Echoing all the anti-tanning sentiments. It's just not worth the skin cancer, which is just as bad as any other cancer and involves surgery, chemo, radiation, radiation sickness, hair loss, etc. etc. Do yourself a favor and get a good airbrush spray tan!

I've never been in a tanning bed & think dark suntans are ugly.

That said, sunshine & tanning beds are being recommended by alternative health folks to increase vitamin D & vitamin D3. High serum vitamin D levels are associated with a decrease in all cancers & influenza immunity.

Not to be a party pooper but... there is a lot of FDA controversy about the safety of spray on tans.
http://doctormercola.com/2009/02/06/...spray-tanning/

Yeah, some sunshine is necessary for your body to metabolize vitamin D and to produce vitamin K, but getting a suntan - which is just your skin trying to save itself from too much UVA/UVB rays - is going overboard.

Not to be argumentative, but, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, "Use of tanning beds is a major risk factor for melanoma, with studies showing people who use tanning beds have a higher melanoma risk, a higher incidence of getting a second melanoma, and are younger when they develop melanoma."

If you want more Vitamin D, take a supplement!

I go out in the sun for 5 mins and get dark....that's what I get for being half native american an half white

We have a bed at the salon I work at, and I've laid in it. About the acrylic breaking, I think it depends how old it is and how much wear it has on it. Unless you see cracks in the bed, you'll be okay.

The vitamin D issue is non-issue, 15 min of sunlight a day makes all your body needs. I have used them for seasonal depression, but then again to make the difference is a very short period of time 3-7 min, not enough to really tan in. Take a look at the most beautiful women with the nicest skin, they stay out of the sun and the tanning bed. I won't tell you don't, just go in with eyes wide open.

I use products like Jergens Natural Glow for my tan. They work great if you exfoliate the skin really well. I'm already fat, I sure don't want old leather looking skin, or worse, skin cancer. Be safe and research the data about tanning beds.

There is plenty of evidence that the use of sunblock is what has caused the increase in melanoma over the last 25 years and not sun exposure.
Most people in this country are deficient in vitamin D and the vitamin D story is much, much more involved than simply taking a pill or casual sun exposure.

"Sensible sun exposure should be encouraged, not maligned. If one avoids sunburn, the sun’s health-giving benefits far outweigh its detrimental effects. A large body of evidence indicates that sunlight does not cause the most lethal form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma. A U.S. Navy study found that melanoma occurred more frequently in sailors who worked indoors all the time. Those who worked outdoors had the lowest incidence of melanoma. Also, most melanomas appear on parts of the body that are seldom exposed to sunlight (Arch Environ Health 1990;45:261–267). Sun exposure is associated with increased survival from melanoma (J Natl Cancer Inst 2005;97:195–199). Another study showed that people who had longer lifetime exposure to the sun without burning were less likely to get melanomas than those with less exposure (J Invest Dermatol 2003;120:1087–1093.)"

You can read more here
http://www.lewrockwell.com/miller/miller25.html

1. Natural sun exposure is different from tanning beds, which concentrate the UVB and UVA rays to high levels that affect deeper layers of skin and don't protect you from the natural sun.

2. Melanomas aren't the only form of cancer to worry about. There are basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas to name a couple. While not life threatening, they are often disfiguring. My dad has approximately 45 facial and head scars from having these puppies removed. Some have been deep enough to require skin grafts from his forearms. My sister has a huge facial scar that often prompts the question "did you have a cleft lip when you were born?" She didn't. She hates the huge scar that runs down the middle of her face.

SO, why chance it? Take natural sunlight in real moderation. Avoid the burns. Avoid strong sun from 11am til 2pm. Cover up when you are outside. And stay away from the tanning beds. They don't contribute significantly to vitamin D production, affect the deeper layers of the skin and do nothing to protect you from sunburn.

JMHO

Kira

Not to jump into the fray, as I've done my own research and made my own decision about tanning and therefore have no interest in debating it, but I did want to say that yesterday while at the tanning bed I noticed, for the first time, a big crack running down it! So clearly someone at some point cracked it but they haven't done anything about it, and it made no difference at all in my tanning session.

I love the advice about vitamin D you see that says get 15 minutes of sun on a day where sunburn is possible. Uh ... I burn in 15 minutes. To stick to the level of sun exposure that means no burning or tanning, for me means sunscreen everyday. And I am far from the fairest person I know.

I just wanted to echo everyone by saying no to tanning beds. I am so fair skinned and during undergrad I went tanning religiously. I am so scared now that I have permanently damaged my cells.

With all the good things we are doing for ourselves with losing weight, why put yourself in more danger. We are already at risk for cancers because of all the free radicals we put in our bodies while packing on the pounds--with all the weird, unnatural, fast food, processed, nutritionless things we ate!

Here's a link to something I read recently in Fitness magazine. Lots of good tips on how to get an awesome, cheap, fake, HEALTHY tan at home. Even how to apply it evenly on your back without anyone's help!

http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/beauty/sun-care/tanning/youre-good-to-glow-self-tanning-tips/

Good luck ladies Happy summer!

So does that mean it's not possible to get enough Vitamin D through supplements? I'm avoiding the sun now out of vanity, because my desired complexion is pale and I tan extremely easily.

Ah, tanning.
Used to do it all the time in the 80's when I was in high school then in early college. Even worked at a salon.
I have wrinkles now that I know are from the tanning, also freckling (I never had 1 freckle!)
My good friend (not friend of friend or misc person from an anonomous study got skin cancer from the beds (she worked at the salon too). She now sports a huge scar that runs down and across her neck.
Even if you think the beds are safe - do it for vanity.
I can always tell a tanner by the condition of their skin (and so can everyone else). Its just not pretty.

There's a study out there to justify just about anything.
Me-i'll go by what I see in plain sight.

Good luck.