As I lounge outside, enjoying the last few days of Tempe’s beautiful “autumn” weather, I experience a feeling of dread.

I imagine it’s something like the bears feel when they know it’s time to hibernate — the fear of the impending cold weather in the desert.

My fear of the cold, I have discovered, is only compounded by the appearance of several strange ASU-specific phenomena, like the pairing of UGG boots and booty shorts that results from confusing weather patterns, for example.

Nothing could be worse, though, than the sighting of individuals who, despite the lack of sun exposure that comes with the holiday season, are tan (or sometimes an Oompa-Loompa-orange) as if it were July.

I have to say, I really just don’t understand it.

For one thing, what is so undesirable about pale skin?

For the white and nerdy among us, we should embrace our paleness and see its natural beauty for what it is.

According to an MSNBC opinion article, “Save your hide — skip the tanning booth,” parasol-toting women obsessively avoided sun exposure prior to the 20th century. However, in the 1920s, French designer Coco Chanel changed the image of beautiful as she sought to promote her summer line.

Ever since, damaged, unhealthy skin has ironically become equated with radiant health.

And we fell for it, risking our lives in the process.

In July, the World Health Organization added tanning beds to its list of “the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation,” joining the ranks of plutonium and radium.

Additionally, the report found that individuals who use tanning beds prior to age 30 experience an increased risk in developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, by 75 percent.

Melanoma causes the deaths of 8,650 Americans every year.

But melanoma is only a part of the problem. There are actually three types of skin cancer, and individuals who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop the second — squamous cell carcinoma — and 1.5 times more likely to develop the third — basal cell carcinoma.

Just because it’s legal (and offered on campus) doesn’t mean it’s safe, in much the same way that just because McDonald’s serves a bucket of fries with their burgers, doesn’t mean it’s healthy to eat the whole meal.

But for those who aren’t fazed by the risks and tan for the look (or because Coco told you to), consider the effect that tanning-bed use can have on one’s appearance.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, photoaging results in age spots, deep wrinkles and leathery skin as the skin loses its repairing abilities and collagen fibers are broken down. Moreover, individuals who live in “sun-intense areas like Arizona” can develop these signs of aging as early as in their 20s.

I don’t know about you, but I think Coco had it all wrong.
Pale is healthy, natural and beautiful.

Besides, I’ll take my pale self over an age spot in my 20s any day.

Reach Kristen at kckelle2@asu.edu