Although spring break hasn't yet arrived, there are still a number of students walking around campus with perfectly tan skin. Either those students take weekend trips to the tropics, or they have visited tanning beds.
There are 56 tanning salons in the UW-Madison campus area which can be easily found by looking in the yellow pages of the phone book'proving that artificial tanning is truly popular among students. When choosing a place to tan, students usually go somewhere close to campus with reasonable rates. Cortney Johnson, a tan UW-Madison student, goes to the Madison Tanning Company, 2620 E. Washington Ave., \because it's close.""
Students go tanning primarily to keep the ""tan look"" all year round. However, even more students have been going tanning in recent weeks. Instead of starting a tan during the spring break vacation, a number of students want to be tan when they put on those swimsuits for the first time.
A receptionist at Tan World, 705 S. Gammon Road, said that business ""definitely picks up before spring break.""
The ""We Tanu"", 4261 Lien Road, salon normally sees about 120 customers per day, but when spring break nears, this number increases to nearly 190 a day.
""I tan once in a while, but I have been going more lately because spring break is coming up,"" said UW-Madison senior Haley Schultz. Schultz wants to have a nice tan when she gets down to Florida during spring break.
Even in nice weather, tanning beds are ideal for those who want a quick change in the color of their skin. A day out on Panama Beach is equivalent to 15 to 30 minutes in a tanning bed. The factor of time is reason enough for some students to go to tanning beds in summer.
""I even go in summer because I work all the time, and I don't have a chance to lay out,"" Johnson said.
Some students don't tan simply because it's not a big deal for them not to have a tan and often it is not worth the cost. Tanning beds are undoubtedly more expensive than lying out in the sun. Tanning sessions average around $6 or $7 per visit. Students that are frequent tanners often find deals promoted by tanning salons. For example, one student pays $20 dollars per month for unlimited visits at one salon.
Tanning seems ideal for some, but others are concerned with the dangers. Some students stay clear of tanning beds because of the serious risk of skin cancer.
""I don't go to tanning beds because melanoma cancer runs in my family,"" said UW-Madison student Megan Thiel.
Although many students choose to ignore the possible aversive long-term effects, there are a number of risks that they take when they step into a tanning bed. Skin problems do not show up until a number of years after exposure, making it easy to ignore any warnings about tanning. The number of those afflicted with skin cancer is projected to rise when the large number of teens and people in their 20s who spend time in tanning beds become middle aged.
Tanning beds have been connected to a particular type of skin cancer called melanoma. Other types of skin cancer'basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma'have also been linked to excessive UV ray exposure.
According to the Healthy Crew Web site, ""The longer your skin is exposed to UV radiation, the higher your likelihood of getting skin cancer.""
Tanning beds have also contributed to premature aging of skin. It's not just tanning beds that are harmful though. Tanning in general is not safe because of the UV radiation from bulbs in a bed and the sun. However, having a tan complexion is a popularly accepted as a ""good look.""
Since many students are planning on exposing their skin to UV radiation regardless of risks, there are precautions that can make it less dangerous. First of all, wearing protective eye wear in the tanning booths as well as wearing 100 percent UV-protective sunglasses outside can greatly reduce any harmful effects to eyes.
Secondly, limiting the duration of sun or tanning bed exposure is a good idea too, especially limiting the time of sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when radiation is at its strongest.
Thirdly, listen to your mother when she preaches about wearing sunscreen'at least SPF 15'because this can greatly increase the chances of a healthy, skin-cancer-free future. Those who have fair skin and burn easily need to be extra careful because they are at a greater risk.
Next week, many students will actually be exposed to the hot sun if traveling south. Some students may return to Madison burned, but hopefully not, if they wore their sunscreen. Some will continue to go to tanning beds to keep their tan regardless of the risks. Others will just enjoy the temporary tan as a sign that screams, ""Yeah, I just got back from spring break!""
http://www.fda.gov/cdrh/tanning.html
