On a campus full of micro-waists, white teeth and Rocket Dogs there is a constant pressure to appear attractive, and at ASU, this means having the perfect tan.
Freshman Dana Reed has tried various methods of tanning, including the traditional beach/pool lay out, tanning beds, and spray-on tans.
"It is kind of an obsession to be this tan," Reed says.
Reed loves the sun and the feeling she gets when she is lounging under UV light. In the summer, she spends two months in California, where she gets most of her color but for a really fast tan she prefers the spray-on tan which is a popular tanning salon method.
Little does Reed know that not only is frequenting tanning salons unhealthy, it has been found to be addictive. A study done at the Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Raleigh, N.C. discovered that a calming effect washed over its participants as they were tanning. The study was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), which outlined how endorphins, the chemicals in the brain that make one feel tranquil, are released when one is exposed to UV rays.
Amy Grunden, an employee at Celebrity Tanning, a salon popular with ASU students, has a different perspective.
"I think [tanning beds] are safe because it is for a limited time and we are really careful about how long people tan for," she says.
Grunden waves to an overtaned regular as she exits the salon adding, "I'll see you next time." Judging by the woman's orangy-brown tint, next time probably meant tomorrow.
Grunden says regulars come in as much as three times a week, supporting the fact the tanning beds are addicting.
Do not be fooled into thinking that just because the tanning is occurring indoors, there is no danger of adverse effects. According to a study by the AAD, UV lights used in tanning salons have the same malignant consequences as lying out by the pool.
"I can see how [tanning beds] would be addictive. If it worked as well as laying out, I would think it is amazing and do it a lot. But they just fry you and make you feel disgusting," says Reed.
But what Reed forgets is that while laying out is relaxing with UV rays oozing into your skin, it is no better than baking in a tanning bed.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in America, and although its relationship with tanning beds is all too clear, the billion-dollar industry is as busy and bustling as ever.
Dr. Gary Septon, a physician at the Student Health and Wellness Center, said that people are generally aware of the dangers involved with tanning but do not think about it when they are young.
But by age 40, wrinkles and other nasty skin conditions can appear.
There are ways to develop a nice tan while avoiding the addicting dangers connected to UV exposure. Lotions and gels, sold in any drug store, are hazard free as are the quick and efficient spray-on tans. (See the side bar for a full how-to of primer on how to self tan.)
"You can use these topical products and look tan, but you can still get burned [when exposed to UV radiation] and that is the message," says Septon.
Reach the reporter at courtney.bonnell@asu.edu.
