What is the obsession with tanning?

They worship at the altar of oompah-loompah, brown nosers incorporated.

greater contrast between base skin colour and specular highlights.

A desire to look like their leather handbags?

You’re just a bitter, pale… naw just kidding hon! :D

I’ve also wondered about the whole tanning thing. I mean, sure it’s nice to have a bit of a tan, and look like you’ve been beautifully kissed by the sun. But too often, I see people who are so obsessed with tanning that they look incredibly unnatural, even orange sometimes. It’s disturbing!

Tanorexia
With some people it’s an addiction.

In the past, being pale was popular, because it showed you weren’t a laborer. That trend has faded and now there’s a new trend. There could be a few reasons for this trend, like people wanting to look more exotic, for example.

In this age of Jersey Shore GTL (Gym Tan Laundry), it’s the ‘in’ thing. Although it’s not good for your body at all, so I’d remain pale and be confident in yourself…unless you’re clubbing.

@KNOWITALL That programme destroys my soul.

How can the ‘in’ thing, be so shit.

I do not understand it. Although I have spent my whole life dreaming of having a perfect, even tan instead of being fish be;ly white with freckles, I would not submit to a machine.

Along the lines of what @Blackberry wrote, light skinned people now want to be tanned to appear they have the luxury of being able to loll about outdoors instead of remaining pale wage slaves.

I love a natural sunkissed look, it can give a healthy glow. However, if you look like you’ve been tango’d then I probably think you’re a bit of a prat!

I don’t know. Given the connection between tanning beds and skin cancer – I pass these salons full of people and wonder about their sanity.

I can understand the obsession in theory, but its actual results are what I don’t find desirable. Getting a tan (naturally) does a lot of positive things in the appearance of many people. I will use myself as an example. It lessens the visual impact of cellulite on my thighs, it makes my blue eyes stand out so much more, my red marks from acne scars blend in, my acne clears up because my skin isn’t as oily, It hides being able to see my blue veins through my very pale skin. Now, would I like to have a tan year round? Sure! I like the benefits. So the thought process in the winter is to go tanning. But that is just about where my understanding ends. Unfortunately, fake tanning looks so unnatural and unattractive that it in no way makes me want to do it. So I don’t. But I can see the theoretical appeal.

Tanning now = facial wrinkles earlier. Smoking increases the wrinkles. I wouldn’t do it, but if you plan to die before you’re 60, why not look the way you want to?

I often wonder this myself… In Paris I see a lot of girls/women who are orange. It looks friggin awful.

And in India, they are still selling skin lightening cream because it’s better to be “fair.”
shudders

Being practically see-through myself (ultra pale redhead), I have to admit I’ve envied the easily tanned from time to time. Since I’m at such high risk for skin cancer, I’ve decided to embrace the pale.

@Bellatrix Exactly what I was trying to get at. I understand that it’s healthy in moderation, but the colour some people are, is completely un-natural.

Ultimately, people are quietly destroying the one thing they are trying to somewhat ‘improve’.

CRAZY.

I heard on the news that the rays from indoor tanning increase your risk of skin cancer, more so than the rays from the sun. I don’t see that the supposed improvement in skin tone would be worth the risk of skin cancer. Being tan and dead is not something I would aspire to. I’d rather be alive and white.

@jca: On top of the health risks… Artificial tanning is cheating yourself of the primordially simple human pleasure of being in the sun. IMHO.