After multiple trips to the Caribbean islands and countless hours spent hanging out in the sun with my friends, one could say I’ve been begging for my body to receive some color for quite a while. Being a pale teenager has been a serious struggle of mine, especially when taking pictures next to your tan friends has basically become a weekly activity. Now, I’m not asking to look like the infamous Snooki from Jersey Shore, but when I anxiously await for prom pictures to be uploaded onto FaceBook, only to come to the unfortunate realization that I look like a ghost, I have to start wondering what causes our bodies to tan and why I’m not getting any of it.

According to teen health, the sun gives off three main types of ultraviolet rays, which are UVA, UVB and UVC rays. The UVC rays don’t have anything to do with our skin and the way we tan because they’re caught by our ozone layer. Due to mainly UVA, and the few UVB rays that get through the ozone layer, the melanin in our skin is affected and our skin becomes tan.

UVA rays cause tans by oxidating the melanin in our skin, meaning that the melanin goes through a chemical reaction after the exposure to these rays, which is the reason why our skin becomes darker. Once the melanin becomes darker, so does our skin. UVB rays cause tans as well, but through a different type of technique. The UVB rays produced by the sun cause melanin production to grow, and other changes to the cells that hold the melanin, which also leads our skin to become tanned.

Although I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s physically impossible for me to tan, and I’ll probably never get that perfect picture of myself glowing on the beach during my annual family vacation to Aruba, I can’t be the only one who faces the same problem. While taking a drive through my home town, or strolling through State College, anyone will notice multiple tanning salons. How do tanning beds come into play with UV rays and becoming tan? Tanning beds can sometimes be considered a “safer” alternative to tanning outside, but that may not always be accurate. Older tanning beds that produced UVB rays have been replaced by newer beds that use UVA rays, because they don’t burn the skin the same way. While this may be the case, this does not mean that they are necessarily safe. These UVA rays are often thought to be the reason for skin cancer and immune system issues in some cases. So, regardless of whether you’re tanning outside or in a bed, UVA and UVB rays are the reason that our skin darkens. It’s important to remember that even though tan skin may look nicer in the moment, the health affects won’t feel nicer in the long run.

http://teenhealth.about.com/od/bodyimage/a/howtanninghappens.htm

http://sante.gouv.qc.ca/en/conseils-et-prevention/bronzage/

http://www.healthyfoodspace.com/tanning-might-dangerous-dont-know-instructions-according-skin-type/

http://www.standuptanningbed.org/tanning-bed-supplies/