to be astounded at the number of people stripped off sunbathing in the park when everyone knows how BAD that is for you?

[LadyBiscuit]

In an era when smoking is more or less banned and the government spends a fortune telling us to eat better and drink less, why are so many people so obsessed with getting a tan when we all know how bad it is for you?

Apart from skin cancer, all the sun worshippers I know look much older than they really are because they are so lined from lying in the sun.

flight I don't really insist - how can I?!! I just cry at the wasted time effort and ££ and the pursuit of a kind of beauty that is porn star beauty.

expat I bet you are gorgeous without a tan

how would you explain to your kids though if you were unfortunate enough to get skin cancer?

That I tanned and got skin cancer, Bob.

I've also drunk myself pickled in the past, used to be a heavy smoker and still occassionally smoke.

I like how I look with non-grey hair, a Brazilian (I was having those back when you had to find an actual Brazilian salon to get it done in the US, we're talking over 20 years ago) and a tan.

I don't look like a porn star and don't want to.

I like having a tan when I can get one.

also a burned a couple of times when I was young.

so if i did get skin cancer, it'd be hard to know what it was from.

that's life.

I just think that looking tanned is the visual equivalent of reeking of beer and fags!

Appreciate that this is not a mainstream view....yet!!!

oh do give over, bobbo

Everything is bad for you in this life and we all die in the end. Do what you enjoy. I like to tan safely- not burn and a tan makes me feel sexy. Mum has been diagnosed with cancer but she likes to have her naughty treats as they are what makes life worth living.

YANBU. Why should anyone want to change their skin colour?

apparently you only need 15 mins three times a week in the sun to aid vitamin d production, and i know its bad to sit out for too long but i love the sun and we dont get it for long, so a case of having to make the most of it!

Grapesandlemon, You made me giggle. Did you stand in the street and ask 100 strangers vote your age to work out that you are actually 8 years younger?
Im afraid, its nothing to do with ageing Obviously gives you confidence.
I have some tan and its makes me feel slimmer, obviously i havent lost any pounds, it just pale skin seems to look unflattering if you carry a few extra pounds

vitamin d deficiency

i dont sunbathe, never been on a sunbed but have just been treated for skin cancer! needed three ops to hopefully get rid! damage is done when we're kids... if i hadn't notice the change in a mole, then my girls could be motherless.

my babies and i are now on factor 50... they have the choice when they're older, they dont now!

That's the thing Mumtoallgirls - and so sorry about your diagnosis, by the way.

Posh - yes, yes of course we all die in the end but skin cancer can happen much, MUCH too soon and much too young.

People who die even in their teens or childhood from something so preventable...I mean you wouldn't encourage a young person to smoke, would you - why? because it's so life limiting and bad for you.

There is still this HUGE misconception that melanoma happens to people who are OLD. My friend was 34. It isn't always a case of cut it out and it's gone. And it's definitely not a uniquely old person's disease.

I don't do sun, I'm a red head, burn and feel hot and sweaty so I stay in the shade. Years ago I worked next door to a dermatology department and the consultant gave us a lecture which included all kinds of gruesome pictures of decaying skin. She also went on about a light tan being first degree burns, medium tan second degree and dark tan equivalent to third degree.

This combined with my sunworshipping MIL who lived in Spain before she died and really did look like a prune is very off putting.

It's just a fashion thing, Lady Biscuit. In most Asian countries, it is considered beautiful to look pale. Here it is the opposite. Also, Brits are fairly deprived of sun most of the year, so they tend to get a bit over excited when we finally have a couple of weeks of it! If we had a sunny climate all year round, I'm sure the novelty would wear off!

Everybody is well aware of the risks of over exposure and severe sun burn but I think that human psychology is usually that people are prepared to take the risk as they can't see instant harmful effects and it probably won't happen to them anyway. Unfortunately, it does happen to an increasing number of people. Rates of melanoma are increasing, in the SE particularly.

YABTU. It's up to them.

Do you ever eat processed food or drink alcohol or drive a car or play sport or run down stairs. All those things could result in us paying for your medical treatment, yet no-one would dream of stopping you, nor should we.

I know the risks, apply cream and seldom lie about sunbathing but that doesn't change the fact that I feel more cheerful, healthy & alive when I am outside. It can be in the shade but inevitably is in the sun sometimes.

A world where sunshine is regarded as bad would be terribly depressing.

Kathy, of course it would be unreasonable to try and stop them doing it - but nobody is suggesting that. It's totally not unreasonable to be astounded that people actually do it.

I saw a headline in one of the newspapers on the stand today. From my quick reading a 31 year old woman who ueed a sunbed once a week died months after being diagnosed with skin cancer.

I'm quite pale so look a bit odd with a tan anyway. Besides, I have red hair so my skin tends to go beetroot rather than sunkissed! I use a very pale fake tan if I am going somewhere special and need to wear a posh frock and want to look 'healthy' (I know, it's not really healthy to have damaged skin. I blame Coco Chanel).

I'm from Scotland and every single year there is at least one report of some silly wee girl (they are usually teenagers) who lather themselves in baby oil and go sunbathing on the hottest day of the year and end up in the burns unit.

Am not sure why we are talking about just girls/women here

Thre has been a massive upsurge in men going for the bronzed look (eg. use of sunbeds) in recent years

My DP slapped a bit mof my fake tan on on the QT the other day before he went out to the gym.

He met his brother and some friends there who laughed at him. The fake tan is shimmery and in direct sunlight he looked all twinkly like that vampire in twilight.

He also now has orange fingernails becvause he didn't wash his hands properly afterwards.

Point and laugh.

ha !

A sun tan means sun damage, always. So agree not a good idea especially if you are fair skinned.

YABU Its good for them! Get out of the office, get a bit of sun and fresh air. Bit of sun cheers everyone up!

As long as they dont burn of course. Why not hand out suncream?

But once you have a tan it helps to protect your skin from UV erays.Si if you don't have one and a stray ray accidentally catches you out, then you have no protection at all.
Si I think there is an element of swings and roundabouts