Is it worth it?? Had such a sad patient today at work...40 yr. old woman that had a mole removed from her back 2 yrs ago, was melanoma that has now spread to lungs, liver, bones, etc...it was so sad. She said she would go to the beaches when she was younger and just before she found her mole she was spending a lot of time in the tanning beds. The chemo is not working and she's hoping to join a clinical trial. She said she now "preaches" to the young women she knows that it's not worth it...

Kell-

I am so glad you posted this. I was just 'weighing' my options about joining a tanning bed when my hubby deploys because I hate how pale I am. (I was a sunbather all through high school, tan tan tan!) But I just keep thinking that it's not worth it.

THEN I stumble on this post. Thank you. :] People pick on my son too because all the toddlers around here are pretty tan during the summer and he was white as a sheet. All I can think is yeah, sure let my 1 1/2 year old be dark as leather and then have cancer because of me by the time he's 20! :[

Tan is cuter (IMO) but NOT worth that. Heartbreaking.

St.Moritz sunless tanner is amazing. You have to order it from the UK but I love it.

I have psoriasis, and the doctor recommended that I got to the tanning bed on occasion to help keep it dried up. I don't do it though. I think I will take my chances with the psoriasis.

its not worth it!!
i just had two pre-cancerous moles removed 2 months ago. i was a wreck.
the scars are horrible.
i was a sun worshiper since i was a kid.
back then i used to use baby oil and bake all day!
i would suffer from nasty sun poisoning!! in the hospital twice for it.
when tanning salons came out i would go tanning in the morning-in the high beds then spend all day at the beach!
both of my kids worked at the salon during their high school years so i tanned for free.
i used the excuse that at least i dont get burned anymore. and it was so relaxing.
after the scare i just had- and the fact that now i have to be checked every 6 months- im DONE!
i recommend using a self tanning lotion. you get the same effect. and i use sunscreen all the time.
my kids who have had memberships to the gym that include tanning have now cancelled the tanning part of the membership.
ill say a prayer for this young mom.
its so sad- and skin cancer spreads so fast.

I was never a sun worshiper (too hot; too sweaty; too boring to just sit in the sun) but even way back then I'd look at those people and wonder "Do you REALLY think that dried up leather look is attractive????" Since I used to sell a skin care line (not the pink one), I tend to notice the condition of facial skin and it's sad to see the price being paid for sun worship. And that's just the surface. It's even sadder when we hear stories like this one.

Ironic that it's referred to as a "healthy" tan, huh?