The Desire To Tan; What Should Be Done About Tanning Beds

The Desire To Tan; What Should Be Done About Tanning Beds

                       Tiffin University

                        Victoria Korce

                            11/27/16

             ENG142_200 Rhetroic and Academic Writing

                       
Most women in America want to achieve the look of the “American Girl: bleach blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfectly tan bodies. Even though this look is impossible and illogical to reach, we see more and more women gravitate to the trend of tanning. This trend makes people develop a higher risk of skin cancer and premature aging in the face, yet people continue to ignore this risk simply because they think they look better with a tan (Playforth,2014, p. 36). They believe it is a fashion/cosmetic trend that is really worth risking the chance of contracting skin cancer. Something needs to be addressed about what we need to do about tanning beds. The question is; what should be done about tanning beds? Three things need to be done about tanning beds; acknowledge as a society that this is a problem, put in place indoor tanning laws, and put some practices in place to remind women and men before entering the tanning bed, how much they are at risk.

Skin cancer can effect anybody. They could be your friends, family members, co-workers, etc. The reason why I feel so strongly on why something should be done about tanning beds is through personal experience. My Mom used tanning beds and developed basal-cell cancer. Yes, my own Mother fell victim into the tanning bed craze because she thought she looked better with a tan. She knew all the warning signs and refused to listen to them. Even when I told her myself, “Mom you can develop skin cancer” and all she had to say is “Well I will look good in my casket.” I was fifteen years old when she told me that and seven years later I still remember that very conversation.  

In the photo showing Basal Cell, Squamous Cell, and Melanomas, points out the affects of skin cancer can caused. Observing these pictures reminds me so much of my own mother who had these on her face. For the longest time she wasn't able to go in the sun with ought 60 SPF. Including that she had to do these face mask treatments which made her for twenty- four hours stay in the house. If she even stepped foot in the sunlight her face would burn from the medicine that was on her face.
 The best author who gave the best information was the article titled College students’ Behaviors, Perceptions, Beliefs, and Attitudes Regarding Tanning Bed Use and Skin Cancer by Playforth, Larkin, and Schwartz. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in America. (Playforth, 2014, p. 34). We can see from this quote (coming up) how many are affected with skin cancer each year. Also who is at risk for developing skin cancer. It’s also scary to think that one-five Americans will develop skin cancer.“Among the types of cancer reported each year, skin cancer is the most common. Of all skin cancers diagnosed, basal and squamous cell skin cancers affect about 2.2 million and melanoma affects more than 76,000 Americans each year (ACS, 2013b). An estimated 12,650 deaths (9,480 from melanoma and 3,170 from other non-epithelial skin cancers) may occur in 2013 (ACS, 2013a)” (Playforth,2014, p. 35).  

As you can see in the picture called the five burning truths. One of the truths they talk about what skin type is more at risk for skin cancer. People who have a higher risk of having skin cancer are; fair skin, natural blond or red hair color, sensitivity to ultraviolet light, a difficult time tanning, a history of excessive sun exposure and sunburns, tanning bed use, and a past history of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the only cancer that is preventable and can be non-life threatening if caught early (CDC, 2013b) (Playforth,2014, p. 35). Why would people want to any kind of cancer? If this cancer is the only kind that is preventable, why are people still willing to tan?

Tanning beds have also been associated with a 75% higher risk of melanoma and are particularly dangerous for people who begin tanning younger than age 35 (CDC, 2013b) (Playforth,2014, p. 35). Which is also stated in the photo Tanning Beds: The Deadly New Trend. This photo admits that 32% of high school girls in the twelfth grade tan and that the reason for this epidemic is because most people believe indoor tanning is safer. Also reported in that photo you can develop cataracts and corneal burns in your eyes.
Not only increasing the chance of getting skin cancer, some people love tanning so much that some tanners have been linked to having a tanning addiction. This makes more of an important reason why something needs to be done about tanning beds. The desire to tan should be seen as a legitimate addiction. Addicts have claimed that they wanted to look good (90%), feel good (69%), and relax (56%) (Kourosh, 2010, p. 285). This addiction needs not to be over looked, it needs to be addressed by society and the medical community.

So what should be done about tanning beds? We know how this trend is dangerously popular, that tanning increases the chance of skin cancer by 75 %, and that some people have who have tanning addictions. First we must admit that it is a problem in our society. We should admit that our society is at fault here. We are constantly telling women and men that they are ugly in their own skin with-ought a tan. Just in this picture that I share (The Truth About Tanning), it illustrates how people feel about their own skin. They show how less confidante they are in their own skin. It also points out the false statements that people claim about tanning like; base tan will protect you from the sun and tanning is the best way to get vitamin d.
   In the video that I shared (Woman Has Tanned Every Day for 10 Years: Tanning Addicts Risk Health Problems) remarks that girls who get into tanning get it from their mothers. After we have acknowledge as a society that we need to work on loving the skin that we are born in, then we can start working on a solution on what should be done about tanning beds. Secondly we need to put into effect indoor tanning laws so that no one under the age of eighteen should use a tanning bed at all. Thirdly we need to have some practices put in place so that before women or men step into the bed each time they are informed on the dangerous of tanning beds.

  In conclusion we should do something about tanning beds. Three ideas I discussed where acknowledge as a society that this is a problem, put in place indoor tanning laws, and put some practices in place to remind women and men before entering the tanning bed, how much they are at risk. From all this information I have reported about skin cancer, should make us as a society want to make a change about the use of tanning beds. For not only for our sake but for our future children's sake. Since skin cancer is the only cancer that preventable, we should be taking better care of skin.

                           

                                                Photo Links
                                   The Truth About Tanning
                                     The Five Burning Truths
                                              Tanning Beds

                                                            References

Harland, E., Griffith, J., Lu, H., Erickson, T., & Magsino, K. (2016). Health behaviours associated with indoor tanning based on the 2012/13 Manitoba Youth Health Survey. Maladies Chroniques Et Blessures Au Canada, 36(8), 149-162.

Kourosh, A. S., Harrington, C. R., & Adinoff, B. (2010). Tanning as a Behavioral Addiction. American Journal Of Drug & Alcohol Abuse, 36(5), 284-290. 

Playforth, F. M., Larkin, L. J., & Schwartz, L. M. (2014). College Students' Behaviors, Perceptions, Beliefs, and Attitudes Regarding Tanning Bed Use and Skin Cancer. Kentucky Newsletter For Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 52(1), 34-47.

SCHNEIDER, S., SCHIRMBECK, F., BOCK, C., GREINERT, R., BREITBART, E. W., & DIEHL, K. (2015). Casting Shadows on the Prevalence of Tanning Dependence: An Assessment of mCAGE Criteria. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 95(2), 162-168. 

 Stapleton, J. L., Hillhouse, J. J., Turrisi, R., Baker, K., Manne, S. L., & Coups, E. J. (2016). The Behavioral Addiction Indoor Tanning Screener (BAITS): An Evaluation of a Brief Measure of Behavioral Addictive Symptoms. Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 96(4), 552-553 .