To think maybe I should stop tanning?

[superstarheartbreaker]

I do love a tan , really I do and I have brown arms. However, I have been comparing the lovely white young girls with the rather wizened, tanned old dears and feeling that maybe I should get out of those rays.
This is all part of my ageing insecurity btw.

[awsomer]

Fake tan all the way!

[superstarheartbreaker]

I hate fake tan... I'm thinking of the pale skin , dark hair aesthetic.

[Redcoats]

I thought Id try the whole 'pale and interesting thing' this summer. I gave up, I hate my pasty white legs. Fake tan for me.

[Sleepwhenidie]

Saying you hate fake tan is a bit like saying you hate nail varnish...entirely possible but there's fake tan and fake tan....real tan however, yes beautiful up to a point but very ageing (not to mention dangerous), and not a good look when you start getting that leathery chest/cleavage and backs of hands thing going on . Evidence of the damage done...

[WildItWasFurious]

YANBU especially if you have any risk factors for skin cancer, which is now the most common cancer in the UK, I believe. Probably mainly down to people torching themselves. Cumulative sun exposure and burning are the main cause.

[Teddybeau1988]

Get a good spray tan done, diy jobbies always look awful

[ArchiveFever]

I was sitting in a meeting the other day and noticed that everyone over 40 was tanned and everyone under 40 was pale as milkbottles. I think the fashion for tanning has completely changed (and all for the good, skin-cancer-wise), so if you're keen on staying young, yes, YANBU, ditch the tan!

[WarblingOyster]

Excuse you Teddy but my DIY jobs look just fine I have been a false tanned for years though so plenty of practise. Some are awful.

[Teddybeau1988]

How can you do your own back though?

[Norfolknway]

Or maybe they just looked older with their leathery skin? And the pale young uns were of a similar age...just not aged by the sun

[peanutbutterandoreos]

The thing is, no matter how much suncream I put on I always seem to get tanned. And I mean really quite dark. So to lower the risk of skin cancer do I just have to stay out of the sun completely? Because I've seen people on other threads saying any kind of skin darkening is sun damage.

[PhallicGiraffe]

Just had a bit of skin cancer cut out from my nose - it's really not worth getting a tan from the sun or sun beds.. Use suncream, hats, and slap on the fake tan. Looking wrinkly is the least of your problems.

[WarblingOyster]

It involves a lot of contortion Teddy if by myself. Otherwise, you get someone else to do it for you!

[ICanSeeTheSun]

I love the sun bed, I feel miserable without using them ( 4 weeks since the last one)

I got sick of people saying that I looked ill, so I use the sun beds and the one I use is a stand up one and I know which one is the best and will wait for it to become available.

Op if you like a tan then without one you will feel miserable so use a fake tan and go down a shade each time.

[Teddybeau1988]

I've spent years doing bar work, Ive seen literally thousands of patchy knuckles, white armpits and patchwork cupriniol shades. A good fake tan is a rarity. I gave up attempting it years ago.

[Scarletohello]

How old are you, OP?

I'm 49 and look about ten years younger, mainly because I rarely ever sunbathed. I wear factor 50 if I'm out in the sun. I have the kind of skin that never went brown anyway so it was no loss. It's the no1 cause of ageing and Botox can only do so much..!

[Thenapoleonofcrime]

I saw a three women with fake tans the other day which were just the deepest and silliest colours I've ever seen. One was like a deep dark charcoal orange (if you can imagine such a shade), no people have this colour skin whatsoever and they looked eye-popping, I couldn't stop staring (obviously this look was also paired with the extensions, nails etc). It was very dated and ridiculous looking. In comparison, the younger girls are all wearing denim shorts and a t-shirt, with lovely long slightly tanned (natural looking) legs, or tan at all.

[SaltySeaBird]

I've was wearing factor 50 all last week while away, applying every few hours (the high strength childrens one). All everyone says is how tanned I am even though I never sunbathed once. I'm 38.

I don't know if I'm very fortunate that I only have to look at the sun to go brown or is that isn't such a blessing seeing as it's definitely more fashionable to be pale.

[superstarheartbreaker]

This is an example of what happened today. Took dd to zoo with factor 50 in bag even though was slightly cloudy. Took and wore shrug. Was quite cool and breezy.
Sun came out at midday and I slathered dd in factor 50. Missed me out as already had a tan and thought I'd be safe. ( was also secretly hoping to go browner)
I am now sporting unattractive red cleavage and back.
I always put at least factor 30 on my face. I feel like a bit of an idiot. Will have to be careful on holiday ths year.

[GarlicJulyKit]

I'm 49 and look about ten years younger, mainly because I rarely ever sunbathed.

Hmmm - are you sure? I looked 10 or more years younger at 49, at least according to all the people who chose to comment on my age/appearance, including doctors. (I reckon if I am 49, I look 49 because that's my age.) I had a perma-tan from 34 to 52, and never went a bundle on sunscreen before then.

It's got more to do with genetic good fortune, overall health & fitness, and frequent moisturising! I also found a low-fat diet knackered my skin, so knocked that on the head quickly.

Ten years on, I look like shit (poor health, no fitness, no suntan) but am not, in all honesty, particularly wrinkled.

[Thisvehicleisreversing]

I am pale naturally, the idea of a tan has never done anything for me.

A colleague was comparing her tan to a customer's today, the customer called me over to look at my colour. I told her I didn't have any colour. My colleague rolled her eyes and said "this one thinks she looks better white"

I pointed out that that is my natural colour and would she tell someone of black or Asian skin that they'd look better pale? That shut her up.

It fucks me off all this gorgeous/healthy/sexy tan bollocks. People come in different colours, white is one of them. Stop trying to make pale people feel ugly for having that skin tone.

[alemci]

I'm fairly pale and struggle to tan. I'm in florida now and using f50 particularly on my face. i have a bit of colour but try not to burn. I keep telling my dd to take care (20) and to look after skin.

I remember when I was younger rude people making comments about me being pale particularly if I had come back from holiday or was on the beach with friends who tanned easily.

[GarlicJulyKit]

I'd probably be happier about not having a tan, if [a] my skin was milk/ivory/peach, and [b] sunlight didn't affect my health & mood.

As it is, my natural colour is best described as porridge (the word 'mealy' means what it says for people with skin like mine) and strong sun/bed has a huge positive effect on my mental health & energy levels.

On the up side, I seem to have reasonably resilient collagen. Though, frankly, I'd take wrinkles if they came with better health. There just isn't one rule for everybody!