I'vs sworn off tanning!

[MISSSNOOPYGIRL]

Anyone with me on this? It has actually been anout 3 years. I have had some questionable moles removed and frankly I don't feel like worrying about skin cancer or being a wrinkly old prune when I'm older. I slather on the sunscreen so thick when I cruise it's not even funny! It's like a job but so worth it! I want to start the trend that NATURAL is beautiful. Now I still apply sunless tanning lotion, but it just gives me a slight glow so I don't look sickly, but I wouldn't call it "tan". I mean who thinks tan= beautiful when tan really= cancer? I don't get those of you that burn your skin in the UV rays when it is now known how dangerous the sun is. Like in the 50's- no one knew how dangerous cigarettes were then, but people still smoke today.??!!

[riderfan89]

AMEN!!!! Also, people who use tanning beds before going on a "hot" vacation as protection against the sun are sorely misinformed. Basically, you're just pre-baking your skin! This pre-tan does not provide any UV protection as some seem to think. So I will be glowing white on our January cruise, carrying my SPF 45, and proud of it!

[Happy ks]

I use sunscreen on my face every day of the year, it's just a habit with me now. Actually, it's my moisturizer and has an SPF. Not only my face, but my chest as well.

 

Tans do look nice, but the cost of them is so high (not in $$, but in health and future appearance) it's just so not worth it. With all the self tanners available now, there is no need to burn your skin at all.

 

Tans are not healthy, tanned skin is screaming out that it is damaged. I had a dear friend who passed away a few years ago (not from skin cancer) but she tanned every day of her life. At the age of 53 when she passed, her skin was worse than a 90 year old, drier and very leathery. Not just her face either, her arms and legs were wrinkly and leathery and spotted.

 

Unfortunately, the damage is done when people are young and you can't convince them there are dangers. They don't realize how quick the years pass and they are not invincible.

[Cruise Arizona]

it has been about 15 years since I allowed my self to get a little sun and ended up with a horrible burn that put quite a damper on the rest of my trip.

 

I used to do the sunscreen all the time, but when I moved to AZ I noticed I was still getting more sun than I wanted even with sunscreen.

 

Ever since then I wear a sun hat and a swim suit that I order from Australia called a C-wear C-suit. The best part is that I only need sunscreen on my extremities wich is actually very easy to apply.

 

Here is a picture of my daughter and I "working on our tan" in St. Maarten.

[cb at sea]

The sun will do a number on your skin! I grew up in the "Coppertone" generation--the darker the tan, the better! When I was 2, I had some "affliction" which my pediatrician "cured" with sunlamp exposure---I've had a tan since that time! Now, (in my 50's) my skin is horrible! Unfortunately, not getting some color looks worse than a little tan now! I do use a fairly high SPF but I still need to get some sun. Can't help it!

[Baxter]

I want to start the trend that NATURAL is beautiful. Now I still apply sunless tanning lotion, but it just gives me a slight glow so I don't look sickly

 

Aren't these contradictory statements?

[sviramo]

Growing up on the beach it is really hard to break the habit, though I have been much better. I feel better with some color and I do believe that my cellulite looks better with some color. :0 Also, I have noticed people start to ask me if I am okay and feeling well when winter comes and no tan. That said, I will be cruising in less than two weeks with no tan, no intention of trying to get a tan. If someone doesn't like the bright glow, they don't have to look or they can put on sunglasss to bring down the glare. :)

[BND]

My DH had malignant melanoma a few years ago. He is still followed by an oncologist. Luckily, it was very thin and very early, but he is hispanic and always tanned easily. No one is immune to it. I've always used sunscreen and he does now too. I'd rather be pale.

 

People have this mistaken idea that tanning is healthy and isnt' the same as burning. Sorry, but tanning is the same and both are your skin being damaged.

[jollycruise]

I agree. I have stopped tanning in the beds. After getting on the pill to move my period for three months for our first cruise I ended up with a blood clot. I just figured with those odds I better stop tanning and just be happy with my natural color. Somethings just are not worth the risk anymore.

[riderfan89]

I'm actually glad I'm very fair - I don't tan I only BURN. So I don't have a choice but to use sunscreen. Kind of forced into doing the healthy thing. I'm constantly shocked how at my gym the tanning beds are constantly being used and new tanning salons are still opening up all the time. Don't people consider the long-term effects? Or do they seriously think tanning beds are harmless?? :confused:

[Jane110]

I'm actually glad I'm very fair - I don't tan I only BURN. So I don't have a choice but to use sunscreen.

 

I don't tan, I stroke! :D

 

So, I too have made the sun my enemy since childhood. However, in my teens I was never jealous of my tan friends. As a redhead with milk white skin, a tan on me looks ridiculous.

 

I have friends with dark hair and olive complexions that do look better with some color, but none of them are dumb enough to let the sun leather their skin. They all use tanning products, which have come a long way since they were introduced years ago and are really great.

[Scrappytraveller]

I'm astounded about the posts I see about "tan-through swimsuits" and the likes, in this day and age, but I do think a bit of a tan is nice. It just makes you look healthier, even though that makes no sense. :D But there's a big difference between a healthy glow and baking a leather face. Yuck!

 

So with my first cruise coming up, tell me, is there a fair bit of shaded seating out on the decks? I want to be outside as much as possible but I'd love to sit in the shade. The sun is not my friend.

[Homosassa]

You can usually find a shady spot on deck.

 

I just had a visit with my dermatologist who, when he found out I had just returned from a 10 day southern Caribbean cruise, complimented me on my lack of a tan.

[klct39lg]

I think once one decides not to lay out in the sun, it really takes some of the stress out of vacationing on a cruise. Years ago I used to get a summer tan, a very boring process, now I know better and don't bother. I don't worry about getting a lounge chair by the pool, let the chair hogs keep 'em. I slap on the sunscreen and find a nice shady spot to read and take in the view. :)

[Brneyznfl]

I use to tan but not anymore. My 53 yr old boss has stage 4 melanoma which he is not going to recover from. :(

[Gathina]

Well in Brazil we tan quickly and easily..but skin cancer is a concern.

 

I learned my lesson last trip home in 2005, came back with a giant freckle on my lip..had it biopsied..fortunately it was nothing but I had a big chunk of lip carved out of me and looked ridiculous during recovery.

 

There is nothing uglier, I think, than a 40 something woman or older wakling down the beach with tan, leathery skin from years of tanning. Yuck.

 

Isn't it amazing that somethign that makes you "feel" healthy can kill you!

 

Who said you had to be "tan" anyway just because you are on a cruise? It's funny, now that it is more officially "tourist" season you can spot the tourists easily by their tans while the rest of us are freezing!:)

[bossmum1]

I too got sunstroke a few years ago, My friend and and i was chatting in the garden and drinking tea, it wasent even hot, I think maybe it was the wind more than the sun, that did it, Boy oh boy i was so ill that night i was in total pain , my Knees where so red and painfull i vowed never to sit out in the sun again. Our last cruise i wore loads and i meean loads of sunblock.

MERRRY CHRISTMAS to you all.

[samiam0403]

Totally agree with you all! I used to go to tanning beds (blonde with blue eyes - so tanning doesn't come naturally at all!) and eventually got pretty dark. I'm now going on 7 years since hitting a tanning bed as I'm now in my mid-30's and trying to take care of my skin. Just got back from a cruise 2 weeks ago and my first day back at work my boss walks up behind me and says "well, let's see!" I turn around and he looks at me oddly and says "huh, I thought you'd have a tan!" Silly me, wearing sunscreen and all...I guess sun + vacation is supposed to equal tan. :rolleyes: Nope, I'm trying to stay healthy, thanks. Kudos to all of you who choose healthy over 'media ideals'!

[iheartbda]

Everyone sure seems to be in agreement on the issue.:)

Guess all the tanning bed lovers felt it was pointless to show up.:p

 

 

;):)

[Wildcatllamas]

I have just tried the product Fake Bake and have a nice soft "tan". But you do have to wear gloves when applying it. I have always liked to have a little color to my skin but have been careful about sun exposure since I was a teenager. This takes care of it with a lot less risk.

Barb

[BlueHerons]

I live on the beach so it is hard to stay inside and not go out on the beach.

 

However, I slather up with sunblock but still get a lot of color. Sunblock does not block out all of the suns rays.

 

Several years ago I sailed a sailboat through the Bahamas for 2 1/2 weeks in June and July. Even though I put on 45 all the time, being that we were on deck from sunup to sun down I still came back to the states looking black.

 

We went through a large bottle of 45 SPF every day and a half.

[momofmeg]

I don't tan, I stroke! :D

 

So, I too have made the sun my enemy since childhood. However, in my teens I was never jealous of my tan friends. As a redhead with milk white skin, a tan on me looks ridiculous.

 

I have friends with dark hair and olive complexions that do look better with some color, but none of them are dumb enough to let the sun leather their skin. They all use tanning products, which have come a long way since they were introduced years ago and are really great.

 

Jane that is my daughter is your complexion also. She learned quickly not to try and tan and so she never tans. She only has a small smattering of freckles-before she figured that out too-just enough to look sweet!

 

My thinking is why would any redhead with beautiful porcelain skin want to ruin it with tanning?

 

Now I have hazel eyes that lean toward brown and my hair color was a medium/dark brown. My father had a good bit of native American in him so I inherited his hair and eye color but my skin is fair like my mother's, who was also a redhead. (she was mostly of Irish and Scottish heritage)

 

I used to sunbathe a lot when I was younger, because I felt my skin should match my eye and hair color. I never tan very dark, but I would turn a pretty golden brown. Then the year I turned 31, I noticed I had the beginnings of crow's feet. I stopped tanning. I figured I would prefer to be pale and unwrinkled-_LOL! Besides, I could add a little blush to my face, to get rid of the paleness, and I would also brush a little on my arms and legs in the summer.

 

Unfortunately, I do have sun damage on my chest area from all those years of sunbathing. I do moisturize that area, but little else can be done. Because of this, I tend to stay away from low necklines in clothing.

 

I have not had any skin cancer YET-but I know I still could-as I did the damage all those years ago.

 

My hubby's sister had one taken off (a melanoma ) at age 46. He has to be checked every year- since his sister has had that-and ironically- as he is about an eight native American-he and she both are naturally of a olive complexion.

[Jane110]

 

My thinking is why would any redhead with beautiful porcelain skin want to ruin it with tanning?

 

Totally agree! Sometimes in the summer, people will say to me, "you're so white!" and they say it to insult, not compliment. I just say to them, "why thank you!", though I'm tempted to say , "and your skin looks like my handbag", but I bite my lip! :D :D

 

Now I have hazel eyes that lean toward brown and my hair color was a medium/dark brown.

 

What color were your eyes in the past? Are you now wearing hazel contact lenses? What color is your hair now? Did you change it when you got hazel contact lenses?

 

 

Unfortunately, I do have sun damage on my chest area from all those years of sunbathing. I do moisturize that area, but little else can be done. Because of this, I tend to stay away from low necklines in clothing.

 

There's actually a lot that can be done in that area. First off is prevention of more damage, and that means sunblock every day on the neck and chest.

 

The other product you should be using on your skin (face, neck, and chest) daily is vitamin C & E Ferulic serum by Skinceuticals.

http://www.skinceuticals.com/_us/_en/catalog/prevent/C-E-Ferulic.htm

My dermatologist says no one should be without this product! You'll see a big difference in your skin after about 2 weeks of using this.

 

You can have professional chemical peels and/or professional microdermabrasions. I've seen fantastic results on many women; age spots are gone, skin is smoother and less wrinkled.

If you don't want to spend the money to have it professionally done, you can use some home strength peels. AB is a good brand http://www.abskincare.com/

and so is the Dr. Dennis Gross line. MD Skincare

http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml;jsessionid=553XQXN4WSSSOCV0KRTRHOQ?brandId=MD+Skincare

 

 

Also, exfoliation of the area will also make it appear slightly more wirnkle free, and generally give the area a nicer look. Stay away from those "natural" ones sold in health food stores - the ones made with crushed almond pits or other nonsense. Those can scratch your skin! You want one that is made with tiny steel ball particles which are perfect spheres and don't have sharp jagged edges to tear skin.

[momofmeg]

Totally agree! Sometimes in the summer, people will say to me, "you're so white!" and they say it to insult, not compliment. I just say to them, "why thank you!", though I'm tempted to say , "and your skin looks like my handbag", but I bite my lip! :D :D

 

 

 

What color were your eyes in the past? Are you now wearing hazel contact lenses? What color is your hair now? Did you change it when you got hazel contact lenses?

 

 

 

 

There's actually a lot that can be done in that area. First off is prevention of more damage, and that means sunblock every day on the neck and chest.

 

The other product you should be using on your skin (face, neck, and chest) daily is vitamin C & E Ferulic serum by Skinceuticals.

http://www.skinceuticals.com/_us/_en/catalog/prevent/C-E-Ferulic.htm

My dermatologist says no one should be without this product! You'll see a big difference in your skin after about 2 weeks of using this.

 

You can have professional chemical peels and/or professional microdermabrasions. I've seen fantastic results on many women; age spots are gone, skin is smoother and less wrinkled.

If you don't want to spend the money to have it professionally done, you can use some home strength peels. AB is a good brand http://www.abskincare.com/

and so is the Dr. Dennis Gross line. MD Skincare

http://www.sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml;jsessionid=553XQXN4WSSSOCV0KRTRHOQ?brandId=MD+Skincare

 

 

Also, exfoliation of the area will also make it appear slightly more wirnkle free, and generally give the area a nicer look. Stay away from those "natural" ones sold in health food stores - the ones made with crushed almond pits or other nonsense. Those can scratch your skin! You want one that is made with tiny steel ball particles which are perfect spheres and don't have sharp jagged edges to tear skin.

 

No contact lenses I see well still-though I need reading glasses-any seeing trouble I have now is the retinopathy I have in my eyes- my eyes will blur at times from this condition.

 

No. my eyes have faded with age. They were more brown and only slightly hazel when I was younger. LOL! this is the only thing that has improved with age. I love hazel eyes, my hubby has them, though his have more blue than mine.

 

I have a good bit of gray in my hair now. Instead of covering the gray, as it never lasts, no matter what shampoo I use, and if I use permanent colors, the rest of my hair that is still brown fades red, very quickly,(my hairdresser says I have lots of red pigment in my hair) not a pretty red, but a brassy red; instead my hairdresser adds a few blond highlights. With the blond highlights, the gray becomes another "shade" on blond. The overall effect is my hair looks light brown.

 

Jane, people are NUTS if they tell you to tan. You would be covered in freckles and at very serious risk of skin cancer. But with beautiful porcelain skin, why would you want to? Perhaps they are jealous, that you have skin that is beautiful without hours of baking?

[momofmeg]

No contact lenses I see well still-though I need reading glasses-any seeing trouble I have now is the retinopathy I have in my eyes- my eyes will blur at times from this condition.

 

No. my eyes have faded with age. They were more brown and only slightly hazel when I was younger. LOL! this is the only thing that has improved with age. I love hazel eyes, my hubby has them, though his have more blue than mine.

 

I have a good bit of gray in my hair now. Instead of covering the gray, as it never lasts, no matter what shampoo I use, and if I use permanent colors, the rest of my hair that is still brown fades red, very quickly,(my hairdresser says I have lots of red pigment in my hair) not a pretty red, but a brassy red; instead my hairdresser adds a few blond highlights. With the blond highlights, the gray becomes another "shade" on blond. The overall effect is my hair looks light brown.

 

Jane, people are NUTS if they tell you to tan. You would be covered in freckles and at very serious risk of skin cancer. But with beautiful porcelain skin, why would you want to? Perhaps they are jealous, that you have skin that is beautiful without hours of baking?

 

Jane, I have few if any wrinkles on my face. I do use two lotions/creams. I use a night cream that has retinol and a day lotion that has alpha/hydroxy and a spf. they seem to be working.

 

Now my face gets puffy now-along with other areas of my body as I retain fluids-but it is my meds-I have been checked out for my heart and kidneys- the DR's solution is for me to take another med-a water pill. I am already on half a dozen meds and I refuse to do it. Everything I take seems to have a side effect-I figure I will just live with retaining fluids.

 

I will look into that chemical peel for my chest area. I think it would be nice to do that when it gets warm again-then I won't be so embarrassed in my swim suit and summer blouses.