by TC Crumpton

Created on: July 14, 2008   Last Updated: August 02, 2008

Why do we continue exposing our skin to ultraviolet light despite the health risks? Why do we smoke, drink alcohol, eat unhealthy foods, cheat, or lie? Choose a harmful habit and rest assured there is a perfectly irrational explanation. Many intelligent folk know and even research all the data supporting the dangers of tanning. We weigh the cost, often feel guilty, and still choose the low road. Why? The answer to this question is unique to the individual whose practice you question.

At age 15, my best friend and I frequented the first tanning salon in our hometown. The crispy-bronzed bleach-blond owner sold a tanning accelerator called Mink Oil. Ms. G insisted proper moisture would protect our skin from the electromagnetic radiation beaming onto our bodies. There are thousands of tanning lotions and oils marketed today promising "healthy" skin. We also believed that building a "base" tan would shield our skin from sunburn during our upcoming trip to Florida.

In addition to our thrice-weekly visits to tan, we would slime our bodies with Crisco and baby oil and joke about baking on the patio. After six hours of frolicking in the ocean without sunscreen, Paula and I spent three days confined to the hotel, unable to clothe our blistered crust. Although our "base" tan failed to save us, we returned to the tanning salon.

Society's association of tanning and health is not accidental. For every scientific fact to support the harmful effects of UV rays, a report exists to the contrary. Logic aside, we will seek out the account that validates our choices. The sharpest person can be lured by marketing. Conglomerates frequently hold tanning expos, promoting tanning beds, bulbs, and other products.

Vital, thin, picturesque women pass out pamphlets advocating the benefits of tanning. They include diet plans and products to promote healthy eating habits and exercise. There are still physicians who recommend tanning to patients with back problems and muscle aches. Every gym this side of the Mason Dixon line houses tanning beds.

Sunlight is healthy in moderation. Those who bask in darkness often suffer vitamin deficiencies and mental illness. Determining how much is enough is difficult for humans. We live in a society where more is best. Addiction consumes beyond consequence recognition. Age spots decorate my grandmother's 85-year-old body from years of weathering sun bathing. Otherwise, she is in perfect health. At 37, my mother developed skin cancer, which required several laser

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