Tans are popular for spring break
As spring break nears, more students are attempting to look their best, and many students believe a nice tan is a great way to start looking better.
“This is naturally our busiest time of year,” said Doug Swartz, 48, owner of Tans To Go. “It is really because of spring.”
While students are preparing to bask in the rays of various tropical regions over break, some students intentionally prepare for the extra sunlight, while others just so happen to get a tan.
“I don’t tan because it’s expensive,” said Kristi Crawford, 19, a freshman psychology student. “I tan naturally outside, but it is not intentional.”
Other students try to increase their melatonin levels and get a nice base coat to help prevent burning.
“I tan like twice a week (between beds and outside),” said Bri Healy, 18, a freshman chemical engineering student. “I tan because it’s relaxing. I like to tan because it’s a primer tan for vacation. I’m going to Florida for spring break.”
While tanning in beds and outside UV rays are the only ways to actually change skin color, spray tans can temporarily change skin color as well. However, spray tans do not create a lasting glow like UV rays do.
For those who prefer UV rays to spray tans, it is important to take certain precautions.
“I always say, no matter where you go or where you get your tan, always wear sunscreen,” Swartz said.
According to RM Barry Publications, ultraviolet radiation comes in two forms: UVA, which is an aging ray, and UVB, which is a burning ray.
The American Cancer Society instructs the public to wear sunscreen every day, even on a cloudy day. According to RM Barry Publications, this is not an attempt to boost the sunscreen industry’s sales. It is to help protect skin from the photoaging and carcinogenic effects of UVA rays, which are easy to miss because they do not cause a sunburn feeling.
Radiation from UVA reaches the skin all year long and more evenly throughout the day than UVB, which peaks in intensity between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Skin can even be damaged by UVA radiation on a cloudy day because 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays still make it past the clouds.
Sunscreens are the most popular at the moment, according to RM Barry Publications. They are available in creams, lotions and gels, and they contain chemicals that absorb UV rays.
Sunblocks work a little differently than sunscreen.
Instead of absorbing UV rays, sunblocks reflect them. At one time, sunblocks could be identified by the opaque white film they left on the skin. But now, new technology allows them to be filled with particles that are tiny, so the opaque film is no longer noticeable.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Zach Keller at john.keller@thecampuspress.com.
