this is pretty good, and its been a long time coming.. imo they shouldnt have solariums, they are so dangerous and a lot of ppl arent aware of the effects that they can have.. only just recently we had a young girl die from melanoma from using solariums...

love the skin you are in. crisping your skin is not healthy

I don't think it should be a law. Might as well make smoking completely illegal too. Or obesity. People should understand health risks themselves.

Here in America, if one had told me the growth industries of the Nineties would be bottled water (water is free from one's tap) and tanning salons (sunshine is free, outdoors), I'd have laughed in their face. Silly me, I'd underestimated the vanity and sheer silliness of grown adults!

My mom had melanoma on her shoulder probably twenty years ago. Had to have a very large section of her shoulder taken out. She has been in remission ever since. But is very lucky. Keep an eye on the moles on your body. They are very good indicators.

As for me personally, I actually don't care much for the " Coppertone " tan look. I preffer pale/fair skin on the ladies. It is more natural.

I see teenage girls coming out of the tanning salons here starting in February, and then laying out on the beaches in May...When your young, you just want to look good and think of yourself as never getting old...Unfortunately melanoma usually surfaces later in life...A good friend of ours found that out when she developed it on her face...Fortunately she's alright now, but scary to think of what could have been.....

I don't understand the whole "tanning" thing either. I'm so white I blind people. lol. I don't really burn too bad, though. I still don't like being out in the sun too long. I'm worried about getting that really gross leathery skin that long time tanners get.

I have been to a tanning bed before, and, the ones I've gone to, at least, they provide you with information about reducing your cancer risk. . .Like, if you're really pale, don't go in there and fry yourself, go in for a few minutes. . .basically, do what you can to NOT get burned, build a tan veeeerrrrry slowly. They always told me that it was the actual repeated burning of the skin that could lead to cancer. . .

But then, what do I know? I was paying them $6 per session. . . which doesn't sound like alot, but when you go alot it adds up.

I'm happy I got over that phase. It was my boyfriend's fault. He's always going on about how ugly it is to be pale. . . He thinks a tan looks "healthy". . .But its not gonna look healthy in the future. . . I mean, don't get me wrong, a little bit of sun is good, but not as much as so many people are getting these days. . . I try to keep a light tan (though it really doesn't ever look like it), and any one that I get is more from me liking to be outside than doing it on purpose. ..I still wear sunscreen and do whatever I can not to burn. ..

Being of northern European origins, I'm really pale. However, I also have very very dry skin... My dermatologist actually suggested keeping a light tan to take care of the issue... and, it works! However, I live in Seattle, and wandering around Seattle with a light tan in December looks ridiculous. In general, I don't go for the fake and bake, but like the doc suggested, it does help two problems, my dry skin, and oddly, it helps that mid-winter SAD issue lots of people suffer from in this area too.

I think the key is to not over-do it.

From the Persians to Tudor England pale skin was considered beautiful and it still looks really nice.

Yeah, I agree. I have really dry skin too. Something about the Vitamin D or something. Alot of experts don't tell you to avoid the sun COMPLETELY, but don't over do it. A little bit of sun every day has benefits. . .
Here's a good article I found. . .

Healthy sun exposure

But, like has been said. . . Its when you over do it that your getting into the dangerous area so-to-speak.

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot to add. . .everything that I have found supports natural sunlight exposure, not tanning beds. I think people are too likely to get carried away with tanning beds because they are so fast.

thats a fallacy, you can get melanoma at anytime of your life. one of my friends has had quite a few removed this started at age 15. and my sister in law had a great portion of her calf taken off due to melanoma when she was 25
the tanning salons use the uvb rays with a special lotion that quickens up the tanning processes, the sun has uva and uvb (dont forget a is for aging and be is for burning). its much better to have 15 mins in the sunlight to get your vitamin d than to get zapped by artificial rays. and a tan in the long run isnt healthy.. its just our skin being cooked.

Couldn't agree more! people will try to sell anything These days!

what is the world coming too...

Exactly. You don't need to bake yourself to get the required vitamin d. . .then you're just cancelling out all the good that the vitamin d does.

My thoughts ,too .

I know....fair skin is aweful*has it*I burn sooo easily if it's 80 and above weather.And it always ends up happening on my shoulder and face*probably same case for most people*

If I go outside when it is partly sunny, I will turn into a bright red lobster within about 4 minutes.

It is the sun that is awful.

If someone wants to achieve a tan and is willing to acknowledge these risks, than why should anyone else have the power to stop them? I hate it when people or groups try to stop individuals from willingly participating in activities which have harmful side effects, if you don't want to harm your body, fine! But don't stop me from harming mine.

Whom, pray tell, has tried to stop you? Knock yourself out, champ. Smoke a cig, while you're at it.

...The Western Australian government.

im pretty sure you have to pay for the water coming out of the tap (by that i mean im sure )

Pennies on the gallon, my smiling friend.

Don't be so vain to continue to purchase bottled water. Enormous waste of energy. I do, however, own a couple water purifiers...........

ugh. . .you HAVE to have water purifiers. . .tap water tastes like bleach mixed with something funky. . .at least down where I'm at.