If your skin is a peachy white, pale and probably full of freckles like mine, you possibly would look at those tan, bronzed lucky folks out there whose skin is beautifully tanned, whom can go outside with minimum fuss and bother and just turn a bright shade of green.

Personally I go outside on a hot sunny day look at the sun, and bingo I start to burn. Turning from white to pink to red and everyshade inbetween with extreme ease, only to not realise how burnt I am as I weed the garden, or even somedays just hang out the washing, God forbid I have a day at the beach and then suffer for days afterwards, only to revert back to my original white pastie colouring with no sign of tan anywhere. These days to spend anytime out of doors I must wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, I burn that easily. It really isnt worth the bother.

Something which many people have been take advantage of, is Solarium Tanning Beds. Believing them to be much safer than sunbathing to achieve that tan look.  The problem is not the tan itself it is how a tan is made,and the UV used to achieve it. The fact is to acheive a tan, your skin needs to be cooked. Yes that is right you are cooking yourself, your bodies largest organ is being cooked, baked to a crisp. HMM YUM CRACKLING!

A recent study has been released following the death from skin cancer of a young 26 year old woman Clare Oliver in Sydney and her campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of tanning beds.

from  ABC News:

‘The Cancer Council says new research suggesting tanning beds might be linked to 43 deaths in Australia every year, backs up the case for tougher regulation of the industry.

A team at the Queensland Institute of Medical Research has used a British mathematical model to estimate the number of skin cancers that are linked to the use of sun beds.

It found there were 281 cases a year, with 43 melanoma-related deaths attributed to tanning beds.

Cancer Council chief Ian Olver says it is time for national regulations that ban or strictly limit access to tanning beds, especially for people under 18 and those with fair skin.

“These are the people that should be warned that it’s particularly dangerously and they’re the people that should be stopped using them,” he said.”

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These things have been around for many years, I saw my first tanning bed as a young child and found them intriguing, but a little scary. Thankfully I have never been tempted to the dark side and made use of them.  I seriously doubt it would be doing my skin any favours.

Given the latest research and the number of deaths attributed too the use of Tanning Beds, I am wondering why their use is not either regulated, strict warnings on their use put in place or totally banned from use.

Skin cancer kills so many people not just in Australia but on a global front and given the rise in natural cases from exposure to the sun, do we really need these added factors.

Perhaps it is more about changing our perception of what looks good, what is a healthy glow and what is a sexy look or maybe it is time to be happy in our skin and stop putting so much importance on our outward appearance in this regard?