    I've never heard of this tanfacia! I wish more salons carried them because towels don't do much to block the uv light...what's it (towel) equivelent to? like spf 15 maybe?

    look at the tanfacia!
    That's hilarious! I have one of these, but I bought it for my HAIR, so my color won't fade... I NEVER thought of using it like this.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Okay.

    Yes, thank you for the warning. I must say that eye protection is a must; never ever ever leave it off.

    I am 34. I have tanned in a tanning bed since age 20. Almost every week, at least twice, from age 20 to age 30.

    I have Irish, English, and Cherokee blood. Slightly olive skin that does not burn easily but is not darkest either. Green eyes.

    I have several moles all over because it is hereditary. Have had them checked out; no malignancy as of now. As I age, I seem to get more, no matter whether I am in the sun or not. Again, mostly because of heredity - my mother and grandmother, out in the sun picking tobacco much of their lives, had a LOT. Of course sun accelerates the problem. I am only tanning about twice a month now, and sometimes not even that. They are still there, not really increasing, but not going away. My cousins have the same thing.

    My skin is not leathery or pigmented on my body. On my face,if I have any spots it is because of acne scars (I remember where they were, and they are really not dark at all). I have managed to lighten these (ongoing) with AHAs, BHAs, and retinoids.

    Having worked at a tanning salon for at least five years, I cannot agree with the above assesment that the safest tan is the SUN!!??!! The FULL spectrum of rays that you are exposed to, as well as fluctuations in such,and varying amounts of radiation (small); is hard to measure and prepare for on an ongoing basis. The rays you are exposed to in a tanning bed are limited to two; and a certain, pre-arrranged amount of those. You can also control that by limiting your time (minuites in bed). How on earth could outdoor suntanning be safer than that?

    Everyone has a different health, as Lewis Black says. What is horrible for one person, can be indifferent or even helpful for the next. Of course certain things as a general rule are not healthful for the majority of people, but each person has to be observant and figure out what works best for them. This also assumes that one is smart enough to know to do this, and to do one's research about a subject; learning about it enough to know what is relevant and what is not.

    Everything in moderation is the best 'rule' ever put into the venacular.

    Again, each to her own, but that is exactly what I mean.

    From one of my fave books of all time:
    "..a woman ... introduced me to her daughter and asked me to tell her that she should quit smoking. I tuned in and told the daughter that if she quit smoking at that point in her life that she would likely die. The daughter had just gone through a divorce, lost a child and endured several other traumatic events. I could see that the one and only stress release that she had was inhaling and exhaling on her cigarettes. It was a form of meditation for her. I told her that she had better continue to do that deep breathing if she wanted to survive. All judgments that the ego makes about other people's habits and behavior are in error." - from the book No Time For Karma by Paxton Robey with Lone Jensen.

    (...walks off to take that advice....maybe I shouldn't even have posted. Hmm.)
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  17. #16
    TheSexKitten
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    So, you got lucky. You have great genes, congratulations. And I disagree from what I have read in science journals and news magazines, the sun (coupled with sunblock) is much more safe than a bed.

    Both my grandpas had skin cancer, and I've been fighting the urge to tan for a long time. Now its from a bottle or nothing for me! I've been trying to get in the habit of wearing sunglasses and sunblock when I go out, as well. Thanks for sharing your story. It's really scary, and surprisingly easy to get cancer.

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    God/dess velvet's Avatar
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Quote Originally Posted by lildreamer316 View Post
    Okay.

    Yes, thank you for the warning. I must say that eye protection is a must; never ever ever leave it off.

    I am 34. I have tanned in a tanning bed since age 20. Almost every week, at least twice, from age 20 to age 30.

    I have Irish, English, and Cherokee blood. Slightly olive skin that does not burn easily but is not darkest either. Green eyes.

    I have several moles all over because it is hereditary. Have had them checked out; no malignancy as of now. As I age, I seem to get more, no matter whether I am in the sun or not. Again, mostly because of heredity - my mother and grandmother, out in the sun picking tobacco much of their lives, had a LOT. Of course sun accelerates the problem. I am only tanning about twice a month now, and sometimes not even that. They are still there, not really increasing, but not going away. My cousins have the same thing.

    My skin is not leathery or pigmented on my body. On my face,if I have any spots it is because of acne scars (I remember where they were, and they are really not dark at all). I have managed to lighten these (ongoing) with AHAs, BHAs, and retinoids.

    Having worked at a tanning salon for at least five years, I cannot agree with the above assesment that the safest tan is the SUN!!??!! The FULL spectrum of rays that you are exposed to, as well as fluctuations in such,and varying amounts of radiation (small); is hard to measure and prepare for on an ongoing basis. The rays you are exposed to in a tanning bed are limited to two; and a certain, pre-arrranged amount of those. You can also control that by limiting your time (minuites in bed). How on earth could outdoor suntanning be safer than that?

    Everyone has a different health, as Lewis Black says. What is horrible for one person, can be indifferent or even helpful for the next. Of course certain things as a general rule are not healthful for the majority of people, but each person has to be observant and figure out what works best for them. This also assumes that one is smart enough to know to do this, and to do one's research about a subject; learning about it enough to know what is relevant and what is not.

    Everything in moderation is the best 'rule' ever put into the venacular.

    Again, each to her own, but that is exactly what I mean.

    From one of my fave books of all time:
    "..a woman ... introduced me to her daughter and asked me to tell her that she should quit smoking. I tuned in and told the daughter that if she quit smoking at that point in her life that she would likely die. The daughter had just gone through a divorce, lost a child and endured several other traumatic events. I could see that the one and only stress release that she had was inhaling and exhaling on her cigarettes. It was a form of meditation for her. I told her that she had better continue to do that deep breathing if she wanted to survive. All judgments that the ego makes about other people's habits and behavior are in error." - from the book No Time For Karma by Paxton Robey with Lone Jensen.

    (...walks off to take that advice....maybe I shouldn't even have posted. Hmm.)


    you are probably to young to see all the damage. trust me it WILL show up. i live in florida(home of the older leathery skin) and i see it every day. there is no way in hell you havent damaged your skin. wait till you hit your 4o/50s. those moles may turn into cancer as well, most times they show up years and years after tanning.

    end off topic
    As quoted by Luckyone:
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Quote Originally Posted by xcuzmylife View Post
    Neither towels or sunblock work in blocking "sun" in tanning beds. When I still tanned I tried both in order to avoid darkening the existing spots on my face. Neither kept the spots from darkening.

    Worked for me. I had my skin checked under a fancy shcmancy machine that detects melanin "clusters" that eventually become sun spots- nothing on my face, but my chest will be fucked up.

    I know my genes have a lot to do with it, too. I'm half Vietnamese so I always joke that my rice pickin' genes make for easy, looooong lasting tans. Ultimately, I quit tanning for good after my wedding last September. I figured that much like smoking, it would be unfair to myself and my husband to continue a habit that had a high possibility of eventually killing me. I love him dearly and want to spend as much time as I can with him! Now if I could just quit butter...

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    The following is taken from the Skin Cancer Foundations 2007 facts:

    More than 90% of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure.
    More than 20 people die each day from melanoma.
    Melanoma is the third most common cancer in women ages 20-39.
    Exposure to tanning beds before age 35 increases melanoma risk by 75%.
    People who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develope squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develope basal cell carcinoma.
    Occassional use of tanning beds almost triples your chance of developing melanoma.
    New high pressure beds emit doses of UVR that can be as much as 15 times as that of the sun.

    Hmm, if the sun causes skin cancer (surely we all agree on that) and tanning beds are more powerful than the sun; what conclusion is a person to draw?

    Most moles develope during childhood. Any mole that developes after the age of twenty is the result of previous skin damage and is cause for concern. I am 33 and have spent most of my life in the sun. Two of the moles I had since childhood were just removed because they had abnormal color and borders and had grown exponentially. I have at least twenty new moles that are pearly colored. One of those was itching and was removed. I also have a ton of actinic keratosis and new freckles. None of those issues are related to my foolishness for not always wearing eye protection. They are directly related to tanning.

    I am Welsh, Dutch, Swedish, Mexican and Sioux. I have green eyes and olive skin. I did not start using tanning beds until I was 27 and I have extensive damage. I do not have leathery skin. Quite the contrary. My issues are the moles, pterygium, actinic keratosis and hyperpigmentaion on my face which is fading due to hydroquinone use.

    Isn't Lewis Black a comedian? I don't understand how he is relevant to this topic. Does he have some scientific data pertaining to tanning published somewhere that I missed? Excessive tanning is bad for everone. Use of tanning beds is documented in medical journals and on cancer websites to be worse than outdoor tanning.

    In this day and age I don't know who tanning is actually good for. The vitamin D one needs can be gotten via supplements and seasonal affective disorder can be treated by sun lamps. Tanning was great for camouflaging the dimples under my ass though!

    I love tan skin as much as the next person, trust me. I am a native Floridiot. My father who dove for tropical fish and gave airboat tours for a living (bring on the deliverance jokes) has had several lesions removed. Some lesions were invasive. That still did not deter me from tanning.

    The Federal Trade Commission regulates false and misleading adverstising. The FTC states that while UVA rays which tanning beds emit 95% of, are less likely to cause burning than UVB rays, UVA rays are more likely to cause malignant melanoma and immune system damage.

    Unfortunately due to personal experience I am now educated enough to know that people who earn commission at tanning salons are full of crap. I was fed all the tanning is good for you propoganda and fell for it, mainly bcause I wanted to. That was my own foolishness. Truth is tanning beds emit 95% UVA beams which penetrate more deeply thus causing more damage than the UVB rays from the sun. UVA beams still cause burns but at a deeper level.

    What the tanning salons should be aware of is that there are people with hidden recorders getting all of the sales peoples lies on tape. Hopefully the waivers they have had signed will protect their 5 billion dollar industry because the lawsuits will come. At least the tobacco industry never claimed its product was good for you.

    I am not trying to preach to the choir. You want to tan go ahead. I was trying to share a very real, personal experience in hopes that some would take heed because I am a caring person.

    I am going to finish Atlas Shrugged now before my classes commence.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Quote Originally Posted by Mia M View Post
    Worked for me. I had my skin checked under a fancy shcmancy machine that detects melanin "clusters" that eventually become sun spots- nothing on my face, but my chest will be fucked up.

    I know my genes have a lot to do with it, too. I'm half Vietnamese so I always joke that my rice pickin' genes make for easy, looooong lasting tans. Ultimately, I quit tanning for good after my wedding last September. I figured that much like smoking, it would be unfair to myself and my husband to continue a habit that had a high possibility of eventually killing me. I love him dearly and want to spend as much time as I can with him! Now if I could just quit butter...
    Depends on how much you tanned. I assure you that the far reaching UVA rays penetrate towels.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    ^^^I was reffering more to sunblock... Excuse my ignorance but how does a full specturm sunblock not protect you under the UVA and UVB rays of a tanning bed?

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    God/dess LuckyOne's Avatar
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    I tan but I always wear the eye protection. Thank you for sharing your story.

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Omg... sorry to hear this. Thans for sharing your experience though. I often don't wear the eye protection, but now I will always.

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    madmaxine
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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    Quote Originally Posted by lildreamer316 View Post
    Everything in moderation is the best 'rule' ever put into the venacular.

    Again, each to her own, but that is exactly what I mean.

    From one of my fave books of all time:
    "..a woman ... introduced me to her daughter and asked me to tell her that she should quit smoking. I tuned in and told the daughter that if she quit smoking at that point in her life that she would likely die. The daughter had just gone through a divorce, lost a child and endured several other traumatic events. I could see that the one and only stress release that she had was inhaling and exhaling on her cigarettes. It was a form of meditation for her. I told her that she had better continue to do that deep breathing if she wanted to survive. All judgments that the ego makes about other people's habits and behavior are in error." - from the book No Time For Karma by Paxton Robey with Lone Jensen.
    This actually really happened to an ex-business associate of mine. He had a heart attack at 30 because he was going through a divorce from a not-so-nice lady & trying to work full-time, etc...His doctor told him trying to quit smoking in the middle of all that "kicked his ticker."

    He also has a small red spot on his face from when he was in the service and had to work outdoors...It hasn't changed in decades. (He's white skinned, blond, blue-eyed, BTW.)

    As for me, I use the clever trick of putting my leather hat over my face and leaving my leather gloves on my hands to protect my fab acrylic nails. I do use the goggles.
    //Off to smoke my cigs and chug on Diet Coke

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    Default Re: If You Tan Please Read

    I am definitely never tanning ever. Thank you for the dose of reality xcuzmylife.

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