The+Psychology+of+Tanning

Alina O'Donnell One in five Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent. UV exposure from tanning beds can be up to 15 times more dangerous than from natural UV rays.
 * Psychological Effects of Tanning**

Did these statistics shock you? Didn’t think so. We hear facts as appalling as these so often that it seems as though we’ve developed some sort of immunity to them. Women’s magazines feature year-round articles on sunscreen use and doctors preach about sun protection religiously. So why is it that these stubborn rates aren’t lowering? Dermatologists have worked strenuously for years to educate the public on the dangers of fake tanning, yet this knowledge seems to have no effect on people’s behavior. Step into a high school between the months of December and April and it’s almost guaranteed you’ll find dozens of incognito oompa-loompas. Some inscrutable force exists that keeps these girls returning to Sunny Days, engendering the slang term “tanorexic” to describe a person who thinks he or she can never get tan enough. This mental obsession parallels the medical disorder anorexia nervosa in which sufferers believe that they can never be skinny enough. Sure, it feels good to have a tan, but is the temporary surge of confidence worth the risk of severe long-term health problems that might even be fatal?

Scientists are starting to speculate that exposure to the sun triggers the production of endorphins, or brain chemicals linked to euphoric feelings. In 2004, Wake Forest University conducted a study hoping to validate this theory. Tanners spent half of one session in a bed that used UV light, and half of the session in a bed that did not. Mood was measured before and after each tanning exposure. The results revealed greater relaxation and lower tension after using the bed with UV rays compared to the bed with non-UV exposure.

Researchers also examined the withdrawal symptoms of frequent tanners (anyone who tans between eight and fifteen times monthly) in this study. The tanners were given 50-milligram doses of naltrexon, a drug that blocks a narcotic-like substance produced in the skin during tanning. "All of them developed symptoms consistent with physiological withdrawal: nausea, dizziness, and shaking.” Their symptoms were so excruciating that the researchers had to stop the study, said Mandeep Kaur, MD, a dermatologist at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

When asked about their tanning habits, three seniors, Carrie Fippinger and Melissa Schell and Angela Dunay provided answers that were consistent with researcher’s speculation. The interviewees all agreed that having bronzed skin makes a person more attractive. “I feel much more confident when I’m tanner” Carrie confessed. “All celebrities are tan and I think that that creates a standard that women need to live up to; having a pale complexion isn’t attractive.” Angela stated in simpler words “It makes me feel beautiful.”

Although all three of the interviewees discussed the aesthetical value of having darker skin, they also mentioned the psychological aspect of the habit. All three of them averaged their trips to the salon at around once or twice a week. Although Schell denied the addictive effects of tanning, she did admit that “it can be hard to stop.” Fippinger raved about the stimulating effects of the bed. “When you first come out of it you feel really good, you just feel mentally better about yourself. As soon as you notice the difference in your skin, you start to become obsessed.” Angela described herself as feeling “unfulfilled” when she isn’t able to make a trip to the salon.

Ironically, each of them said that they were aware of the severe dangers associated with UV exposure, and that the potential consequences did //not// outweigh the temporary confidence boost. Their tanning fetish, however, has not seemed to be hindered by the alarming statistics that they’ve seen. When asked if these frightening rates ever affected them, Carrie said that “It’s hard to imagine the consequences. You hear about it, but it seems so far in the future that you can’t grasp the reality of the situation.” Both Angela and Missy agreed that they’re too young to fear symptoms of this disorder don’t surface until later in life.

What was once a beauty trend has become an epidemic; fake tanning has evolved into a two billion dollar industry in the United States alone. Just as smokers crave nicotine and alcoholics crave bourbon, “tanorexics” crave the familiar florescent bulb and cold, steel coffin.