How much better does tanning make you look?

[Taylor]

first off, i haven't gotten a complete tan in about 5 years maybe (haven't been to a beach in 5 years and that was the last time i gotta tan), my problem is in the summer I'm playing baseball about every day, so i end up with the farmers tan every year....my forearms are dark, my neck is dark and everything else is white


i do have some time to lay out in the sun, but before I would just get bored and go off to do something else..that or it seemed like a family of mosquito's were gonna stay on me the whole time

is it really worth it to take the time to tan? I've gotten my body fat low, I'm satisfied with my build, but i don't have spare money to sit in a tanning salon everyday

is it worth sitting in the sun, bored as hell for a few weeks?



in other words, where YOU happier with your appearance once you got tanned or did it not make a difference to you

[Taylor]

also, how long should i sit in the sun to begin with? I don't want to overdo it, i've been playing basketball without a shirt, and whenever i'm outside i'm shirtless, doing sprinting, cutting the grass, etc....but it keeps raining, so i haven't noticed results

[Puddles]

You ask how much better tanning makes you look...it gives you wrinkles and skin cancer and scars from cancer removal.

Indoor and outdoor tanning both have risks. Go with a self tanning lotion instead.

Sorry to be such a spoil sport but I'm going in for my 3rd skin cancer removal this week. Tanning is not worth the risks IMO.

[garfield]

I agree its not worth it, anyway, the farmers tan is fine so long as your not walking round naked nobody see's it.

Puddles you don't need a artificial sun, you have a great ass and the sun looks to be shining right out of it!

[bad14u]

Originally posted by Puddles
...it gives you wrinkles and skin cancer and scars from cancer removal. Tanning is not worth the risks IMO.

Our aqautics supervisor is like 45 or 46 years old and her skin looks like an old catchers mit. The sun ages the skin and makes it tough...like keather.

[meat12]

Yeah I stopped going after I heard of a friend having those type of problems, really not worth it

[pierced one]

i burn really bad IF i dont go tan. The first time without a shirt all year without a tan and i am garunteed blisters. If i am tan no problem.

[Puddles]

Originally posted by pierced one
i burn really bad IF i dont go tan. The first time without a shirt all year without a tan and i am garunteed blisters. If i am tan no problem.

It's burns like that which cause cancer, use some sunblock, even an SPF 15 on skin like yours will probably still give you come color but help prevent the bad sunburn. I'm going to the Bahamas on vacation soon and I found an SPF 70 and got 2 bottles.

Living in FL I see a lot of people who tan pretty regularly and the premature aging and damage to the skin's elasticity it does is a shame.

[BBAddict]

I tan in the spring to get a base tan so I don't get sunburns. I always do a vacation to florida in April, so I tan in March so I don't stick out like a sore, white thumb next to all you native Floridians!
I'll be down in beautiful Florida next week--I can't wait! I need the vacation and I'm dying to end this cutting diet.

[bad14u]

Originally posted by Puddles
SPF 70 and got 2 bottles.

I have heard dermatologist say that anything over 30 or 45 is essentailly non-effective. Your thoughts?

[shortz]

^^^Yes. A few years ago a news channel did a research project on the effects of sun block to be safe. They found that SPF15 had almost the same exact effect that 30 had. Although 30 is optimal, anything over that is not effective. I think the numbers represent exposure times. Nothing short of actual clothing can protect you from burning past 30 mins in the sun.

If it's a tan you're looking for, I would recommend that you buy a self tanning lotion. My wife has had skin cancer when she was a teen, so tanning is out of the question. She uses the "build a tan" stuff, in which you regulate the tan by how many times per week you apply, or something like that. If you try to get REALLY dark with it, it starts to get an orange tone though, so use only enough to get color, then from there, just a little time being active in the sun makes you look nice.

I think my wife is using Neutragena stuff right now. Price is def something to consider too. The cheap stuff is junk, you should be paying atleast $8+ for a bottle of it.

[BENCH355ANIMAL]

I only tan a few months out of the year (April-August), so my skin has time to rest during the cooler months. I found a way to stay pretty dark, and not have to tan more than 1 or 2 times a week. Once I get a good base going from the tanning bed, I start applying the Nuetrogena self tanning foam after each tanning session. I wait an hour, and then shower. After about 2-3 tan/applications.....I'm as brown as a Hawaiin Tropic girl, and then only have to actually tan 1-2 times a week to keep it.

[Puddles]

Originally posted by bad14u
I have heard dermatologist say that anything over 30 or 45 is essentailly non-effective. Your thoughts?

While I was in surgery today I mentioned that I got an SPF 70 and the dr. said it's a waste, 45 is sufficient. When I go on vacation I will do my own test and do 70 on one side and 45 on the other for the week and see how it goes.


Something interesting he mentioned while he was suturing me was that I have an unusually thin dermis layer, this is why I've had problems healing post-op causing scars and probably why I developed such bad stretchmarks. Genetics...can't live with em, can't live without em.

[Shibby]

So, that's why you're so nice. You're not thick skined.




I know that was ,

In the voice of Joe Pesci "Whatever, whatever"

[Puddles]

It was a pretty bad joke but it made me smile anyway. Thanks, I needed it.

[Severedties]

28.75% better

[Puddles]

Here's what the results of sun damage can be like. It's bad enough I've developed a million freckles but now my third melanoma in a year and a half was just removed.

Just took this pic, had surgery 5 days ago, can't train upper body for at least another 2 weeks for fear of ripping the stitches as this is in a bad spot just above my armpit.

[Taylor]

well i've been playing basketball in the sun without a short and i haven't gotten any darker anyway

I have baseball games each weekend, so my neck and my forearms are dark as hell, everything else is white...idk why i only tan on the field, but can't tan on a basketball court *shrugs*

puddles was your problem from tanning too much purposely or where you just out in the sun too much doing normal activities

[Puddles]

I never tanned much in the sun but for about 2 yrs. before I was diagnosed I tanned once a week in a tanning bed because I thought it was safe.

The first one was in an area that never got direct natural sun, the other two got sun exposure. The two that got sun exposure were more advanced stages. I was also sunburned a few times when I was a kid.