What You Need to Know About Tanning Now

I'll give you the most important note on how to use a tanning bed. 1.) Don't! I remember being a teenager and hearing the battle of the statistics and it didn't make a bit of difference to me at that time. I chose the pro-tanning statistics, because I wanted to tan. So I'm a firm believer that anyone who wants to tan will, no matter what the facts are. Also, know this...I am not anti-tan or tanning bed. I'm pro using them wisely by considering how often to tan and for how long you should stay in them. I go myself once a month during the long winter months in the frozen mid-west.

However, here are some of the facts. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation's website, "Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than one million skin cancers are diagnosed annually. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.^" Also, on it's website, the National Cancer Institute states, "Women who use tanning beds more than once a month are 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer." Those are facts that simply can't be ignored.

Whatever the effects are that you are looking to achieve from a tanning bed, you can get them from somewhere else. High quality powder bronzers are available for your face everywhere; not to mention the fact that the pale look is always in. (See vintage pin-up model Dita Von Teese, any Tim Burton movie and any number of A-list stars who choose to stay pale all year-round. It's a bold look that makes a statement; don't be afraid to go with it. It can even be more appealing than that over-tanned look.)

If you simply must tan, consider these practices. If you live in a climate where it gets cold in the winter, the mid-west or north for example, consider tanning once a month during these months. I sympathize with the fact that it does feel relaxing to be that warm in such harsh weather. Also, research light therapy, the benefits of tanning (vitamin K for mood improvement in people with Seasonal Affective Disorder, for example) can now be achieved in tanning beds with UV filters installed in them. You can also take vitamin K supplements or eat food rich in vitamin K for similar mood boosters.

If you need to relax, why not get a massage? It offers similar benefits provided by tanning, but is actually far more therapeutic and needs to be done less often for the same result. While you're researching salons that massage, consider trying a spray tan. We've all heard the same old orange-tinted tanning jokes. But this orange color happens when a tanning solution is misapplied or applied too heavily or too often. You can also find self tanning lotions available that create a gradual change in pigment, from inexpensive brands such as "Jergens".

Remember, the sun itself is not evil. In fact, getting outside every day in the fresh air and getting natural sun exposure is healthy for you. Just make sure to go out and play during the times when the sun is not the strongest, saving you from some of the harsher UV rays. According to the website for the National Program for Playground Safety, "As the sun moves higher in the sky, the sun's rays become more intense and damaging to the skin and eyes. This is because the ultraviolet (UV) light travels a shorter, more direct distance to reach the Earth. The peak sun intensity hours, when UV light is strongest, are between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. standard time or 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight savings time." That's right, it's not just about our adult vanity, these regulations are true across the board, especially for children.

Last but not least, sunscreen should become an everyday habit. Thankfully, many lotions now include SPF, as well as facial moisturizers, lip balm, and even makeup. You especially need to look for sunglasses that block UV rays. Do invest in these products. They can help prevent premature aging as well as skin cancer, and you get the added bonus of that slight scent of sunscreen which can even have a subliminally pleasant affect of reminding you of vacation time, thus improving your mood.

There are a plethora of bonuses to taking care of your skin, the best one being that you are preserving your own life for yourself and the ones who love you. If you can resist the urge to tan in a tanning bed, eventually it will go away. You can even adopt other practices of self-care that can fill the void, such as getting your nails done or scheduling micro-trims at the salon. In the past, I've gotten into the habit of tanning just as a little self-indulgence. But there are better ways to do this that won't ultimately cost you your health...or your life.