Aibu to use sunbeds instead of fake tan?

[Wantachangefor2024]

As a way of focusing on myself, I’m losing weight and making myself a better version of me. Due to getting so large I have bad stretchmarks. Am I unreasonable to use sunbeds as they actually blend the stretch marks more. I find fake tan doesn’t stain the skin the same and makes them stand out more! Really trying to make an effort. Get a colour. Lose weight. Dye my hair. I’m on a mission to regain my confidence through my appearance I’m thinking once I’ve lost the weight in a year to reward myself with veneers and a breast uplift with implants. So yes to fake boobs, tanned and blonde or no stay natural, brunette and pale

Gosh. As a pale brunette I had no idea I wasn't "the best version of myself" and that being tanned and blonde would be "better". I'll get myself on a sunbed immediately (hopefully won't get skin cancer for my trouble).

I do. This is the best gradual tan I’ve used

Coola

Yet to meet anyone who looks good with a spray/sunbed tan ...

OP you need to give yourself a shake. Ffs stretch marks are nothing to skin cancer risk. Just look after yourself and sack off the tans. Of any kind.

I don’t think there’s any need for that, if you had read I’m trying to just make myself feel better and sometimes a change is what is needed. I may decide to dye my hair copper and remain pale

Well I got countless compliments on my sunbed tan. Sunbeds tan in the same way as the sun

You can lead a horse to water, eh?

The couple of friends I know (in their 40’s) who use sunbeds both have terrible leathery skin for their age. Never mind the cancer risk, the leathery look on its own should put anyone off.

I hear you OP, I do. I have an absolutely huge tattoo covering up the stretch marks on my stomach. I don't see them as tiger stripes or signs of womanly strength yadda yadda. I hated them. I feel a million times better now I can see them as much. I have some on my hips. Mine are 13 years old now & I find the best way to tan is Bondi Beach gradual tan. I have the body and face one. It does improve their appearance and it's a good tan. Also means you're not going for a spray tan once a week. Remember to exfoliate your skin, I use gloves in the shower! Please don't go down the sunbed route. It's no good for your skin at all and the delicate skin of your stretch marks will burn anyway.

Many of us do use protection against the sun, of course. I wear 50 SPF sunscreen on my hands, neck, and face, and I wear shades and long sleeves.

It increases your risk of cancer. As do other things such as drinking alcohol. Only you can really decide if it's an acceptable risk.

I've got an autoimmune skin condition that reacts to uv light. Before I go on holiday I use a sun bed 2/3 times for 3 minutes to try and desensitise my skin slightly. I still need to stay out of the sun as much as possible but for me it makes my condition more bearable.

If you are that pale OP, the sunbed won't work. You'll ruin your skin, I bet it's nice and soft at the moment. It'll end up like cow leather.

My sister started using sunbeds recently and it’s made the skin on her face look dry and brought out bad pigmentation. It’s easily aged her 5+ years in just a few weeks. She’s early 30s.

And they make you look old before your time.

@Wantachangefor2024

Well I got countless compliments on my sunbed tan. Sunbeds tan in the same way as the sun

You may be getting compliments for now... give it a few years and see what state your skin is in.

It will ruin your skin. Not might. Will.

I have stage 4 melanoma. It is not nice. 12 surgeries including lymph node removal which has caused lymphoedema so one arm is twice the size of the other. The side effects of treatment almost perforated my bowel and I narrowly escaped a permanent stoma. Also knocked out my thyroid. Melanoma spread to my lungs. I have lived in terror from scan to scan for years.
Melanoma UK campaigns to ban sunbeds for a reason. Whilst I never used them personally a good number of those I met through treatment and my fb group did and heartily regret it. Two lovely women who had treatment with me every three weeks for a year are now dead.
So only crack on with sunbeds if this is the future you fancy.

It's true they do blend scratch marks and make your skin look glowing. I would use it no more than 10mins once a week then fake tan in-between

You might feel better now but when you’re in your late 30’s / 40’s plus people will be able to tell who used sun beds and no sun protection. Someone I follow on Tiktok sells tanning products and someone asked her the other day (as she’s on holiday) if she uses SPF and she was like ‘no, why would I’? Yeah nice and brown now but give her another decade and she’s going to look 20yrs older. I know someone who’s got a huge facial scar from skin cancer, no idea if she used sun beds but why increase your risk for vanity?

Yabu, increased risk of skin cancer just isn’t worth it! Ironically you are trying to get healthier while contemplating a really risky step which could irrevocably damage your health!

I’m overweight and frumpy with loads of stretch marks and an abdominal apron to add to the joy but nothing would get me on a sunbed!

To put it bluntly you are being bloody stupid and ridiculous. Stop being so vain. Sunbeds kill....end of. No point being the prettiest corpse in the grave yard!

Am I unreasonable to use sunbeds as they actually blend the stretch marks more

Your thinking is backwards.

Stretchmarks are scars, which aren't affected by melanin in the same way that the rest of your skin is - so UV exposure (either sun or sunbed) will always make stretchmarks more obvious as they tan at a much slower rate than the rest of your skin, if at all. You'll be brown with white stripes basically.

The only way to make them 'blend' is to cover them up, with fake tan.

Without meaning to sound patronising, but when I think of my "best self" I genuinely think in terms of, how do I treat others? What contribution am I making to the world? In my experience chasing different versions of ourself through physical changes (e.g. weight, hair colour, boob size, tans) doesn't often lead to long-term improvement in self-esteem.

I appreciate that if you're overweight it will have been good for your health to lose weight (and well done by the way), and I know some women get pleasure from wearing make-up etc., but I would seriously ask yourself, why am I not okay with the skin tone/boob size I currently have?

Would it not be a longer term investment to try to address this core sense of not liking yourself as you are? If you're going to be spending money on tans/boob surgery etc. you might as well spend it on talking therapy instead to try to address these issues - it's not easy but I promise you in the long run it might help (I speak as someone who has recovered from eating issues but can now say I genuinely appreciate myself for who I am, not for what I look like).

There is an aesthetic treatment that fades stretch marks I was reading about not long ago, I can’t remember the ins and outs but might be worth looking into. It’s on my to do list to explore. I also have awful stretch marks, but I also have scars from cancerous mole removals. Neither are nice. Good luck with your journey!

I’m all for making yourself look and feel better but PLEASE don’t use sunbeds! (or lie in the sun, or forget sun screen!)

They should be banned - no question. They're very dangerous, and some of the less scrupulous operators have dangerously high powered bulbs in the machines making things even worse.

A close family member has terminal malignant melanoma. They’re doing well thanks to immunotherapy but it will shorten their life. I had no idea melanoma frequently metastasised to the lungs or brain and if undetected the secondary cancer can kill in months. A neighbour (very glam woman) lost an eye in the eighties due to not always wearing goggles.

You can look good and be pale at the same time - you’ll get less lines into the bargain. Fake tan is fine, as for the stretch marks - I take it you won’t be conducting your daily life dressed in a bikini so how much impact will it really have? Moisturise, exfoliate then fake tan your body before going on holiday - you’ll look and feel great after your weight loss!

I don't ever sunbathe. Redhead, pale blue, don't tan

My mum was dark olive skin tone, never really showed her upper arms after about age 40 as she hated them. Luckily she took her jacket off for physio as they spotted a mole and removed it there and then in hospital, it was malignant