The Effects of Sun Tanning on your Skin

             Beauty is only skin deep, so they say, but the skin also spells a big difference as to the look and packaging of the person. It has been known the world over that cosmetic alteration is a big industry. For one, those who have dark skin want to get fairer complexion. The white-skinned on the other hand sometimes opt to get a little dark.

            While many people especially women want white skin, many people as well believe that tanned skin is beautiful and creates a background for good dressing and good skin. On the other hand, the reason for some may not at all be cosmetic for many believe that sun exposure is healthy.

Artificial dark complexions can be achieved through exposure to heat. People who love the beaches get the natural dark skin by bathing under the sun and cooking the skin with sophisticated skin products. Those who do not have the luxury of time to go to the beach or bather under the garden sun go to tanning parlors to get the right, even dark skin tone they desire. Either way, tanning can have many effects to the skin including the bad ones. However, many people who want to look good and who believe that tanned skin can make them look good will not mind the effects.

            Sun tanning can cause blistering. Sun burn has been known to affect the skin when someone exposed to excessive heat do not use the right products to prevent burning or blistering. When blisters occur, the skin looses its natural protection and becomes fragile to external factors such as dust, foreign objects, and dirt. This can further irritate the skin. Save to say, it can really be painful as well.

            Sun tanning also has long-term ill effects to the equilibrium of the skin. The skin’s pigmentation is altered with frequent and prolonged sun exposure. The natural balance between the darkening and whitening pigments change as sun exposure encourages production of more melanin to give the skin a darker complexion. While this in itself is not bad, it contributes to the further ill effects that tanning can cause.

            Sun tanning can cause cancer when sun exposure, whether natural or through tanning bed, is frequent and intensified. Because the ozone layer which sieves the sun rays and keeps it safe for human skin has long been destroyed, sun heat especially after 9:00 a.m. has become a culprit which causes skin cancer. Even sun rays before 9:00 a.m. can not be trusted anymore as well. The recommendation would be to lessen exposure and to wear protective gear and skin products.

            Tanning can also psychologically affect those who desire them. When someone who has long wanted a tan gets it yet has not been contented, or finds that it does not fit her or her personality, she is faced with the dilemma of reverting back to his natural skin color. While whitening products who do the contrary abound, these products lighten skin artificially as well and cannot fully put back the skin to its original tone.

Reference

Suntanning and tanning booths. 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2007, from http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/faqs/tanningbooths.html