There are some people who love to tan and do it all year… and then there are some who choose to visit a tanning salon in order to “get ready” for their wedding or an upcoming dance… maybe looking for a little bit of color before going on vacation… “so you don’t burn..”  I know all of the excuses because I have used them before…

I don’t go to a tanning bed now… but I have in the past… I have talked with many dermatologists who say tanning beds and sun exposure without sunscreen in general is dangerous and bad for our skin… sometimes we make choices that we know aren’t good for us because we weigh our chances of actually doing harm to ourselves and think that we will be the one to beat the odds…

I used to tan and would be lying if I said I didn’t miss the warm feeling of just ten minutes in one of those beds… and even the light through the protective eye-wear feels nice… especially when it is cold out…

But a few months ago I went to a skin specialist because I was having breakouts on my face that were worse than any I ever had as a teenager and that got me thinking about how the sun and tanning ages our skin faster… and as I get older I want to do everything I can to slow down that process… vanity as a motivation for sun protection may not be “politically correct” but it could still help prevent skin cancer…  I am actually getting a couple of moles removed Friday because the doctor thought they looked suspicious… I also just got about 4 cans of the “spray-on” tan because I do like the look of a tan… for me I just don’t want some of the things that could come with it…

As far as the “tanning tax” that is part of the new health care reform… clearly it doesn’t bother me because right now it doesn’t affect me… but some viewers have posted their comments on my Facebook wall about their opinions… if you would like to share your opinion too… add me as your friend on Facebook - just search Karen McNew WSLS.