I Tan. Do You Tan?

I tan. I have had basal cell skin cancer. Will I stop tanning because the price for tanning is going up 10 percent due to the new federal excise tax being placed on indoor tanning? No. Will I stop because I have had basal cell skin cancer? No.

This is a complicated topic and as with most complicated topics, expressed opinions are also complicated.

Young women, especially, are getting skin cancer at an early age. Some are getting melanoma, the deadliest form of cancer. I would never hope for a young person of either sex to develop cancer of any kind. I know melanoma is deadly and fast moving. I have had a family member die from it at 51 years of age.

Women (and I am speaking from the viewpoint of a woman) are expected to look radiant, and I'm afraid that looking tan is often equated with looking radiant and healthy. Of course, this is another topic entirely about our expectations of women and their looks and will be saved for another article but it helps to understand the desire of young women to want to tan.

Some say tanning makes a person feel better, mentally, and that the vitamin D from the tanning lights are healthy. I cannot speak to the effect of vitamin D as I do not have a background to discuss it. I can say that I sometimes feel better after tanning but it is because it allows me complete, uninterrupted solitude, uninterrupted thinking time, and even occasionally a nap, and those things help to distress my life, making me feel better.

Do I think it is fair to tax indoor tanning users? No. I am rarely in support of taxing any particular faction because a segment of the population thinks it is an inappropriate behavior. I prefer education to taxation.

I have only done some preliminary research into the tanning tax but so far I have not seen any kind of exemption of the tax for those people who use indoor tanning as therapy for other conditions and/or ailments. I am one of those people that fall into that category.

Here is my background. I often will tan every other day for weeks at a time then occasionally take days, weeks, or even a month or two break. The result is typically tanned skin.

I must drive to the tanning bed which is a 15 minute drive one way, tan for 20 minutes (not including the time it takes to undress and dress again), then drive home which takes another 15 minutes. I consider this an hour out of my day, every other day and an inconvenience to how I schedule my days. Do I love doing this? Absolutely not. I look upon this time as a cancer patient scheduled for chemotherapy. It is a therapy I feel I must undertake, like a cancer patient. So why do I do it? Read on.

I am very fair skinned. As a child and a teenager, I always tried to tan as that was what girls did. As a child, sun block was not available but baby oil and tanning lotion were. I burned easily and often, many times getting blisters.

As I got older, my time in the sun was sporadic. My fair skin continued to burn but the result was sun poisoning. I had to avoid the sun or take it in small doses.

When I was 16 years old I developed psoriasis. I am 51 years old and still have psoriasis and I fight it every day of my life. I itch badly every day of my life. Some days I cry. Those are the reasons why I tan.

Let me tell you about psoriasis. It is an autoimmune, genetic disease. In psoriasis, skin cells grow many, many times faster than what they should. The result is scaly patches, redness, horrible itching and flaking of skin. Sometimes it hurts like a burn. Sometimes it's hot to the touch. Sometimes it cracks wide open and bleeds. There is no cure. Let me tell you again. There is NO CURE.

Aside from the ugly, blotchy patches that form (and sometimes they seem to form overnight, but by the same token, they can almost disappear quickly but this is rare), the effect psoriasis can have on a person's mental health and well-being can be devastating. I have felt like hiding in my own home. I have worn long pants and long-sleeved sweaters and shirts when it is 85 degrees outside to cover up my skin so nobody would look at me. I have scratched myself raw and watched myself bleed and continued scratching just the same because the itching was so intense. I have used medicines that have stained my skin and stained all my bed linens. I must shower before I go to bed so that I can sleep without itching. I buy special shampoo. I moisturize my skin at least twice daily. I must answer questions like, "What's wrong with you? Do you have poison ivy? Are you contagious?" I am lucky. I have a loving family and friends who understand and love me in spite of the psoriasis.

Several years ago, before I began tanning, I had a basal cell carcinoma (small) removed from my nose. That was due to all the sunburns I had received as a child. I swore I would always protect my skin from the sun. But then my psoriasis worsened. I again tried numerous topical solutions. I saw my dermatologist every three months. There were other options I could try but they were more like chemotherapy and could cause other diseases, like multiple sclerosis as a side effect. Why would I do that? I wouldn't.

When I was a teenager and new to psoriasis, my dermatologist suggested using light therapy in the doctor's office. It was a stand-up tanning booth. It helped. Now tanning booths are common and I thought I would give it a try with the topical medicine I was using. I started with a couple minutes as my skin was so fair. Within a few weeks I noticed my psoriasis getting better and better.

I ended up tanning about every other day for about 20 minutes each. I informed my dermatologist about it and she supported it but suggested I cover my face and tried not to tan more than 60 minutes a week. Every other day is what works best for me.

There are some added benefits for me to tan.

I have been able to desensitize my skin to the sun. I can now spend time outside in the summer without developing sun poisoning (which always developed into more psoriasis). I was able to take a trip to South Carolina in the August heat to visit family and I could spend time outside. I would have had to stay inside on that trip if I had not desensitized my skin to the sun. Or I would have stayed home.

With psoriasis it is easy to feel depressed and shut in, and have poor self-esteem. As my psoriasis clears my self-esteem improves which carries over into every aspect of my life. I still have psoriasis but it is at a point that I can deal with it emotionally and physically.

Tanning booths are still available in my doctor's office. I can go there to tan. But why should I? I would have to pay a co-payment which is significantly more costly than my local tanning salon. It is also 30 minutes away, one way. I would need to make an appointment to visit. All the way around it is a costlier alternative. I am not prepared to do that.

I think the tanning tax will raise money, certainly. It may force some of us with psoriasis to go to the doctor to tan. Not only will it cost us more but it will contribute to our stress which can aggravate psoriasis. And who is really benefiting here? It's not those of us with a medical condition that needs the tanning.

I would like to see people with a documented medical reason for tanning have the tanning tax exempted. I would suggest that a doctor write a letter to state the person is using the tanning bed for a medical condition and therefore should be tax exempt. The tanning salon could keep the letter on file for whatever reason they might need it.

I may end up with skin cancer. The next time it might be a more deadly form of cancer, like melanoma. I pray that never happens. You may wonder why I would take the chance. I can say that there is no cure for psoriasis. Basal cell cancer can be removed and have an excellent chance of being cured. I see my dermatologist regularly and she checks for skin cancer. I must say that others who tan regularly may not see a dermatologist and they may be at a higher risk for a more advanced skin cancer because they might not be aware they have it until it has progressed further. I might suggest that anyone who does tan see a dermatologist regularly for checkups.

Every time I lay down in a tanning bed I have a niggling thought that tanning is crazy and that I might be truly harming myself. But on the other hand, my quality of living has improved immensely by using a tanning bed to help control my psoriasis. I have now had about four years of good life where psoriasis does not occupy so much of my time and my thoughts. I am living better than ever with psoriasis because of the availability of easily accessible tanning beds. I have a drawer for short-sleeved shirts and shorts. For that I am thankful. Do I want to pay more for this service? No. Of course not. But will I pay more for this service? Yes, if I must but I would still like to see an exemption to the tax for medical purposes.

I have considered what I will do when, and if, the time comes that I once again develop skin cancer. I cannot say for sure what I will do. It will depend on the type of skin cancer I might get. If it is basal cell skin cancer, I very well might continue tanning. If it is squamous cell cancer, I'm not sure. If it is melanoma, I will have a bigger problem than the psoriasis, but it is a bridge to be crossed when I get to it, not sooner. It sounds ridiculous that I would choose a skin cancer over psoriasis but perhaps that will give an indication of how devastating a life with psoriasis can be.

I don't support a tax for any reason such as this and I don't support tanning for unnecessary purposes. I do support tanning for medicinal purposes and the way it can improve the quality of life for some people.