To Be Tan, Or Not To Be Tan?

Prom season is rolling around ladies -as most of you know I'm sure- and at my school, becoming tan (aka the idea of perfection) is starting to grow like a wild fire. For some of you, the more girls you hear about tanning, the more you start to compare yourselves to other girls. For those of you who are able to embrace your color, y'all are amazing! Unfortunately, although I stand against UV ray tanning I also find myself comparing me to others. So to see what exactly this tanning thing is about, I have done some research both how tanning affects you physically according to professionals, but also what God has to say about stressing over our physical appearances. 

Starting with my research into tanning, here's what I've found. There are three main different types of tanning:

1. Spray Tanning- 

PROS: "decreases the risk of skin cancer associated with traditional tanning.       
          This assuming...that you’re applying broad-spectrum sunscreen before      
          you step foot outside and taking refuge in the shade" (Kendra)

CONS: "...new research has just been released stating that spray tanning may   
          actually increase your risk of cancer. DHA, dihdroxyacetone, is the active 
          ingredient in spray tanners and medical experts have found that, if 
          introduced into the bloodstream (which can happen if it is inhaled), it  
         has the 'potential to cause genetic alterations and DNA damage'"
         (Kendra)


2. UV Ray Tanning-

PROS: "Most tanning bed industries agree that indoor tanning is much safer 

        than receiving outdoor exposure to the sun. Light emitted from tanning 

        equipment contains approximately 40% less UVB rays, the most harmful 

        type of radiation, than does light from the sun. Tanning beds, therefore, 

       have the power to control exposure time and the ratio of UVA to UVB rays               

       for a 'perfect balance'" (Carruth) 

CONS: "Nearly every single article that was researched concluded that indoor      
          tanning is directly linked to skin cancer, specifically malignant 
          melanoma, and other numerous health problems. Although tanning
          industries claim that UVA radiation is safe, medical research disproves 
         this theory. Researchers say that because UVA rays penetrate deep into 
         the skin, they destroy skin fibers and damage elasticity. Long-term 
         effects of UVA rays include premature aging and wrinkles" (Carruth) 


3. Sun Tanning-

    PROS: "Tanning provides the body with Vitamin D, which is needed for calcium  

             absorption and therefore maintaining bone health, and endocrine health 

             among other benefits.  Persons who suffer from Seasonal Affective 

            Disorder are treated with light therapy" (Teens and Tanning: Pros and 

            Cons)

CONS: "Lots of teenagers have a problem with acne and are using medication   
         to treat the condition. Ingredients in these medications can react 
         negatively with the ultraviolet light resulting in blisters and burns. Other 
        medications can result in photosensitivity as well. There is no doubt that 
        excessive exposure to the sun (ultraviolet radiation) causes skin cancer" 
        (Teens and Tanning: Pros and Cons)

After finding out all this information about tanning, I turned to figuring out what God has to say about our physical appearance. So as all other people do when trying to find out info, I googled it! Going to www.openbible.info, I found a lot of great versus! Here are a few that stood out to me:

James 1:23 "For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror."

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

Proverbs 31:30 "Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

1 Corinthians 11: 14-15 "Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering."

Psalms 139: 14 "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

1 Peter 3: 3-4 "Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious."

Looking through all these again, I realized some of y'all readers may be a little confused. I personally don't believe that God is saying you can never look or feel good in what your wearing, He means that don't let what your wearing or how you look become the obsession of your life. As long as you realize that ultimately you are made from God's own personal design, and you choose to respectfully fear Him above all else, you will make the right choices of what God wants done to His beautiful creation. 


Citations

Carrut, E. n. page. <http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/Tanning.html>.

Kendra, . N.p., n. d. 13 Mar 2014. <http://www.collegefashion.net/beauty-and-hair/the-new-pros-and-cons-of-spray-tanning/>.

Unknown, . N.p.. Web. 13 Mar 2014. <http://www.carefair.com/Skincare/Summer-and-Sun/Teens_and_Tanning_Pros_and_Cons_357.html>.