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| 03-04-2005 | Previous edition: 03-03-2005 |
        
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Printer-friendly version Tanning salons see drastic rise in business despite health risks
Assistant Campus Editor To tan or not to tan: that is the question for many students before Spring Break. As the week-long vacation from classes approaches, so do flights to Florida and cruise departures, leading many to the tanning salon in search of a pre-trip tan. Bridget Barber, a senior in the College of Liberal Arts, is part of the tanning surge. Preparing for her Florida vacation, she waits at a local tanning salon for her turn under the ultra-violet bulbs, not concerned about the health risks that accompany a golden tan. Barber said she used to tan regularly, but now only does so in preparation for Spring Break, and is not worried about the risks since she cut back on tanning. "I got too white," she said, "I couldn’t handle the winter cold and paleness." And although she has tried the new spray-on tanning methods, she still prefers the bulbs. "Spray-on is OK. It’s a quick fix for a dance or something, but for the money it’s just not worth it." Spray-on tans are a solution for those who want to look tan without the risk, said Angela Hoffman, health education coordinator for the Student Wellness Office. "But truthfully, from a health perspective, we prefer that people not feel that they need a tan," she said. "Your natural skin and taking care of it is the best thing." Because skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed among all cancer types, and it accounts for nearly half of all cancer cases in the United States, Hoffman said it is important for both men and women to use daily sunscreen and reapply sunscreen when out in the sun. "We realize, especially for college students, skin damage is not the first thing they are thinking about. "If people want to look at it from a vain perspective, you will get wrinkles and sun spots, you will age faster." Despite knowledge of the damage ultra-violet tanning can cause, salons have seen an increase in business over the past month. Carina Biggs, owner of One Minute Tan, located at 118 Andrew Place, said business for the month of February is triple what it was for January. "People just don’t want to go on Spring Break without a tan," she said. Arianne Gunn, manager of Sun Kiss Tanning, located at 330 East State Street, said the number of customers usually triples the week before vacation, with the weeks leading up to it double the average. Mike Addley, a senior in the College of Technology, went tanning for the first time in preparation for his trip to Miami and is more concerned with "getting fried" on his vacation than skin damage from tanning before. "Everyone’s like, it’s so bad for your skin, but so is getting burnt." But there are still those who hold out on the tanning craze, like Daniel Hlavek, a sophomore in the School of Management. Hlavek is also among the Florida-goers, but is not tanning. "I think it’s kinda silly to waste money before vacation to tan," he said, maintaining his idea that he will get tan on his vacation rather than before. Printer-friendly version |
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