Why Self Tanners Are SO Much Better Than Tanning Beds (Or Sunlight)!
We all want to look like sun-kissed, bronzed goddesses with that perfect, “just left the beach” tan, even in the winter.
The problem is, getting that look used to be dangerous to our health and aging to our skin.
There’s nothing less sexy than a prematurely-aged, withered and sickly person.
So, what’s the solution? You guessed it– self tanners!
But just in case you’ve been living under a rock the last few years, let’s look at why tanning beds and too much sun can be so dangerous…
Skin Cancer
Skin cancer (also called melanoma) can be deadly as it kills many thousands of people every year.
And even if it doesn’t kill you, the recovery and removal process can require many procedures and surgeries.
While not all skin cancer is caused by sun and UV exposure, a large percentage of it is. In fact, it’s become such a huge problem that the Surgeon General issued a warning about it in 2014.
If that doesn’t keep you out of the sun or tanning beds, I don’t know what will!
Cataracts
Cataracts are the result of genetic issues as well as sun exposure.
They cause clouding over of the eyes and difficulty seeing.
They can be prevented by staying out of the sun and, when in the sun, wearing proper sunglasses.
Immune Suppression
Immune suppression sounds scary… and it is.
The skin is the shield with which we protect our body and its vital organs.
If it’s compromised from overexposure to UV radiation, it can cause a lot of problems for your body’s defense system.
Premature Aging
As you all know, too much UV radiation can cause premature aging of the skin, giving it a leathery, wrinkled and tough appearance.
We’ve all seen those people who have spent much too much time in the sun.
You can spot them from a mile away. They just look weathered and worn down.
Collagen and Elastin Fiber Breakdown
Characterized by vertical wrinkling and a generally saggy and aged appearance, this type of breakdown in the skin happens when the UV radiation breaks down the deeper connective tissues under the skin.
This is another contributing factor to that wrinkled, gross-skin look we just discussed.
Skin Damage
Aside from wrinkling and just looking older and more tired, there are other ways in which you can damage your skin with too much exposure to the sun’s and tanning bed’s harmful rays.
Here’s a quick list of some of the not-so-lovely side effects of too much exposure:
- Age spots – They resemble freckles but are larger and generally appear on the arms and upper back.
- Labial Lentigo – A spot on your lower lip from excessive sun exposure.
- Melasma- Dark patches on the cheeks, nose, chin and forehead sometimes associated with pregnancy and other female hormonal changes.
- Solar Keratoses- Not only do these rough, hard patches look and feel pretty awful, but they can also lead to cancer. No thank you!
A Simple Solution: Self-Tanner
With all the negative effects of sunlight and UV radiation, you’re probably wondering if you should just remain pale the rest of your life!
But fear not, there is a solution– self tanner!
Self tanners are better for a variety of reasons, but most importantly, they’re safe.
None of the dangerous and unattractive side effects we just talked about, happen when you use self tanning lotions.
You simply apply them to your skin, wait 6-8 hours and voila! Perfectly tanned skin!
The ease of use, effectiveness and safety of these products has made them the choice of celebrities, actors, models and everyday fabulous people Everywhere.
Self tanners work so well in fact, that there really is NO reason to spend any time in the sun (without sunscreen) or in tanning beds!
To see which self tanners we’re recommending now, check out our list of the best self tanners.
Category: Facts About Self Tanning, Self Tan, Self Tanning Safety
