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As spring break approaches rather quickly at Minnesota State, many students have already been preparing for their warm destinations by heading to the tanning salon.
Planet Beach Contempo Spa, located across the street from campus, has seen a definite increase in tanners within the last month. Briana Hinz, a Planet Beach employee for almost two years, says the business has been hit with spring break tannners.
"Everyone wants to try to get that base tan and I know that some people think it's a myth, but what we're essentially doing is not preventing you from burning when you go on a trip, what it's doing is giving you a little bit more of a barrier to the sun," said Hinz. "We're not telling people that we're going to prevent them from burning; we still always recommend that they use an SPF when they're outdoors."
According to skincancer.org, nearly 30 million people tan indoors in the U.S. every year and 2.3 million of them are teens, giving the indoor tanning industry an estimated annual revenue of $5 billion.
"A lot of people, especially first-time tanners, come in here and find themselves very relaxed after they tan. So it's a very relaxing and rejuvenating experience," Hinz said. "Aside from the tan part, a lot of people don't come in here to get the tan. They come in here for like a 20-minute break from their busy lives or whatever they're doing."
Junior Pamela Janak has been tanning ever since she came to MSU in August 2007. She tans in a tanning bed one to two times a week but has tanned as many as six times a week. Janak said she tans not only for the look, but also to improve her mood.
"I prefer the look of being tan compared to having normal to pale skin. I tan because the beds are warm, so warm," said Janak. "In the winter it's really nice to just go tanning and be really hot for 15 minutes."
Dr. Amy Hedman, Coordinator of Community Health Program for the Department of Health Science here at MSU says there is no benefit of using a tanning bed from a health standpoint.
"Psychologically, people may feel better or more attractive in the short-term, but the risks of use do outweigh the benefits. Artificial tanning is recognized as hazardous and carcinogenic," said Hedman. "Repeated exposure can lead to eye and skin injuries, premature aging, and skin cancer."
The American Cancer Society states that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than one million skin cancers diagnosed annually.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that ultraviolet radiation is a proven human carcinogen and that frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual UVA dose they otherwise receive from sun exposure.
Janak said the dangers of tanning do not worry her and even though she knows skin cancer is a possibility, she tries not to think about it.
"There are risks for everything we do and it's the risk that I guess I take. It's hard to think about the dangers of tanning when it's become so socially acceptable," Janak said. "It's as normal as going to buy groceries, no one really thinks twice about it."
The days are gone when it was cool to bask in the sun for the sake of tanning alone, Hedman said.
"Some young people may perceive that a tanned appearance makes them more attractive. But the norm is actually changing. More people are recognizing that tanned skin equals damaged skin and being orange in February or red in July is no longer a cool thing," Hedman said.
But Janak said no one influenced her to go tanning. "I kind of just decided to on my own. It wasn't something I did because everyone else was doing it or because it was the cool thing to do. I just like being tan. I think everyone does to some degree," Janak said.
"It's a personal preference - I mean you can if you want to, you don't have to," said Hinz. "I think a lot of people like to just be tan. You feel good and you look good. I don't really think anybody should or shouldn't tan; it's just what you like to do. Just like anything else."
Both tanning beds and the sun can damage skin. But for many students, the rays are going to be hard to avoid this spring break. And even though being in the sun can be harmful, there is no need to be a hermit. Hedman says everyone should enjoy the outdoors, but it is important to apply at least SPF 30 sunscreen to exposed skin daily and to reapply sunscreen if out in the sun for more than two hours.
UV exposure is the most hazardous between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. so Hedman suggests scheduling activities and gatherings before or after that time period.
For many spring breakers, this is not an option. However, wearing protective clothing over exposed skin along with sunglasses and a hat and also applying protective lip balm and sunscreen can guarantee students a fun, burn-free and skin-healthy spring break.
Hedman urges students to stop tanning. She suggests sun-less tanning methods if the tanned appearance is what is important.
But Hinz believes anything in moderation is fine.
"If you're controlling it and you're smart about it, it's not anything different than anything else we do as humans," she said.
For some tanners, moderation may be key, but as for moderation for the other unhealthy habits done to a student's body on spring break, well, that is a whole other story.
Ashley Wall is a Reporter staff writer
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