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Courtesy of Mary Eckert
Mary Eckert holds up the yellow dress she bought to wear at prom.
With prom still about a month away, Mary Eckert has already found the perfect yellow floor-length dress, but she says she's behind on her tanning schedule.
"Girls already started, it's crazy," Eckert, a junior at a high school in Manheim, Pa., told mnsbc.com.
She plans to start tanning next week by spending 12 minutes on a tanning bed every other day or so. Her yellow dress will look better on tanned skin, Eckert said.
"I think people just look better when they're tan," she added.
The prom and tanning go hand-in-hand, but the practice has come under renewed scrutiny after a recent study published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings found the incidence of melanoma in young adults has soared, with a sixfold increase in the past 40 years. The rise is particularly noteworthy in young women ages 18 to 39, where the incidence of melanoma increased eightfold from 1970 to 2009, and fourfold in young men.
“The number one thing – stop going to tanning beds,” dermatologist Dr. Jerry Brewer, one of the study’s authors, told NBC News. “All correlations point toward that as the reason for the increase.”
For young women, melanoma rates on the rise
In a statement released last week, the Indoor Tanning Association called the study "a leap of pure speculation."
"There is no consensus among researchers regarding the relationship between melanoma skin cancer and UV exposure either from the sun or a sunbed," the association said.
While the dress remains the pièce de résistance of prom night, hairstyle, makeup and glowing skin are seen as essentials to complete a perfect look for a very special night.
'Everybody's going to do it'
Tanning sessions are not cheap, but salons offer student specials, 2-for-1 offers or package deals. Eckert pays $27 for a monthly membership that allows her to go daily, if she chooses. She said she pays for it herself from the money she earns working at a grocery store.
"I know that everybody's going to do it for prom," she said, including some boys.
Eckert says she's aware there are some health risks that come with tanning, but "I just do not think about that because it makes me nervous."
If her skin gets burned, she said, she puts on aloe or lotion. "Even if I burn, when I peel I get dark," she added.
Jean O'Reilly
Ann Hinrichs says her turquoise dress will look great on her natural skin color.
People get pressured into tanning because so many teens do it, Ann Hinrichs, a junior at a high school in Fridley, Minn., told msnbc.com. She says she's never tanned indoors because skin cancer runs in her family, and added that she doesn't understand the appeal. Some girls, she said, just end up looking orange.
"It just doesn't look natural," Hinrichs said.
There have been efforts in several states to limit indoor tanning for minors. Minnesota introduced a special tax on tanning and last year California enacted a law prohibiting those under 18 from indoor tanning. Illinois, Utah, Michigan, Arizona, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut are considering similar bans.
For many teens, however, tanning is a way of life, not just another step in preparation for prom. Eckert said she's had her salon membership for about three months, though she doesn't plan on going often after prom. In the summer, she says, she tans on the beach every day.
"When I tan, it makes me feel better, you know?" she said.
For her part, Hinrichs says her turquoise dress will look great on her natural skin color.
"One night shouldn't completely change the way I look," she added.
More content from msnbc.com and NBC News:
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Vanity. Thy name is woman.
I'm 21 years old and I have proudly never set foot in a tanning bed. Most importantly they're not healthy, but they're also gross. What a waste of money!!
Good for you. When you are older you will look much younger than those who went to tanning salons.
Thank you. I couldn't agree more. It ruins your skin.
My mom died from a skin cancer that invaded under. In spite of that, a friend wanted me to go to the tanning salon with her. I said are you kidding me? Well, the friend went several times a week and got a skin cancer on her chest. After having it removed and being terrified about having it, she went right back to the tanning salon. She doesn't tan - she turns lobster red. Some day these young girls will be old and their skin will look like hard leather. I'm past 60 yet my skin looks great, especially on my face, probably because I never fried myself.
This is another reason this practice will not be stopped. Some people with addictive personalities manifest that with tanning, others with alcohol, gambling, etc. It is all about risk taking. The history of humanity is littered with their tragedies.
After reading this article, I had to share with all of you a letter we received at work from one of our co-worker's daughter, Jessica. It really makes you think! Parents need to take a stand against allowing their children to tan. I know they say spray tans look fake, but is looking great in that prom dress really worth this price?
The letter from Jessica:
March 27, 2012
My name is Jessica. I am a 25 year old Registered Nurse and I was diagnosed with Melanoma on July 13, 2011. In June 2011 I had gone to my dermatologist because I had noticed that I had a strange mole that probably needed to be removed. My dermatologist removed it the day of my appointment and then I
did not think anything about it until 4 weeks later when I got the phone call from my dermatologist that said "you have Melanoma. I have no idea what stage it is currently but you need to go see a surgeon and an oncologist immediately." It took me a while to understand the severity of what he had said because I was thinking "Well they took the mole off and skin cancer is just usually superficial right?" Unfortunately I was wrong.
I had my appointments with the Surgeon and my Oncologist and it was discovered after the first surgery that I actually had Stage III B Melanoma which meant it had spread to my lymph nodes and they would need to be removed. This was very shocking but they did move pretty quickly on the surgery.
Recovery from that surgery took about 4 weeks and I had to have a drain the
entire time :( The next step was treatment called Interferon. I had to complete
one month of high dose treatment which was 5 days a week M-F for about 4 hours
a day. After that month was over then I had/have 11 months of lower dose
interferon that is subcutaneous shots 3 times a week that I can do from home. I
am currently 6 1/2 months in and I am very excited to be past the half way point.
My life has changed so dramatically since the diagnosis happened last July. Not only have I matured as a person but my priorities have completely changed. My life and being active and happy is the number one goal
in my daily life. This happened to me for a reason and I want to spend the time that I have been given by helping educate others on appreciating life and also keeping themselves healthy. One of the people I get a lot of inspiration from is Kris Carr the author of Crazy,Sexy,Cancer. She does a lot of
education on lifestyle and what changes it is really important to make. Another
thing is I have educated myself and my loved ones on the bad habits/products/lifestyle things that we used to do every day that have the potential to cause cancer or other harm to our bodies. For example I never
really wore sunscreen as a kid and I went tanning in college so those are probably the main reasons I developed Melanoma. I think education is definitely lacking in our society about these risk factors and what these things can do to our bodies.
Much love, hugs and prayers to those out there that are fighting for their lives and the amazing people that support them.
Jessica
I used to go to a tanning salon a bit before a special outing or just to feel good about wearing Spring clothes. I have no known damage at this point. However, I really believe it is stupid of us to try and change our skin color. This year I changed my mind on the whole tanning concept. I will have some color added to my skin just from being outdoors in the sunlight, but I want to be the color I was intended. I have fair skin and I want to flaunt it!!! (Fair skin has actually become a rarity in the US) You can buy a tan, you can't buy what I have!
Tanning salons should be off limits to anyone under 18. These girls are young and stupid and think nothing bad can ever happen to them...until it they get cancer and then it's too late. Of course, a lot of grown women are stupid as well, hence the popularity of doing something so dangerous to the skin. But maybe, maybe some of these girls won't feel pressured to do this after the teen-pressure of having to be tan for prom.
I think that all the information about how BAD tanning is. melanoma, etc. should be backed up with pictures. Pictures say a thousand words and often can drive home a point through thick skulls faster and with much more impact.People that have had the unfortunate experience of having to deal with melanoma,premature aging skin, should go to schools and talk about how bad it really is. From experience I know you can talk to young people until you are BLUE in the face and they can just tune you out but put something they can see and its a whole new ball game. My Dad was a police officer and when I was 15 and ready to get my license there was a tragic crash. It took the life of a beautiful and popular girl by no fault of her own. A drunk driver crossed the center line and hit her head on as she was coming home from a babysitting job. My Dad took me to see the cars. I was shocked and scared by what I saw. Blood, her school work was splattered with blood, and the one thing that has always stuck in my head was her hairbrush with strands of her hair in it. TRUST me when I tell you....I thank my father for doing that. It taught me and he didn't have to say a word.
A PICTURE CAN SAY A THOUSAND WORDS.
Yip, everybody else is doing IT, so I will too, so as everybody else walks off the cliff,,, to death, so will I, because I'm that damn dumb and Clueless ????
I don't understand why white women are obsessed with tanning. Why don't they embrace their natural skin color? I also don't understand why all women don't embrace the natural color of their hair.
Stupid is as stupid does
I have to admitt that I DO tan. I am naturally dark olive skinned. I enjoy the tanning booth, and go about once every 4-6 days. I use a SPF15 before I go in. The "Orange" look that people get is because of synthetic bronzers in these "indoor tanning lotions". I have NO history of skin cancer in my family, and I tan as "safely" as possible. I am a grown adult, and chose to do this, as some adults chose to dring excessively or smoke (two things I DON'T do!). I take good care of myself, eat healthy and exercise regularly. I am the proud mother of a great 10 year old boy. When I picked him up from his new school, his friends actually thought I was his big sister. So, that defeats the "you tan, you age prematurely" argument. Yes, if don in excess, like ANYTHING, it will have harmfull effects. It's called moderation.
On the flip side, my son takes after his father as far as skin tone and is extreamly fair. He burns after only a short time in the sun, and does not leave without a minimum of spf75 slathered all over him, and a hat. He also has a significant Vitamin D defficiency. Is it due to his limmited sun exposure? Who knows. But he takes a multi vitamin and an additional Vitamin D supplement. He has suffered 4 broken bones (collar bone twice...once from simply falling out of his handstand). There are drawbacks to both extreme sides. Will I allow my son to go out without sunblock for that natural boost of vitamin D production? No, because a sunburn and the risk of skin cancer (runs rampant on his father's side) is to much of a risk.
People just need to be smart.
Just ban it pure and simple or tax it so that only super rich can afford it. Individual freedom, democracy. blah blah has to have its limits when our young kids in society start to intentionally harm themselves.
PS - Don't call me liberal or conservative or independent. This is not about politics.
There's a powerful YouTube video featuring melanoma survivors. Apparently msnbc.com won't let me include the link, but search for "Dear 16-Year-Old Me" on YouTube to find it -- and share it with anyone you know who thinks tanning is a good idea.
I'm sure it will happen to some people, but not to me. (teen thought process)
I tanned for prom....in 1995. I can't imagine doing it nowadays. I haven't been tanning in probably 10 years at a tanning salon. Now I am perfectly fine with my HEALTHY fair skin. I know girls younger than me that look WAY older with crow's feet and lines (and we are in our 30s) from tanning. All it does is age you! It does not look natural, and isn't worth risking your health for one night. Get a spray tan or use some bronzer if it's that important. Don't fry your skin for 3 months for one night! The tan will fade, but the damage will stay with you for a lifetime.
I'll never forget a college friend of mine from Pakistan- we saw a bunch of girls lying in the sun by a dorm and she commented "the only ones in the world who want their skin DARKER."
Artificial tanning is almost as stupid as smoking cigarettes.
Even more stupid are smokers who don't carry health insurance...guess who gets to pay for their hospital visits... I think smokers should prepay for their own coffins.
cigarettes are already taxed at an insane rate, and it just continues to go up and up everyday. I'm aware of the dangers of smoking and i still choose to do it. However, each pack of cigarettes i buy more money goes to taxes than for the actual product(and related business expenses). I'm told its to pay for all the health care for smokers who get sick. Then if i get a cigarette smoking related disease later in life why am i not covered for health care? I've been paying those extra taxes for years and years. Unless, of course, all that cigarette tax money isn't really going to health care for those who get sick as a result of smoking. I'm sure a significant portion does go to offset those health care costs, but i'm sure a lot goes to totally unrelated issues. Or how bout all those who are obese and choose to eat poorly and not exercise. Maybe Whoppers/Big Macs etc should cost $10/burger?! Then these people get sick and who pays for it?! At least cigarette smokers are paying for it, can we say the same for drinkers,(taxed heavy, but not even close to the rate of cigarettes), overweight/obese people? Don't think so...
Sadly the role models...teach their daughters what is really important in life. Shallow people who need to look a certain way regardless of how it will effect their health in the long run...the little girls just role model the values they are taught.
To teach your children they need to feel good about themselves at all costs is such a shame. Try to show them they are more than what they look like.
I fail to see a big difference between tanning and cigarettes. Both can have serious effects on ones health and yet people choose to smoke/tan every day. I'm ok with people choosing to smoke or tan if they want(i'm a smoker). However, why is it ok to tax the sh*t out of cigarettes(prices have gone up 400% over the past 10 years where i live, used to be $2.50/pack when i started and now is around $10/pack) but not the same with tanning? For the record i've never went to an indoor tanning facility, but i'm assuming prices have not risen 400% in the past decade(if i'm wrong, please direct me to where i can find such statistics). I'm sure everybody doesn't want to pay for my health care when i get lung cancer or another disease as a result of smoking cigarettes, similarly I don't want to pay for all you who get skin cancer, etc because you just had to "look good" for prom/wedding/or just everyday life in general. Tax it at the same ridiculous rate you tax cigarettes at and then at least you are paying(kinda) for your future burden on society.
It is not worth it. I know how these girls feel because I like the way I look with a tan and it does relax me and makes me feel more secure with "color" but now I just don't do it anymore. I am 41 and used to tan alot since my teens. Outdoors laying in the sun as a teen trying to get a tan but would mostly burn, I am fair skinned with some freckles and blue eyes so wasn't the type to get a brown tan anyway. Then when I was 19-25 tanned pretty much year round. For the past 5 years I have had spots shaved off, frozen off, and sent for biopsy. One was basal cell on my arm and the rest were all pre-cancerous so I am at a high risk already and have to go back yearly. I have white scars all over on my arms, legs, back and face from this and more and more sun spots/age spots showing up each day. I can tell you that it truly isn't worth it...just get spray tanned lightly for special events and use self tanning lotions in between instead...it's much healthier for you but still gives you some of a glow that helps with looking healthy for proms, dates, vacations.
I tan I'm in my 40's and I go once or twice week. I like my skin I have never had any problems and it relaxing also hides all those black/blue marks when you walk into stuff.I excersise and have never smoked.Its a personal choice rembember you I can get cancer from second hand smoke but when you touch me you can't get second-hand skin cancer.Do it with moderation.
Dramma Mama we are the only 2 on here that tan enjoy....
Cancer of all kinds take time to develop with extensive exposure to bodily irritants such chemicals and UV radiation. The reason your skin is tan is because the cells are being killed.
No wonder young voters want free healthcare. Between cell phones and UV beds, they are destined for a cancerous adulthood.
No more than the vast amount of Boomers that smoked and/or sat in smoky restaurants and bars for most of their lives. Think before you post, please.
Tanning never hurt me. Just follow with lotions. I don't like the "pale-ish" white skin. I'm a farmer and I had no choice in tanning. (Oh, and by the way, I did live in NYC and tan on the roof of my apartment building in New York.) No damage has shown up yet.
BOYD
"Yet" is the key word.
It's simple, Tanned skin is damaged skin, skin that has been partially cooked, if you are looking at someone with tanned skin then you are looking at someone that is partially cooked.
What ever happened to "If I want to do it and it's not hurting anybody else then do what you wanna do."? Don't come at me with "Well the public/tax payers will pay for their medical bills, laddi fricken dah". If a person wants to look like a wrinkly wet paper bag by the age of 40, then let them. The more whe have Joe/Jane Senator dictating how we live and what we can do might as well move to Russia.