fake n' bake.

In my post about prom, I added my two-cents about how I feel about tanning beds. Let me refresh your memory...BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD BAD. Just don't do it. Sure, you can say that I'm a little biased because I have a permanent caramel color glow to my skin, but you just can't do that to your body! Why am I talking about tanning in a fashion blog, you ask? Because in the 1920's, top designer Coco Chanel announced that being tan was "in". Ever since then, society has put it into their heads that being tan = being fashion forward, trendy, hip, radical, etc. etc. Why am I talking about how bad tanning beds are when I haven't even laid in one before, you ask? It's because I do research: both observation and Google-ing. So here's what I have to say about you sun soakers...

Tanning is your body's reaction the UV (ultra-violet) rays that the sun emits onto the earth. There are these little cells in your skin called melanocytes produce a brown pigment called melanin which makes the epidermis (that's a fancy word for your skin, my friend) turn a darker shade. (or in several cases orange. We know we've all seen it before.) So, I bet your asking: "why is getting your epidermis a few shades darker so bad for you?" Well, listen up my little chickadees, these dandy UV rays DAMAGE your epidermis cells' DNA. And even though our bodies do amazing things for us everyday, such as allowing us to breath, think, eat, etc. , the DNA of your skin is hard to repair, therefore, leaving an everlasting damage on your precious little skin cells. Not sound convincing enough to get you out from under those hot beds? Don't worry, I've got more...

One word: MUTATIONS. This word might make you think of an alien, a two-headed cat, or even the ninja turtles, but does it make you think of something like this?

Instead of giggling at how it's kind of shaped like a turtle, think about this dark blob on your arm, your leg, or even your face! Those little freckles and moles can turn into these bad boys when you lay out under the sun for an hour or two. The constant exposure to UV rays will cause persistent damage on your skin cells creating mutations in the DNA. Mutations lead to over growth of cells. Which means cancer. Tanning is the main causing factor of skin cancer. Coco Chanel might have thought tanning was beautiful, but I wonder if she thought about the beauty of skin cancer, eh?

Now, a few people will argue that tanning beds are "safer", thus going to a tanning bed rather than waiting for a good day to lay out in the backyard. People that operate the tanning beds will argue that the rays in the bed are "controlled", so they can turn it down to a "safe" amount of sun. But the truth is, most tanning salons ignore the "safe" amount of UV rays and turn up that baby as high as you want. It's burning you to a crisp! Studies upon studies upon studies have shown that tanning beds actually increase the chances of damage to your skin. Also, I heard somewhere that tanning beds causes permanent damage to your ovaries, ladies. So, if you're ever planning on having children, stay away from those beds of death! Unless you want mutant ninja turtle children...(I totally didn't mean to connect the mutations, ninja turtles, and the turtle shaped bit of skin cancer, but it works!)

So, I've convinced you to get out from under the sun and bright tanning bed lights, but you still want that tan for the prom? What I have to say is: don't bake it, fake it. There are hundreds of self-tanning mousses, creams, and bronzing lotions that will give you that lovely tan without the damage of the sun! I've done my research and found this lovely line of many different self tanning products called St. Tropez. They've got some delightful things that will get rid of your tanning woes and get you glowing. But yet again, I'd be careful when dealing with these spray/lotion/cream tans because some of them can turn too orange. You want to glow not grow like a carrot.

Here are just a few more things to keep in mind to prevent skin cancer on those bright and sunny days:
-the sun is at its highest and strongest between 10am-4pm. Find some shade, quicker than a vampire.
-use an SPF of 15 or higher.
-use your awesome fashion sense! Get yourself a trendy wide brimmed hat and a cute pair of shades, and you're good to go!
-apply your sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside/in the water. And don't forget to slather some on every hour or so to keep your skin protected.

(Most of this information is from: http://www.skincancer.org/)