Students still tan despite dangers
By Aaron Kokoruz
Staff Reporter

Laura Fenley says she hasn’t tanned in the last six months because she’s afraid of the health risks involved.

“I have tanned before, but after learning about the serious health risks, I realized that staying healthy outweighs any cosmetic effects,” said Fenley, a junior art history major.

A few weeks ago, more evidence on the hazards of tanning beds was reported to support Fenley’s decision. Tanning under artificial lamps as little as once a month can boost the risk of a deadly form of skin cancer by 55 percent, according to a study done by Dartmouth College researchers.

The danger of tanning is even greater when done in early adulthood, according to a study done by the Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Despite these findings, tanning is popular among college students, even though most are aware it can lead to skin cancer, premature aging or both.

Tanning is much more popular among females than males, and 47 percent of college students admitted to using ultraviolet light to tan at least once in the past 12 months, according to a study done by the Eastern Virginia Medical School.

“I used to tan, and tanned for almost a month straight but then stopped because I realized how bad it was for me,” said Stephanie Doherty, junior political science major.

Polly Manuel, owner of Salon Classique Tan Spa on University Drive, says she has not seen a decrease in her number of clients tanning, despite the new findings that have been reported.

“I tell my clients it’s all about moderation,” Manuel said. “As more studies come out, I think they’ll find it’s not as negative as they think.”

Manuel said she’s tanned in moderation for the past 22 years and doesn’t have any health problems.

The state of Texas requires that all tanning beds have a warning sign posted by them. The warning signs include items such as risks for pregnant women and people with certain skin conditions, according to a bill on the Texas Department of Health Web site.

Employees at Awesome Tan, a Fort Worth tanning salon, said they haven’t noticed any decrease in the number of people tanning at their salon.

“We’re right on track with the same amount of business as we were doing last year at this time,” said Anthony Martin, an employee at Awesome Tan.

Many salons, such as Salon Classique Tan Spa, are now offering airbrush sunless tanning for those who don’t want to tan under the artificial lamps, Manuel said.