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I’m very light complected, so I was never able to tan but could get a sunburn very easily. Therefore, I never could understand those people who wanted to pay to lie in a tanning bed, or who spent every possible waking moment laying in the sun. Last week, my friend G and I were talking. She told me about an old friend she hadn’t talked to in a while. Her friend was enamoured with G’s “beautiful brown skin” and spent lots of time tanning nude outside. G got a call recently from this friend. They played catch up to see what each had done lately. G said her friend told her she had had 64 separate operations to remove skin melanomas and that now the cancer was in her bones. This woman is only in her 50’s…much too young for such an extreme case of skin cancer turned bad. I don’t know if she used tanning beds or just spent a lot of time outside. Either way…this is the worst case of skin cancer I’ve ever heard of. It’s tragic! And all because someone wanted to have “pretty brown skin” instead of what she was born with. When will we realize there are always consequences to our choices. We have to be careful. This is sad and leaves me with mixed feelings.
Estherlou's Blog 
The concept of tanning beds just seems crazy to me.
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I am incredibly fair complected too. I used to hang outside and bake for hours, frying my skin repeatedly, and never seeing results. I was so thankful when they came out with self-tanners to just take a bit of pastiness from my skin. I don’t mind being pale, but was told my skin was blinding others. Ha..ha..
Unfortunately, some years ago I started coming down with skin cancers too. I haven’t found any Melanoma yet, but have had and still have many called Actinic keratosis, which are pink scaly skin lesions. I’ve had some burned and cut out. Not fun. I’ll stick with the self-tanner when I need it now. I’m so sorry to hear about your friend’s, friend. That’s very sad.
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Melanoma is deadly. Tanning beds are a horrible idea. But we need vitamin D: you don’t have to spend hours in the sun to get your needed vitamin D. Sun “bathing” is like laying in front of an x-ray machine switched “on” for hours. Not a good idea. And it’s a horrible disease, finally metastasizing into the organs, then death. A pretty high price to pay for “pretty”.
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I’m also fair and spent much too much time in the sun as a kid.
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Hi Esther,
I’m visiting because you “liked” my post and I’m glad I came. We do make choices…and although a “tan” skin may look smooth and sexy at 25, it looks like tough wrinkled leather as you get older. I’ve always been a fan of covering up when out in the sun and tried to protect my children’s skin also. I cringe sometimes when I see little ones, out in the sun, with no hat to cover their head and shade their eyes…and sometimes they are in a stroller, with their face to the sun, mom wearing sunglasses and a hat and merrily walking along. 😦
Glad we are connecting…hope you visit my blog more often. You say you are a grandmother…how old are they…maybe my book would be perfect for quick, easy fun activities,to do with them. 🙂
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Hi Esther,
Thanks for the post. Tanning beds have been banned in certain countries because of the strong association with skin cancer. In other countries they have put an age restriction on them so that you can’t use them until you’re 18 which makes sense since the more serious sunburns you had earlier in life, the greater your chances of skin cancer. These have only been recent changes, but for a long time, people didn’t know how bad the tanning beds were for them. I am so sorry for the lady who has to suffer now. 🙂
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Many fair skinned people seem to want to be darker these days, darker skinned people want to be lighter. I live in australia and friends tell me im too pale… im of korean heritage. Asians born in the west want to be tan… The asians in asia want to be white. And the caucasions want to look like they were born on a tropical island. Its sad that we cant be happy with the colour we are born. Even people who were born the same colour as me … Say im too pale which is pretty sad. They hate their natural self. Cheers to those who are content.
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