Why are people so big on tanning?

[Revik]

Isn't this the same a tan shaming or pale shaming?

Don't YOU have to respect the body that I possess?

[Sunseeker]

People say it because there is such a thing as "too pale". Your body requires vitamin D, which it produces naturally when you get sunlight. Lack of sunlight can lead to a variety of health issues.

Sure, there's such a thing as too much, but you ought to get some sun, especially in winter.

[Annoying]

People say it because there is such a thing as "too pale". Your body requires vitamin D, which it produces naturally when you get sunlight. Lack of sunlight can lead to a variety of health issues.

Sure, there's such a thing as too much, but you ought to get some sun, especially in winter.

Well, the amount that's actually required is much lower than most people usually figure it is. It's like 15min a day with a tank-top and shorts. You can legitimately just take your shirt off, enjoy your back yard for 15min, and go back inside and be fine.

[Sunseeker]

Well, the amount that's actually required is much lower than most people usually figure it is. It's like 15min a day with a tank-top and shorts. You can legitimately just take your shirt off, enjoy your back yard for 15min, and go back inside and be fine.

Sure, no argument there. But a lot of people miss the fact that you need more significant exposed surface area. 15 min may be fine in shorts and a tank-top, in colder climates you'll want more due to less exposed skin.

[Deleted]

Funny how it's the exact opposite in Asian countries like China/S.Korea/Japan. Darker skin is considered to be uglier and some people avoid it at all costs. Normal people and especially celebrities use skin lightening products and lighter makeup, actively avoid sunlight and edit their selfies etc. to make their skin lighter. Some south korean actors even apologize to their fans for getting a tan from filming in strong sunlight.

Personally I can't get even a slight tan without spending lots of time in sunlight and even then I'll get sunburn really fast without sunscreen. Also sunscreen sucks so I rather stay in shade or use protective clothes no matter how hot it is during summer. Parasol would work too I guess but I think it would look ridiculous.

[Akylios]

Because tanning is healthy (as long as you don't overdo it). Sun exposure is the main source of vitamin D production in our bodies, which boosts all kinds of bodily functions and makes us healthier.

A tan has also been the beauty standard for decades now, most people find a tanned person more beautiful than a pale person.


2 pretty good reasons there.

You're from Finland. In my experience you're about as white as the rest of the Nordics. So why bother worrying about tan? There's a reason we in the Nordics are actually white. If we needed to be as brown as Californians or Spaniards, it would happen by itself. Actually spending time on actively attempting to become more brown seems like a weird waste of time. Sure, enjoy the outdoors in the summer, but actually maintaining a tan is not something you should be worrying about.

[Kraenen]

Isn't this the same a tan shaming or pale shaming?

Don't YOU have to respect the body that I possess?

I wonder why people still think white beauty standards are a thing

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People say it because there is such a thing as "too pale". Your body requires vitamin D, which it produces naturally when you get sunlight. Lack of sunlight can lead to a variety of health issues.

Sure, there's such a thing as too much, but you ought to get some sun, especially in winter.

Conversely if you get tan you'll need even more sunlight, since your skin is adapting to take in less radiation. It's why white people are white in the first place, and why black people who move north need extra Vit D.

[Docturphil]

People are saying you look sick when you are too pale for their liking, people are saying you need to get out in the sun to get a tan. What if you think having a tan is ugly? I like how I look when I am paler. Tanning makes your skin age faster too.

So why is it that people are so big on tanning, to the point where they think people who do not tan are sick?

Personally I find pale women to be far more attractive. Tan people to me just give off a douchey jersey shore kind of vibe. I just automatically assume tan people are unintelligent, arrogant, and overly vain. Maybe that's because I'm from Wisconsin though where you have to try really hard to get a tan.

[shadowmouse]

Gen-OT is an amazing place -- kinda like Tahiti -- even brand new accounts show up to suddenly post multiple threads and start dinging up the post count!

[wheresmywoft]

Not sure why, but the last 3-4 years I've been sporting a permanent tan. Even in the depths of Canadian winter, it just never really goes away. Quite bizarre. Although it does get slightly darker in summer when I am doing some work in my garden.

[Celista]

I have a "winter" look aka Liv Tyler but I like having some color, I think it enhances one's features. I don't intentionally tan however and I wear sunscreen when outside.

I will not assist in helping my skin age more by tanning. I wear big hats and don't go outside unless I have some sunscreen on. I also love my milky-white skin. It compliments my redhair nicely

Redheads look great with pale skin

[Shakadam]

You're from Finland. In my experience you're about as white as the rest of the Nordics. So why bother worrying about tan? There's a reason we in the Nordics are actually white. If we needed to be as brown as Californians or Spaniards, it would happen by itself. Actually spending time on actively attempting to become more brown seems like a weird waste of time. Sure, enjoy the outdoors in the summer, but actually maintaining a tan is not something you should be worrying about.

Well, we humans waste time on a whole bunch of activities that in the end aren't very useful :P

Personally I actually like tanning, the "activity" in itself is relaxing (I like reading books), it boosts my self-esteem as I simply look better tanned than pale as a ghost (subjective opinion ofc), and I catch less diseases like the common cold during winter so it does seem to boost the immune system (even better if I can manage a "sun vacation" during autumn, that basically guarantees I won't catch any colds for the rest of the winter).
I also tan easily so even though it's only really possible to tan for about 4 months around here I do tend to get a pretty good tan going.

[Akylios]

People say it because there is such a thing as "too pale". Your body requires vitamin D, which it produces naturally when you get sunlight. Lack of sunlight can lead to a variety of health issues.

Sure, there's such a thing as too much, but you ought to get some sun, especially in winter.

It all depends. If a Nordic person becomes as brown as a Californian or a Spaniard, they're probably doing something very unhealthy, as our skin color is naturally lighter.

Went to California for a couple of weeks a few years ago. One of the guys I was working with asked me if I was sick, he thought I was so white. I actually had some tan on at the time, he just wasn't used to how white Nordic people are. I tried explaining it to him, telling him he was actually light brown not white. He then became adamant Nordic people aren't white, they're just pale. To him a normal white person is as brown as a Californian. Someone living at the same level as Iraq and Iran. To him, that seemed like the logical place someone would have a white skin color. Not the Nordics.

So a bit of perspective is required.