Tanning Recommendations

[TMarie]

I bought 10 sessions... the only 10 sessions of my life. I too am fair and know about the risks, but here's the thing: I'm going to Hawaii and we're going to be doing mostly outside activities (the ship sails at night). The longtitude of Hawaii is about 10 degress closer to the equator, and I've spoken with other fair skinned people who have been to Hawaii and they all burned on the first day. For some, it ruined the rest of the trip (and this was with sunscreen on).

 

So I've decided, against better judgement perhaps, to do 10 sessions in a tanning booth. I'm going to start off at 4 minutes.

 

Here's my tannning booth questions: Do you have to turn over? Like do I do 2 minutes each side for a total of 4 minutes? Or 4 minutes each side? Also, with the scrub... I do a body scrub after I get home, or before I go tan?

 

I also have some seasonal eczema flaring up right now.. so I hope the tanning might help clear that up... so I don't get lestioporsis (sp?) from the fresh water in Hawaii (you can't go in fresh water with open sores). I don't know if tanning works for eczema the way it works for other skin conditions. (I've tried heavy duty prescription cremes but they haven't worked.. the next step is a cortosone shot, which I'd prefer not to do).

 

So anyway.... that's what I've decided to do. I figure I don't have to do all 10 sessions if I burn or freak out or change my mind. etc.

 

You know, i think its funny that people reason...

Did you know they are currently doing testing trying to prove that tanning beds are still causing cancer even though they claim that the "bad UV" has been removed? All UV is bad. TAN is what causes skin cancer, a burn just speeds up the process. Melanoma is the most wide spread cancer in young women next to cervical cancer.

 

And the reason people burn, is because they dont use enough SPF and they dont apply often enough. Any dermatologist will tell you that you need ATLEAST 30 SPF and you need to apply every hour, despite what is written on the side of the bottle.

 

And do you know why you use a body scrub? To remove the keratin thats at the very top of your epidermis so that the new skin cells that are used to being protected do not have any protection and are exposed to the UV.

 

I am not picking on you. It just frustrates me because I thought the same things.

I wasnt going to make a habit of it. ( I only bought 1 package, before my last cruise)

I was only going to get a base tan so i didnt burn later. (Tan = BURN, Tan = BuRN, Tan = BURN!)

I would start out slow to prevent burn.

I didnt want streaky legs from the bottle kind. (By the way, you get streaks from the tanning bed too...where your arms are and your under arms. Unless you use a stand up bed, and then you better hope you dont burn the pits)

 

Being tan has not always been the fashion by the way. Its more of a new trend since the 60's or so. Before that, they valued their pale skin. Every notice the women in vintage magazines always have huge hats? protecting their face...and that was before any idea of melanoma or basil or squamous cell.....

 

Just be smart. Listen when others warn you. I had an inkling that i shouldnt be tanning, I mentioned i to others and no one "really" had anything harsh enough to say to keep me from doing it and even gave me similar tips on how to prevent burning or how to keep the burn from peeling and losing the color...

 

So I am being harsh :o forgive me

[TMarie]

I'm curious about the spray tans.. that's strictly for cosmetic reasons only, right? Does it give any kind of skin protection? See, I'm fine with my white as a ghost skin. I just don't want to burn (and when I burn, it tends to be bad and blister... I've burned even with sunblock applied regularly). I've bought 5 brands of sunblock already for this trip... just in case one brand doesn't work as well as another.

 

Spray tans offer no protection, just that sun kissed look that all of our vanity yearns for... (I am just as guilty) I have used the daily lotion kind, and its pretty subtle and i dont have orange fingers toes or elbows. I am planning to try the spray on "bed" cincinnati tan has. No light, just a sprayer that lightly coats your skin- plus it lasts longer than the real tanning beds and doesnt dry you out...

 

Doesnt matter how many brands of sunblock you bring if they arent the right SPF. You need atleast SPF 30, and i would bring a SPF 45 if that doesnt work. And stay away from the spray bottles. You dont get enough out of them to protect you.

 

According to the dermatologist you should apply sunblock every hour on the hour. My dermatologist is quite strict. He said not 5 minutes later, or 10 minutes later. Every hour.

 

I dont mind my white skin either. everyone tells me i will love it when im older and look like i never aged a day while everyone else has a leathery old face....but I sometimes feel like i stick out like a bright white light beacon of a lighthouse...but i will stick to the spray on types...

[TMarie]

I used to use a tanning bed, but I won't anymore. I go to the spray tanning booths now. It is a little more expensive, but worth it. I love the results. It looks real and never has any streaking. You just put lotion on your palms and feet so they don't tan. Go into a booth for a few seconds while it automatically sprays you then come out and towel off. I was nervous the first time about the results, but after no one could believe it was a spray tan. I will be going before my cruise in 2 weeks. I will be sure to bring good sunscreen with me on the cruise though.

 

Kudos to you!!!!! :)

[TMarie]

yeah, I don't tan either. I'll get a small bit of color.. but not really a tan. I'm not going for a "base tan" and I'm not going for "vanity". Because I don't go in the sun at all (other than daily exposure).. I'll effectively be going from little sun exposure to 11 days worth of intensive exposure... so I'm using the "tanning" beds as a gradual exposure.

 

I'm sure I'll never go to a tanning bed again. And I do get yearly mole checks by my doctor... I had one removed from my left arm several months ago (clear pathology), and I'm probably going to get my been-there-since-childhood mole removed from my chest right after Hawaii.

 

((((T. Marie)))) I'm so glad yours was caught early and that you didn't have to do chemo. Keep on preaching.... my DH had testicular cancer, stage II, 8 years ago... so I'm all about telling the men to do a monthly testicular exam (as they are supposed to do just like women are supposed to do monthly breast exams).

 

Thats another thing that I have been hearing alot about. My uncle was diagnosed with testicular cancer and they had to remove the lmyph nodes and everything- and he gets checked on a regular basis since his father had the same thing.

 

By the way, you gave me kudos...but just admitted that you still plan to use the bed... shamey shamey! I am very glad that you go annually still. I have 4 more that have to be removed and biopsy so i am still holding my breath...

 

Have a wonderful cruise in Hawaii!

[C-Ked]

Re spray tans -- there was another thread, either on this board or the Princess cruises board, warning people to avoid the spray tan treatment in the cruise ship salons. Lots of people, apparently, have come away from those treatments with awful, awful streaking all over their bodies... I think the words used were "We looked like we had dirt streaked all over our chests." :eek: So get recommendations from previous customers before going to any salon for this kind of semi-permanent treatment!

 

Re fair skin in Hawaii -- I do sort of understand where you're coming from. We're going to Hawaii and Tahiti in August, and the sun will certainly be more ferocious there than it is in NJ. But the solution isn't to go get a base tan for "protection" -- it's to up your SPF factor, wear wide-brimmed hats and billowy coverups, etc.

 

To the poster who's going to Hawaii and is starting with base tans -- I applaud you for at least being careful about getting your skin regularly checked out. But have you talked to your dermatologist about your base tan plan? I can't stress enough how important it is to really protect your skin, and how base tans aren't protective, but rather the beginning stages of damage.

[spleenstomper]

Yeah, I don't care about a tan. I'm just trying to think of whatever way I can prevent a vacationing-ruining burn the first few days in Hawaii. I bought a sun-block infused-in-the-fabric hat and always buy SPF 50 UVA/UVB blocks. I also just bought my favorite brand Dermalogica special face block with something-somthing-healing-whatever in it. lol. And I bought their after-sun moisturizer. I also bought lip balm with SPF 25 (I think 25).

 

I'm sure you know.... I burn and blister and spend the rest of the vacation taking advil and sleeping on my stomach with no clothes and sheets on. Last summer the kids and I spent time at the community pool and that's where I learned that the sprays are terribly inconsistent. Luckily for the kids, they got DH's olive complection... though I still swathe them down in sun block..... they are lucky they don't burn like I do (though I hear you tan=burn.. I'm talking about painful burns).

 

I'm all cool about wearing tunics and hats at the beach, etc. I just can't do that while snorkling (though I have been told to wear a t-shirt to protect my back at that time).

 

I guess the bottom line for me is... I figure I'm going to wind up with some kind of skin cancer because of the past.. you know the 80s and OIL and laying out all summer... etc.. I've also blistered almost every summer since I can remember). That's why I get the mole-freckle-sun damage check and get them removed if I even think about it too much. (DH is a surgeon so I can walk in the office and get his partner to remove whichever one I want pretty much with a few minutes notice).

[spleenstomper]

Well, you've at least got me googling "Fair skin + prevent sunburn" :D :cool: