Why do I feel that I look better tan?
Asked by
aviona (
3260
)
April 21st, 2009
I have never/would never go to a tanning bed. I’m speaking of sun tans here.
I can’t figure out if it’s an old thing, like, an Out of Africa thing. Our ancestors were out in the sun all the time, they lived outside, worked outside, therefore it feels natural and good to be sunkissed and so I look better. Maybe I’m crazy.
Or is it a new thing in that media pumps us with images of wafer-thin, tan models and therefore that is where our standard of beauty stems from.
Or do I just like my Vitamin D?
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21 Answers
You probably do look better tan.
It’s a newer thing, because in the middle ages it was considered more attractive to be fair-skinned and plump, since it meant that you were wealthy and led a life of leisure. Now it’s popular to be too skinny and have a tan, because it implies that you are wealthy and can afford a trainer, chef and tropical vacations.
Media and advertising. Darker skin does show off more sinew and structure, but I don’t think skin color has much to do with being attractive. I think I look better sans tan.
Yes, you feel you look better because you look better! No one likes ghost-white skin!
Conversely, why do African Americans with very dark skin feel that they look better with lighter skin? I have been researching products to even my skin tone that is blotchy due to melasma and I found all these websites for people who are trying to bleach their darker skin (like what Michael Jackson has been accused of doing).
When I was a teenager, we all got perms to make our straight hair curly; nowadays that teens spend hours or big bucks on straightening their hair.
Why can’t we just be happy the way we are?
So interesting @hearkat. The grass is greener on the other side? We want what we can’t have?
It’s all about fashion. In Victorian times a girl with an olive complexion was considered ugly. They used arsenic to make their complexions lighter.
@hearkat That goes back to slavery. The ignorance is passed on through generations.
It’s partly style, like @galileogirl says. I think, also, it’s a little bit of nature. A certain glow or some color to the skin indicates good health and therefore, a good breeding partner.
Only natural tans look good. Oddly enough, natural tans have kind of become the middle ground of skin complexion. On one end, you have people who are lightly toned and kind of pale looking, and on the other end you have (mostly women) who fake tan and look more orange than dark pink. Sun tanning is right in the middle and provides a more natural look as opposed to tanning bed bitches (thats what we called em in High School).
So don’t feel bad, most people do look better with a slight tan. Just don’t go overboard but don’t stop til the point where you look like a basement dweller.
It’s hard to say why you feel this way not every body does. Maybe it goes along the same line why people dye their hair or change the color of their eyes.
I think it is quite natural to feel good after being in the sun. You probably are getting the nutrients that your body needs but why you think you look better is something different.
Beauty is only skin deep.
Some think it’s shallow, but there is a very real psychological connection between looking good and feeling good. We have to be careful that we don’t place too much value on appearance and neglect other facets of our being.
@May2689 Uh, not true. I prefer very pale skin over tans, and I know my fiance does too.
Not everybody likes the orange tan look, or enjoys getting wrinkles in their 20’s.
@May2689: I know plenty of boys who would disagree with you. They think my Casper skin is quite adorable.
And personally, I also prefer pale skin.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
That being said, yes – there are as others have mentioned, many people who would prefer to change their natural appearance.
I think you should just use moderation, because tans really are skin damage.
If you compare people in their 30s who did and didn’t use sunscreen, the aging of their skin is very dramatic and permanent. The sun’s UV rays are also more powerful now than they were 20 years ago.
As far as what is more appealing to me personally, I am most attracted to people who have healthy skin, as opposed to a certain skin tone.
Porcelain white skin- to me- is just as beautiful as other complexions. I am olive-skinned BTW.
spray tanning is always an option
I am 35 and get carded for lotto; I look more than 10 years younger than I really am. I have stayed out of the sun since I was about 13. It could be DNA, but a lot of it is dut to my lack of sun exposure.
I’m not looking to get tan. I have a healthy glow as we speak. I’m just curious about the psychology behind it.
when you get a tan you look hotter for some reason that’s how it is
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