We all know the amazing feeling of laying on a beach and feeling the sun beaming down on us. For as many summers as I can remember I have spent 90% of my time lounging out by a pool, or sitting oceanside on the beach. Not only did I love the beach and pool atmosphere but I loved to be tan. Many girls can relate to the fact that being tan seems to “make everything better”. As fall rolls around each year and the tans gradually begin to fade many people search for alternate ways to maintain their beautifully tanned skin. Teens tend to turn to spray tans or even lay in tanning beds. 
Some teenagers will say that spray tanning or tanning beds are harmless, and that they will only do it once or twice. However, according to Robin L. Hornung, MD, “Frequent tanners exhibit signs of both physical and psychological dependence.” As well as stating that “when a substance causes physical dependency, repeated use of that substance causes symptoms of increased tolerance, craving, and withdrawal”. For most people, a simple spray tan or tanning bed would not trigger individuals to think of the prolonged effects. Fake tanning is commonly perceived as image- enhancing, which can potentially lead to improvements in mood. According to my source, “UV Light has been shown to increase release of opioid- like endorphins, feel-good chemicals that relieve pain and generate feelings of well-being, potentially leading to dependency.” These euphoric effects caused by fake tanning make it almost impossible for frequent tanners to quit.
Who would have thought that fake tanning could mentally affect you as well? Many frequent tanners participated in studies, reporting that “repeated use of that substance causes symptoms of increased tolerance, craving, and withdrawal”. which concluded that tanning resulted in psychological dependence. Aside from the mental effects, fake tanning can be very harmful to your physical health as well. Studies have proven that extreme exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun or from indoor tanning machines increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
Skin cancer is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout todays society. However, with that being said, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable diseases, and there are numerous actions you can take in order to decrease your risks.
For further information on how to reach out to someone experiencing a tanning addiction you can visit http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/tanning/teens
I agree that tanning is addictive because of the feel-good aspect about it. If something makes us feel good, of course we’re going to do it a lot. I love laying out in the sun and will get the occasional spray tan once in a while, but I refuse to go to tanning beds. The harm of that is way too serious!
I do not see reason why people would want to tan. Whenever I go to the shore during the summer I always see people laying on beaches for hours on end without even putting a single drop of sunscreen on. Here is a link to some statistics regarding sun screen:
I wrote a blog similar to this also! I see countless numbers of girls laying on the beach over the summer burning their bodies from the sun. I have very pale skin so I have never gotten into that because I get sunburn way too easily. I also agree that once people get into the mode of tanning, they get used to it and do become addicted. It’s very interesting that tanning can actually make people feel better about themselves with the endorphins released. This article is really interesting and I think many people will be able to relate to it.
Tanning is addictive due to the fact that society has made women feel as if they need to be the tannest they can be in order to feel beautiful. People see these beautiful models in different magazines and feel as if they need to look exactly like them in order to feel beautiful. However, these models people see in the magazines are photoshopped in order to advertise a companies products so people will feel the need to purchase these products. Tanning being addictive is just an effect of how the media continues to ruin the self esteem of young girls throughout the world through the use of photoshop.
This was an interesting blog because everytime i go to the beach or anywhere with a lot of sun i always see people trying to catch a tan. Nothing wrong with that but I do see how mentally it could be addicting. When people tan they look better, when you look better you feel better. I firmly believe that anything that can make a human “feel” better can most definitely be addicting.
I hate everything about tanning, when ever I’m at the beach or the pool I can’t lay down or even sit in the sun. I can’t see why tanning would be addicting, its boring and not fun at all. I can understand how a spray tan can be addicting because it causes you to sometimes be physically more attractive which could be addicting to some individuals. I agree with the research that shows how a spray tan can mentally effect an individual and cause them to become addicted
I think tanning is very addictive and I think it’s becoming more and more of a problem among young people ages 16-23. Having tan skin may make you look better (everyone has their own opinion), but it’s not worth the risk of getting skin cancer so a certain someone will notice you. Tanning shouldn’t be banned but a limit should be placed on how often you are allowed to go per week.
I think tanning is very addictive and I think it’s becoming more and more of a problem among young people ages 16-23. Having tan skin may make you look better (everyone has their own opinion), but it’s not worth the risk of getting skin cancer so a certain someone will notice you. Tanning shouldn’t be banned but a limit should be placed on how often you are allowed to go per week.
I think tanning is very addictive and I think it’s becoming more and more of a problem among young people ages 16-23. Having tan skin may make you look better (everyone has their own opinion), but it’s not worth the risk of getting skin cancer so a certain someone will notice you. Tanning shouldn’t be banned but a limit should be placed on how often you are allowed to go per week.
I think tanning is very addictive and I think it’s becoming more and more of a problem among young people ages 16-23. Having tan skin may make you look better (everyone has their own opinion), but it’s not worth the risk of getting skin cancer so a certain someone will notice you. Tanning shouldn’t be banned but a limit should be placed on how often you are allowed to go per week.