| by Victoria Adamo | 11/16/06 | 572 views |
It’s the middle of November in Newark, Delaware; it’s cold, probably raining, and the sun rarely makes an appearance in the sky, however many young women and men are boasting bronzed skin. Have they all just returned from a Caribbean vacation or is there another way they maintain their sun-kissed color?
In some parts of the country tanning salons are unheard of, in Newark, and many other college towns, they are part of everyday life. I will be the first to admit that I love going to the tanning salon; for me it’s my own form of relaxation. I lay in the bed for roughly ten minutes, listen to music and I’m alone with my thoughts. Some people take comfort in eating sweets or smoking cigarettes, my choice of indulgence is tanning. Critics complain that tanning is harmful; lately however, it seems that everything people get pleasure out of comes at a cost. Eating massive amounts of sweets can sometimes cause diabetes, smoking massive amounts of cigarettes can cause lung cancer, and tanning in large doses can cause your skin to prematurely wrinkle or even worse, skin cancer. Nonetheless, if you know your limits and practice safe tanning, and yes there is such a thing, then I see nothing wrong with it.
With the invention of low UV tanning beds and protective lotion, tanning today is nothing like tanning of the past. For those of you who want to get some color without lying in a bed or standing up for several minutes, I’d like to introduce you to my good friend, Mystic Tan. Mystic Tan, also known as “spray tan,” uses no UV radiation, but instead sprays the skin and in less than 30 seconds you have a darker color.
The tan is not a dye, stain or paint, but a chemical reaction between the DHA and the amino acids in the dead layer on the skin surface. The reaction is non-toxic and skin safe, without the damage associated with UV exposure. This tan is temporary and will fade gradually over 3 to 10 days. Spray tanning along with regular indoor tanning is most popular, especially for first-timers, right before a special event or a vacation in order to obtain a base tan.This base tan gives you a glow and is helpful for people with skin that burns easily in the sun, because when their skin comes out of hibernation it will already have some color to it and it is less likely to burn.
I know some of you might be thinking that I must be the only member of the tanning adoration fan club, but on the contrary, there are many of us. There is an abundance of students just on this campus who enjoy spending time at the tanning salon; in fact tanning itself has become quite the social event. When I stop by TanInn, my favorite tanning salon on Main St., I can always count on seeing any number of my friends; both male and female. Because there is a big market for tanning in Newark it feeds the obsession of being tan. Why is there this obsession with being tan? For me it’s simple; I feel better about myself when I have a golden glow. Especially when the weather outside is gloomy and everything looks lackluster, I look like I have just returned from the Islands. Along with all the other joys tanning brings into my life, it gives me a boost of self-confidence, I feel empowered and ready to conquer the world after a quick tanning session. I know this whole thing probably sounds ludicrous, but I’d like to reiterate, I am not the only one who feels this way.
My roommate is a self-proclaimed “tanorexic” who would give up her car before giving up her tanning salon package. She and I share many things; a room, clothes, friends, and our affinity for tanning. We find ourselves asking each other the same questions daily: Where are my keys? Want to get dinner ? Did you go tanning? These questions may seem innocent enough, but the answer to the last question triggers the ugly tanorexic tendencies. If one of us has tanned and the other hasn’t, subconscious and uncontrollable feelings arise that we need to go tanning. It seems as though there must be something in the rays that addicts us; or at least we tell ourselves that. We also tell ourselves that we are products of our environment; if everyone else goes to the tanning salon and all the beautiful celebrities are permanently tan, why not us?
I’ve previoulsy alluded to the fact that both females and males frequent the tanning salons, and this surprises many people. Guys go tanning? YES.
I recently attended an event that will remain anonymous by request, with a good male friend of mine, who will also remain anonymous by request. The week before this event he calls me up in urgency. “I need to know where you go tanning?” my male friend asked me in a tone that can be explained as nothing else but desperate. I gave him the information he requested and then inquired as to why he needed to go tanning. His response was hesitant, yet honest, “I want to be as tan as possible for ‘the event’. I want everyone to think I look good, so I need some color.” I was slightly mentally stirred. Do guys really take note of how tan they are? And also, do they take note of how tan girls are? With a little more research, I found the answer to both questions to be yes. Over the past year there has been a rise in the number of guys who go tanning, and who can blame them. I see nothing wrong with guys who want to put some color in their lives; if girls do it so can boys.
So now that there are all these tan males and females roaming around, do they get together by default of common interest, or are they still attracted to non-believers? I randomly asked 5 guys and 5 girls, a mix of tanners and non-tanners, if they were more attracted to the opposite sex if they were tan? For the guys it was an overwhelming yes. They all expressed the same feelings as, Luke, 20, “I like all girls, but I’m often more attracted to girls who are tan. I don’t like when girls are orange, but a nice tan is hot.” Girls might go tanning to appear more attractive to potential sweethearts, but there may be another reason. There is a tanning urban myth that when you are tan you appear skinnier. Sometimes girls who may not have the time to spend at the gym, will opt to tan for a few minutes and Voila! you will now look as though you weigh less. Personally, I think this is the worst reason in the world to go tanning, but essentially its the tanner’s own perogative.
The girls I surveyed were more split; some girls thought guys who went tanning were “lame, self-absorbed and girly,” while others found it appealing. Jill,19, doesn’t go tanning, but that’s not to say she doesn’t want her potential mate to lotion up and put on protective goggles, “I know it’s kind of unconventional and lots of guys get made fun of for it, but I like when guys are tan. It shows that they care about their appearance, and its nice because not many guys do.” I ended up talking to Jill for a while, she had many opinions on the topic and wasn’t afraid to share them with the world, “I’ve always been attracted to tan surfer types and now that more guys are tanning, it makes my chances of finding one without moving across the country very good. So guys, tanning is okay with me!” Jill, I wish you the best of luck in your hunt for the perfectly tanned surfer, and you continue to prove that romance is still alive.
For those of you who hate tanning and everything it represents, I’m sorry, but the business is not going anywhere. There are always going to be people who want to be tan, and if we aren’t imposing on your lifestyle, don’t impose on ours. We understand that if tanning is done in a reckless and unprotected way it can cause life-lasting effects, but if it is once in a while and for the person’s own enjoyment, I really don’t see the problem. There are worse pastimes I could partake in to get my kicks, and if I ever begin to talk about an addiction to shoplifting or car-jacking then take me to the nearest clinic, until then I think I’m okay.
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