Do Not Judge A Tanner By Their Color

Not all tanners can be judged by their appearance. Most people I talk to are surprised that I tan. I am very fair and by looking at me you would never know. My profile picture was taken at the height of my tanning “experiment” I was tanning every other day from anywhere between 12 and 18 minutes. Not the stereotypical image of a tanner. I am naturally fair skinned, tanning has not changed that. I do have tan lines, but very faint ones. If you were to compare my pictures before I started tanning in February 2012 and my profile picture taken in May 2012, you would really have to look closely to notice the difference. I have heard comments like “but you don't look like the people on Jersey Shore” and “you don't look tan” Part of the reason I wanted to share my story publicly is due to those comments. I want to dispel the myth that people who tan all have leathery skin and look older than they are. Yes, there are those that fit that image, but that is a small percentage. Patricia Krentcil (aka the tanning mom) is an EXTREME example of a tanner, she is giving the process and the industry bad press (as if there weren't enough of that from misleading information already). I know people who have tanned for years and they don't look leathery or old. Moderation is the key; just as it is with anything. We have all seen those people that go to the gym that are freakishly muscular, there are those that go overboard with plastic surgery, tattoos, piercings, etc. Tanning is no different. But what is the percentage of those that go overboard? Think about it, generally, when people see someone with an unconventional amount of tattoos or piercings or muscles, they don't think that is typical, they realize is it an extreme example. Yet, they look at someone with an UN-natural dark tan and think that is a prime example of a tanner. See for yourself what my tanning progression looked like.

Before

After

 

 

 

 I am wearing make up on my face in both of these pictures, but as you can see, my chest and arms do not have a big contrast in color.

This was taken in August of 2012 after a 5k walk with my sister in law. I am not wearing ANY make up in this one.

So I guess what I am trying to say is that I don't look like what people expect of a typical tanner. But I am a typical tanner. The image the general public thinks of when they hear “indoor tanning” needs to change. It needs to reflect the majority, not the extremes.