"Fake Bake" Really? I can't stay silent on this.

Here is another one that I am SURE will not post my reply so I'd like to share it here.

Actual Link: http://www.wcuquad.com/features/take-a-stand-and-don-t-tan-the-real-truth-about-a-fake-bake-1.292695


The Blog Post

Take a stand and don’t tan - The real truth about a “Fake Bake”

By Laura Wayne

Special to The Quad

Published: Sunday, October 14, 2012

Updated: Sunday, October 14, 2012 20:10

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Two-time melanoma survivor Michel Hoard was lured into a tanning salon based on the false advertisement of a safe and healthy tan. The man at the front desk assured her there was no cause for concern since, as he explained, tanning beds contain mostly UVA rays which are better for you because they reduce your risk of skin cancer. This is one of many tricks salon companies play on their often vulnerable and perhaps uninformed customers. After four years of tanning, Hoard entered stage one melanoma.

It is true that most tanning beds emit 94 percent UVA rays and six percent UVB rays, but that does not make their effects any less harmful. The goal of tanning companies is to lure their customers into the false comfort of this “fake bake” practice. They assure their customers of their safety and that they are out of harm’s way while leading victims into the threshold of the institutionalized cancer-causing solarium. Of those diagnosed with melanoma, “the average age is 46,” explains Dr. Roger Ceilley, former president of the American Academy of Dermatology. He continues: “it’s the most common cancer in people aged 25 to 29, in women 30-35, it’s second only to breast cancer.”

While melanoma, like any form of cancer, can never be prevented 100 percent, simply avoiding certain behaviors can drastically reduce the risk. Yet according to The Melanoma Foundation, “melanoma rates are increasing faster than nearly all other cancers.” If I may, allow me to provide a useful life lesson in one short phrase: it is your present actions, the things you do now, that will determine your fate in future. Remember that bad burn from two summers ago when your short dip in the pool turned into a two hour long swim and you spent the rest of the trip looking like a lobster? Despite the fact that your memory of this experience might now be comedic, your skin does not have a sense of humor and you can bet it still remembers the burn. In fact, your skin remembers every burn you have ever had since day one. The damage is there and will remain there long after the visible indicators have faded away. But the tanning salon doesn’t burn right? It is a common misconception is that if your skin simply darkens, it somehow has not suffered any damage. Exposure to UV rays will lead to some sort of dermatological change, and it’s damaging no matter the color.

Despite the fact that bad sunbathing habits are still practiced today, the harmful effects are now better understood, and are more commonly acknowledged. Unfortunately however, tanning has become an iconic symbol of beauty, and its effects can be deadly if not practiced with caution. The modern world has commercialized this process, turning machines that increase one’s risk of cancer into money makers. The best choice that you can make is to recognize that this desired luminous glow is really just damaged skin. Tanning salons are known world-wide to be cancer causers. Don’t wait for the consequences to become evident in your own life before taking action. Stand up for your skin and protect it by staying away from tanning beds. You can have fake nails and dyed hair. But a fake bake? – get real.

Laura Wayne is a  third-year student majoring in English with minors in Spanish and business and technical writing.  She can be reached at LW738484@wcupa.edu.

My Response: 
 

Where do I start with this? There are MANY benefits to indoor tanning and you fail to understand them so let me try to enlighten you. While I sympathize with your example person, who was already a two time skin cancer survivor as you state. Could it be possible that this person is genetically prone to skin cancer just as some people are more likely to develop breast cancer or prostate cancer? That is absolutely a possibility that you decide to omit from your piece. I know people who have been tanning in salons for decades and they do NOT have skin cancer. They also have a higher vitamin D level than the majority of the population. Vitamin D is essential in preventing many diseases including cancer. Just some evidence listed in this article. http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/344866/The-sun-is-shining-and-it-will-help-you-beat-cancer

As for your comment here:

“Despite the fact that bad sunbathing habits are still practiced today, the harmful effects are now better understood, and are more commonly acknowledged. Unfortunately however, tanning has become an iconic symbol of beauty, and its effects can be deadly if not practiced with caution. “

Sunshine is the most effective and natural way for the body to produce Vitamin D. Tanning salons understand this and make sure you are tanning safely by regulating the time you are in a tanning bed based on your skin type and the type of bed you are using. They have limits on how long you are in there and how often you go.

“The best choice that you can make is to recognize that this desired luminous glow is really just damaged skin”

Not true. Tan skin is the body's natural defense against burning. Burning should be avoided at all times which is why I went to a salon to bring my Vitamin D level up. It is a controlled environment that provides a safe dose of UVA and UVB. I avoided the sun at all times and found myself to be severely deficient in Vitamin D. I went from a 11ng/ml to a 75 ng/ml Vitamin D level in two months by going to a salon. I tanned very conservatively (starting out with just 2 minutes per session) to encourage melanin production in my body. Something I couldn't do by just going out into the sun because I was so sensitive to it due to my avoidance for so many years. I now maintain my above average Vitamin D level by going to a salon once every 7-10 days for 15 minutes. There are good reasons people use tanning beds that are not just to “look good” That stereotype needs to stop.