While winter rolls in this season, one thing is on many students’ minds: keeping the bronze glow that developed over the three months of sunshine. Teens are turning to tanning beds and sprays to keep their skin looking its best. Yes, it’s beautiful and flattering to have that perfect tan, but is it worth the side effects that can alter lives forever?
During the summer all kids have to do is head to the beach to perfect their glow, but when the warm weather disintegrates and fall arrives, teens are left turning to dangerous options. Tanning beds often appeal to high school students because not only is it cheap, but it leaves your skin golden, not orange. But what teenagers don’t understand is that these beds have 2-3 times the power of the sun and often leave the skin damaged and unable to repair its self.
Some long-term side effects of over exposure to UVA rays are premature aging, wrinkles, cataracts, eye damage, and skin cancer. More immediate effects are burns, sun poisoning, and blistering. Students are especially prone to skin damage if they have light skin, hair, and eyes. Plus, 90% of all skin cancer cases are caused from over exposure to the sun.
If you still insist on using tanning beds then follow these safety guidelines. Always use eye goggles and lotion. Scientists recommend that, depending on how light your skin is, to not exceed 10-15 minutes at a time. Just to be safe ask the employee at the salon to help you decide what time and bed is right for you.
When asked if she’d still go tanning, knowing the risk of cancer, Katie Lyons responded, “I’m probably still going to go.”
Joel Steiner, a senior at AHS, said, “I didn’t know you could get cancer, but there’s still a chance I’ll go in the future.”
Some students at Arrowhead are willing to just take their chances, in order to get that golden glow. But, you have to ask yourself, is one day of glowing skin worth the pain of a lifetime?