Everyone is really tanned!

[HerArtMaterials]

Maybe I didn't notice this over other summers, but I am seeing a lot of tans around, quite deep ones, that don't look fake.
Mostly younger women and girls, I am wondering if the cautions about sun damage have fallen out of trend? Or is this some exceptionally awesome bottled stuff?
I'm sure I've never seen so many tanned people for years. One friend of ours (guy in his 40's) turned up to visit with a deep tan that he said occurred in one day walking around Liverpool! So yeh, I get we have had some pretty strong sun and heat this year but it's like the warnings about sunscreen and UV damage have vanished.

Is anyone else noticing this? There's definitely always been a weird set of contradictions regarding sun tans - on the one hand most people will admit to being wary of cell damage and skin ageing, but on the other it seems just fine if you get your tan on a luxury holiday.
Scandinavians (I am generalising, I know!) don't seem scared of tans, nor those who enjoy yachts. Perhaps we lose our trepidation in the right situations...

Maybe as a lot of people are having proper hols, and there has been a heatwave ie natural sun beds? Then topped up with fake tan?

I've got a tan that's fake, I'm always getting comments about how tanned I am, healthy looking, and have I enjoyed the sun at the weekend etc... everyone's always very shocked when I say it's fake (I don't sunbathe and prefer to stay in the shade)

First year I've bothered as first time I've found a fake tan that doesn't look orange

The youngsters at my gym use something which they spray up their nose to make them go tanned. 🤷‍♀️ They were a bit cagey about it and I got the impression it’s maybe not strictly legal?

I’m super pale ! Been Greece as well I wear 50 factor and never sit out in it always in the shade and cover up . It’s so ageing x

A lot more people have actually been away this year so maybe they've tanned on holiday. I'm pretty brown, factor 30-50 but two weeks on a beach / in the sea

I’m much more tanned than usual, and I use SPF and heed all the sun warnings about avoiding the middle of the day, wearing hats, seeking shade etc. It’s just been that much hotter and sunnier this year. It’s a total farmers tan though as it’s just from everyday activity not sunbathing.

If anyone has some fake tan recommendations I’m all ears btw

i read that Coco amd Eve is good but wasn’t sure if that was a daily mail promotion article.

Tan products have got a lot better/cheaper, but the 'sunbeds are bad' messaging appears to have tailed off, i know someone in their early 20s and all their friends use sunbeds

I think some people just tan more easily than others.

I put spf on my face and neck in the summer, but I very rarely put it on my body in the UK unless sunbathing on an exceptionally hot day.

I know that we've had a couple of exceptionally hot heatwaves, but on the whole, the sun is very weak in this country. I would be more concerned about vitamin D deficiency.

I should add, I'm naturally olive skinned so very rarely burn, however, I know a few pale people who can't go out in the sun without factor 50!

I am surprised to hear sunbed use is increasing now. The messages from nhs and so on are still really severe.

It sure has been hotter. I disagree that pale is in fashion though, I truly believe that most caucasian people still think a tan looks healthier. I don't know why we do this but it seems deeply ingrained!

The young ones might be injecting or snorting Melanotan. It increases your melanocytes meaning even the palest can tan darkly with a bit of sun exposure. I'd love to try it but I'm much too old and sensible these days, lol

I am so glad the fake tan thing is over. I live in Liverpool and 20 years ago it was nuts, people were literally orange. Now people look normal again. I'm lily white and don't actually tan or go red in the sun, neither does my child. We don't use sunscreen much, only if out for longer than half an hour in the sun 12 - 3pm. Otherwise it's just shade and short spells.

I'm happy with my skin colour. I used to slather on fake tan and look absurd.

i want to try it!

I assume it may kill me?

A decent tan can give illusion of being slimmer and healthy. Basically looks more attractive than translucent skin if that's what you like.

I always feel better with a good fake tan

I agree that most people look better with a tan. Especially men. Very pale skin on a man is really unattractive to me for some reason.

Maybe it's because unconsciously, I associate tanned men with someone who's fun and active and goes out and does things, whereas pale men make me think of some computer gaming super nerd who sits at home.

An unfair bias I'm sure!

I'm very tanned, have always tanned well and always use at least factor 30. I've been abroad 4 times this year though so have been building it up for a while, and it's obviously been nice weather here. It is possible to be very tanned and still be cautious and use sunscreen

Is that right? I go much darker now than I used to. I’ve needed to start sitting inside even though it feels like such a waste or I’ll end up looking like that woman from Benidorm

The sun isn’t ‘weak’ in this country, it’s a bit more complicated than that. You can’t just sit in it all day can you, even if you tan it’s still skin damage and you’ll age quicker (I know some don’t care) you still have to be sensible.

@MidnightMeltdown the sun is not 'very weak' in this country. That's rubbish.

You need to look at UV levels which can be very high, even in early summer.

When I see people with a dark tan I can’t help but think they must spend a lot of time sat outside doing nothing. There aren’t that many all day outdoors jobs.
it just seems like such a waste of time, lolling around for the sake of a tan.

Maybe it's because unconsciously, I associate tanned men with someone who's fun and active and goes out and does things

or they enjoy just sitting in the garden with a six pack and a barbecue!

Gardening, outdoor swimming, playing outdoors with the kids, walking to and from work.

Some of the things I’ve been doing outside in the sun this summer which means I’ve got more of a tan than usual. I wish I’d been “lolling” though. Are these perfectly common outdoor activities also a waste of time?

this stuff you sniff up your nose to produce a tan is news to me!
I think humans, as a whole will gladly risk a bit of damage for the sake of vanity.

I must admit to preferring myself a little tanned, but I can't quite explain the logic. The sun feels so beautiful when it is hot on my skin, it is such a pleasant feeling it is hard to imagine it causing harm. There's always too much of a good thing though, like chocolate and wine, you have to know when to stop