Some of the information we gathered before going to the TBP's was quite surprising. I was pretty blown away by the evidence I found that tanning is chemically addictive. Apparently it releases endorphins, and people sometimes go through symptoms of withdrawal if they stop too suddenly.
Anyway, out of the 5 tanning places I visited with my group, only 2 of them actually offered any real information about the dangers of UV radiation to the skin. And even those places played down the risks a lot, focussing instead on issues like Vitamin D.
Much of the information offered either in store or online by the major Tanning Bed Providers defends indoor tanning by pointing to the fact that it's no more dangerous that tanning outdoors. To me this is like saying that it's ok to text while you drive because it's no more dangerous than driving while pissed drunk. The sun hasn't been safe for years! What the hell kind of a defense of indoor tanning is that?
My group and I also interviewed some people about their experiences with indoor tanning. We spoke to a woman who got cancer from tanning (and who still goes), a girl who was so addicted that she had three separate accounts so she could go more often (and whose skin started actually peeling off in chunks at one point) and a woman who got a staff infection from a bed (and who had to get the ensuing puss drained out of her arm at the hospital.)
The fact is that tanning, whether it be indoor or outdoor is dangerous; especially if it's not done in moderation. Other than ruining your skin and making you look way older than you actually are, you could end up DYING. Is it really worth dying to go and pay money to lie in a bad that makes you orange and gives you cancer?
You decide...
(Ok, ok, I admit it; it's pretty sneaky to put this picture here. Tanning was only responsible for making this couple dark orangey-brown. It had little to nothing to do with how douchey they are.)
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