Am I mad??!! Opinions please x

[PointeToPointe]

the sensible part of my brain knows this is a bad idea but I really hate my skin so asking opinions / experiences. I can’t ask my parents or they would be mad at me haha

I’ve been thinking about going for sunbeds. I have psoriasis but it’s not for that, it’s purely to get a tan. I’ve been using fake tan (probably tried every brand and type available) but I’m at uni and my friends all tan really easily in the sun and some of them top it up by going for sunbeds and they always look so glowy and tanned. My skin type is extreme pale (Irish) and I have green eyes and fair hair so I NEVER tan in the sun (I didn’t wear sun cream in the Caribbean or in Europe on holidays and barely tanned). I burn a bit but not as badly as i would expect with being so pale, obviously I will burn a bit if I’m out in the blazing sun at the beach on holidays but never in Ireland or the UK.

I know about skin cancer and the risk but I keep thinking how small the risk is and that I’ve burned in the past so getting sunbeds now won’t make a difference now. We actually lost family members (before I was born) to a skin cancer which is usually very localised and not aggressive but apparently spread and became very aggressive and I’ve had other family from the same side suffer with melanoma (not sunbed related, just random). So I know how horrible skin cancer can be and obviously sunbeds are a bad idea if they increase the risk.

for what it’s worth I think other people look beautiful with pale skin but I just don’t suit it! I’m basically translucent

are sunbeds really as risky as they say? Since I’ve already had sunburn in the past would sunbeds really increase the risk of skin cancer significantly or would i be ok? Obviously skin cancer terrifies me and I don’t want to do damage to myself but if the risk is only tiny then would sunbeds be ok? Is there anyway to get sunbeds and reduce the risk of damage?

thanks x🥺

It's not worth it. Skin cancer isn't to be messed with. Also, you realise that being in the sun or on sun beds without SPF will age you prematurely? By the time you're 40, you'll look years older with obvious signs of sun damage. For the sake of looking better (in your opinion) - you're willing to risk getting cancer and old? I wouldn't.

Just a visual representation of the effects of sun damage - this is a picture of a man who was a truck driver for 28 years. The window side of their face is has aged significantly more than the other side.

If you don’t wear factor 50 every day, this could be you but on both sides of your face.

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disorder, and there is some evidence that UV can increase the flares. I don't have the study at hand, but search for it.

Don't do the sunbeds. Period.

Really stupid idea. Worse for you as you are so pale.
There's the skin cancer risk, but also, as you are clearly concerned about your looks, you will damage your skin which can lead to wrinkles and discolouration. I really regret my sunworshiping teens and 20s that can now definitely be on my 38 year old skin. suncream is the top thing you can do to prevent wrinkles. A tan at uni is really not worth it.

Would you even tan on a sunbed if you failed to tan without suncream in the Caribbean? Some skin types juat don't tan

My skin type is extreme pale (Irish) and I have green eyes and fair hair so I NEVER tan in the sun

And nor should you. Fair skin suits you and your colouring beautifully. Rock it.

OP - read this. If you have no melanin then you will not tan, whether from the sun or a sunbed. You would be wasting your time and your money and risking your health for nothing but frustration and disappointment.

No, don’t do it, I was a sun bed addict in my youth, I have really bad sunspots on my face particularly around my mouth, it looks awful, embrace being pale.

The fact that you went to the Caribbean and didnt wear sun cream is massively worrying. Its not there to prevent a tan. Its there to protect your skin. God knows what damage has been done.

As someone who has stage 3 melanoma I would say don’t do it.Hopefully all sunbeds will be banned soon.
my sister died from malignant melanoma years ago.My father has a considerable amount of his facecovered in the equivalent of chemotherapy in a tube-at the moment -also had part of his nose removed-as he has basal cell carcinoma all over his head-his face scalp ears nose.it’s not a pretty sight.all from exposure to sun.
im still having treatment at the moment and risk if return is very high for me. the risk with using a sunbed is even higherAre you really ‘dying’ to get a tan?

malignant melanoma is one of the fastest growing cancers out there.very young people are being diagnosed in the UK every day.

I don’t have the time to do research on something I think is ridiculous! It’s quite obvious sun beds cause skin cancer, there’s umpteen articles of personal stories of people who say they used sun beds and how have skin cancer. Plus I’m never going to use one so why do I need to research?

Obviously the sun is good for us in moderation with sun cream on but sun beds burn your skin.

I wonder if you could experiment with other, less harmful, beauty treatments that could alter your perception of your skin?

E.g dyeing your hair or tinting your lashes? I have fair Irish skin, and I dye my hair a rich red. Looks lovely, and doesn't risk skin cancer.