Hi, I’m just wondering if those tanning salons and booths are really safe…of course the ppl who work there always claim it’s super safe, safer than natural sunlight, etc…but i’ve also heard it might give you skin diseases and skin cancer, etc…
please advise.
Hi aceman,
Do you think they’re safe? If they are so safe why isn’t everyone tanned?
Actually, I think they’re about as safe as being in direct sun. But because you only fake 'n bake for 15 minutes (average) every couple of weeks (or month), it is “safer.”
I get conflicting information all the time, but I have it narrowed down to as long as you do it MODERATELY, tanning beds are relatively safe to use. Some people get hooked and end up looking really…leathery. I think natural tanning is best though. The glow is more bronze with natural tanning, whereas with tanning beds you get a dull brownish hue, no glow. Also if you use accelerators you get the color sooner, but you become itchy and red first.
And I also read somewhere that the whiter you are, the effects of sun/tanning beds are worse for you.
Enjoy your tan!
I wouldn’t be caught dead in one but I have incredibly fair skin thus a high chance of getting skin cancer. I’ve had one case just from the sun. They are meant to have high UV.
All I can say is look what the sun did to Bridgette Bardot over the years.
MAtchstick what you mean you had “one case from the sun”? Please elaborate, thanks.
Also i am pale, that’s why i’d like to get tanned…being pale sucks…does that mean i’d get skin cancer easier or something? But if that’s the case, why don’t Northern Europeans immediately get skin cancer when they go to the tropics?
Let’s say, if i tan 15 minues in a tanning salon once every week, and i use lotion and all that. What are the chances of something bad happening?
MAtchstick what you mean you had “one case from the sun”? Please elaborate, thanks.
Also i am pale, that’s why i’d like to get tanned…being pale sucks…does that mean i’d get skin cancer easier or something? But if that’s the case, why don’t Northern Europeans immediately get skin cancer when they go to the tropics?
Let’s say, if i tan 15 minues in a tanning salon once every week, and i use lotion and all that. What are the chances of something bad happening?
If you are pale skinned and you want to get a nice tan. Go every day beginning with 4~5 minute sessions and gradually increase the time you spend in the bed.
The first time i fake and baked was for 15 minutes and I came out looking like the Kool Aid Man.
Trust me, easy does it!
First, has anyone actually found tanning beds in taiwan?
Second, the health matter. Before I began tanning, I wanted to know whether or not it was unhealthy for my body. Here are the facts, given to me by my family doctor as well as a close friend who used to manage a tanning salon (in order to do this she had to go to training, instructing her on how to keep people safe).
1. Tanning will not give you skin cancer if you do not burn yourself. However, it must also be done in moderation, see the instructions below.
2. Tanning can be more harmful then the sun, as you can burn severly in a much shorter time.
3. Tanning can be beneficial to people who suffer from seasonal depression, as it helps to elevate the levels of vitamin D in your body.
4. Tanning is also recommended by many physicians if you are planning a trip to somewhere that is much sunnier than where you live. Your skin needs to adapt to the exposure, this can help to prevent burning and thus cancer.
Third, when you start tanning first get information as to the bulb wattage. Based on this and your skin type you can determine what amount of time you should start at. With high wattage bulbs and skin that tans easily, but rarely burns, I would recommend starting with 4 to 5 minutes twice a week. NO more. do this for a couple of weeks, then you can up the time by a minute. This will give you a more natural looking tan. It is far safer and healthier for your skin to tan gradually. Don’t ever go everyday, unless your goal is to look like old leather. (Please note that everytime you take a significant break and then start tanning again you need to start the gradual process over, don’t go back to the time that you were up to as your skin will no longer be acustomed to it.
Hope this helps. If you have anymore questions feel free to ask.
I meant one case of skin cancer. I’ve had a couple of scares. I had a Basal Cell Cancer on my neck which I think was in part to my own stupidity of mainly wearing T-shirts instead of collared shirts and not applying sunscreen daily here in Taiwan in the summer.
Yep, at Powerhouse on Zhong Shiao. Tanning booths. Never tanned there. I hear some bigger gyms have them too.
Very useful information, much appreciated. It’s good to know that you can tan safe. I guess it only becomes unsafe when you burn too much or too often.
Whiskey Girl
Let’s say I have only once a week to do the tanning thing. I have really pale skin tone (the kind that local chicks get jealous of) How many minutes do you think I should tan? I’d like a natural color of course, and i don’t mind gradual. Of course, more than 1-2 months would be too gradual tho…
Any lotions you recommend? Anything else I should know about tanning Please give me your expert advice.
As far as wattage, I’ll be going to Powerhouse on ZongXiao…anyone know the wattage there? I remember the guy said something like 15 minutes there equals to 2 hours in sunlight or something.
Matchstickman
Wow please elaborate some more! Is skin cancer not as serious as regular cancer or something? You can just get a “case” of skin cancer? so what happened? I’m rather worried about that since i’ll be doing the tanning thing.
Thanks.
Hi aceman,
Anyhow, I thought Powerhouse offered a free bottle of accelerator if you buy $10000 worth of time? If you’re planning to upkeep your tan, that sounds like a “decent” deal. Since you are pale, I thought you might want to go tanning regularly. Ask the guy at Powerhouse which accelerator to use. There are so many kinds to choose from and the prices vary too.
And also ask them about the wattage. Their booths should be new models.
But keep in mind u will burn and u will be in some pain so u might also want to buy some aloe at Watson’s or something. Good thing it’s cooler these days, it’ll help a bit.
Goggles should be mandatory too as the rays are really strong.
There’s a good site here with skin cancer info. skincancer.org
I had a case of basal cell cancer and had it cut out. It wasn’t carcogenic. However mealanoma is and is more serious. A friend of mine has had a melanoma cut out. The risk for us both was higher as we’re both pale skinned and come from the Southern hemisphere where the UV rays are apparently more intense.
The surgical cuts usually require stitching which can be painful when the anaesthetic wears off. I had a test here in Taiwan on my arm and a few hours later just using a marker on the whiteboard was painful.
matchstick…how do you know if and when you have skin cancer? isn’t it like other cancer which are hard to detect in the early stages?
Melanoma is a mole that grows. Basal Cell Cancer is a lump. I had a lump on the back of my neck which I thought was suspicious as I hadn’t put sunsreen on as much as needed and I had been in the sun a lot.
Absolutely not safe.
Why anybody would want to expose their skin to a concentrated dose of extremely damaging UV rays I will never understand.
I’m quite surprised that so many people are unaware of the cumulative damage which UV rays can cause to your skin… premature ageing, pigmentation and sun spots, melamonas, BCC’s and SCC’s, etc etc
Pack on the SPF and embrace pale skin, it’s beautiful 
Why else would Asian women be spending billions each year on sunscreen and skin whitening products 
Are you serious or just being sarcastic? :s
why would I joke about such a serious matter?
:s