by Viviana Victoriano

Created on: July 11, 2008   Last Updated: July 21, 2008

I will not deny the fact that I am a tanaholic.

People have vices and that is a fact of life. Most normal mortals have bad habits and excesses. And I'm not referring only to the obvious consumption of drugs.

Some people smoke and drink. Some eat too much and are hooked on transfat and sugar. Others crave the endorphins that are released through physical activity and become fitness freaks. There are those who obsess with their weight and develop bad eating habits that eventually develop into some type of eating disorder. What about workaholics and all the stress that they accumulate in their system, becoming walking time bombs? All these excessive habits can eventually lead to harmful health effects.

Well, so I tan. Quite a bit. A lot. Ok, I LOVE to tan. I love how healthy I look when I have that beautiful golden brown tone on my skin. I love not having to wear makeup. I love how my eyes and teeth stand out when I have the tanned look.

Pale people look dreadful. Even more so during the summer. How can you look good in a sleeveless, colorful summer dress when you look like a gloomy winter day?

Tanning makes me feel good. I don't know if it is because there might be a chemical physical reaction that makes it addictive or just plainly because looking good on the outside has a positive effect in my mood. And the reason doesn't really matter. I just know that when I am tanned a feel like a million bucks.

I know that all the scientific evidence about the harmful effects of tanning might make me sound crazy, to say the least. But then, every day there is some new scientific evidence about the harmful effects of EVERYTHING! I know I am increasing my chances of getting some type of melanoma, but hey, I'm not very good with probabilities anyway. So far they have never worked neither for nor against me.

I'm not completely blind, though. I try to be as smart as possible about it as I can be. I try to avoid the worst times of day (12-4). I use sunscreen with UV protection. I tan gradually until I get the tone I like and then go to the beach or tanning salon just as often as necessary to maintain it.

Tanning might not sound like a good idea for everyone, but for me there is no better accessory than a great looking tan!

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