Addicted to Tanning? Tanorexia May Be the Cause

[Ferran]

Addicted to Tanning? Tanorexia May Be the Cause

By Jody Morse, published May 09, 2007

While there are some people out there who are proud of their pale skin, there are others who enjoy having that summertime glow - all year long. If you have always wondered why tanning is such an important aspect of your life, chances are that you may have a condition called tanorexia. Here, we will take a much closer look at this condition.

What Is Tanorexia?

Although tanorexia may sound like a made up word to you, the truth is that it is a condition which really does exist. The name has, as you can probably guess, been based on the eating disorder called anorexia. The main thing that tanorexia and anorexia have in common is the fact that they are both psychological conditions, rather than physical conditions. Tanorexia is a word which is used in order to describe people who feel the continuous need to tan, despite any known consequences which are associated with using tanning salons or laying outside in the sun.

What Are The Symptoms?

The number one symptom of tanorexia is the constant desire to tan, even though you may realize that there are dangerous or even deadly consequences with doing so. However, there are also a number of other signs which may indicate that you have tanorexia. Some of these indicators are as follows:

- Spending hours at the salon or outside in the sun, even if it means that you will get the slightest bit of a tan.

- Getting upset when it is not possible for you to tan, whether it is because you are not able to attend the salon or if it is because the weather does not permit it.
- Feeling that you look the best when you are tan, as well as feeling that other people look the best when they are tan also.

- Resorting to the use of "fake" tanning products, such as creams or lotions, as well as spray-on tans which can be received at the local spa & salon. Of course, there are not any health-related issues with doing this.

- Comparing your tan to celebrities, as well as having competitions with your friends in order to see whose skin can get the most tan in a given amount of time.

- Feeling upset if the tan which you do get is not what you are expected or were hoping for. This will often lead to further tanning in the future.

- Making statements such as, "I do not care if I get skin cancer (or other adverse skin effects) in the future because the tan that I get right now is well worth it."

- Feeling proud to show off the tan that you do receive. For some people this also may mean feeling proud to show off tan lines, although others prefer not having any pale skin on their bodies whatsoever.

Why It's So Dangerous

The main reason that this psychological condition is so dangerous is because there are so many different negative effects that the sun can have on your skin, the worst being skin cancer, of course. Not only do people with an addiction to tanning spend more hours in the sun than other people would on a regular basis, but since they are striving to get their darkest, they also tend to avoid taking safety precautions- such as sunscreen. Many tanorexics, if they should decide to use anything, opt for tanning oil instead. One of the main problems is the fact that tanning oil tends to have a much lower SPF than regular sunscreen, so while tanorexics may think that they are using an adequate amount of protection, it may not always be enough for their skin type.

Can Tanning Beds Worsen This Condition?

A number of different studies have shown that tanning beds may actually be addictive. The main reason is because the endorphins are produced by UV rays, which leads the body to feel relaxed. This is often the reason that many tanning salons emphasize the fact that you will be able to experience a relaxing time when you use their tanning beds. Studies have shown that the more often you use the tanning beds, the more often you will miss out on them.

What Can Be Done?

If you think that there is a possibility that you may have tanorexia, the main question that you may have is what can be done in order to treat this condition. It is important to consider that, like any other psychological condition, tanorexia is something which is associated with the mind. Seeking the professional help of a qualified psychologist is the recommended treatment. While it may be just as hard of an addiction to break as any, keep in mind that there are also preventative measures which you can take for your future safety. One of the first steps that you can take is using sunscreen, in order to prevent skin cancer from developing.



Source: Addicted to Tanning? Tanorexia May Be the Cause - Associated Content

[Marcus Marulus]

Maybe all addictions operate in more or less similar manner?

[Christabel]

With no exception, everyone is concerned with addiction today - whether you are a relative, a family member or a stranger, or whether you know this problem just from the outside. This problem is a problem of our society - of all modern societies.

Drugs,
Medication,
Alcohol,
Nicotine,
Coffee, tea,
Food / or the refusal of food (anorexia, bulimy etc.),
Sweets, chocolate,
Work, Stress,
Beauty,
Fitness,
Recognition, Acceptance,
Admiration,
Helper's-Syndrom, the 'Need to be needed',
Control
Order / Cleanlyness,
Internet, TV, electronic games,
Shopping,
Gambling,
Sex,
Money,
And many more...
Society propagates youth, success, money and beauty, and there are many people with a low self esteem who think they cannot live up to those ideals and feel unworthy.

[Phlegethon]

I am proud of my pale skin. And allergic to sunlight as well.

[Savorgnan]

A popular Mediterranean saying: "The good part of the sun is the shadow".

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Savorgnan

A popular Mediterranean saying: "The good part of the sun is the shadow".

Sun is not especially cherished by the Mediterranean people, I know it because I grew in a coastal town. In older times someone who would be seen walking down the street at noon in summer, without any apparent need to do that, would be considered a lunatic.

It was the Northerners who invented tanning.

[Susi]

It was the Northerners who also invented going red like a lobster ._.

That's my skin right now, and it hurts. And I didn't even try to tan. I put on sunscreen and everything o_O... the sun is bad! ;_;

People who want to tan are insane. Mostly ages 16-24 I think, and they don't even bother to use sunscreen to block the harmful radiation... rates of skin cancers are going up, for some reason

[Monolith]

Originally Posted by Christabel

With no exception, everyone is concerned with addiction today - whether you are a relative, a family member or a stranger, or whether you know this problem just from the outside. This problem is a problem of our society - of all modern societies.

Drugs,
Medication,
Alcohol,
Nicotine,
Coffee, tea,
Food / or the refusal of food (anorexia, bulimy etc.),
Sweets, chocolate,
Work, Stress,
Beauty,
Fitness,
Recognition, Acceptance,
Admiration,
Helper's-Syndrom, the 'Need to be needed',
Control
Order / Cleanlyness,
Internet, TV, electronic games,
Shopping,
Gambling,
Sex,
Money,
And many more...
Society propagates youth, success, money and beauty, and there are many people with a low self esteem who think they cannot live up to those ideals and feel unworthy.

I have to admit that I'm addicted to chocolate as well. As for the suntan, I tan very easily and don't care much about it. However, it comes handy because it's a great protection from sunburns.

[Ioannis]

"Tanorexia" is just jibber-jab for "dumb American sluts with self-worth issues".

When you have no god, no culture, no said philosophy, it's easy for marketing groups to come up with new gimmicks to sucker you into believing. All of which revolve around some form of money transfer.

It's never going to end for them.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Ioannis

"Tanorexia" is just jibber-jab for "dumb American sluts with self-worth issues".

Correct, but such jibber-jabs can grow into a nervous habit and subsequently into some kind of addiction. Hereby I do not claim though that the premise of this article should be accepted and something as dumb as this treated as serious illness.

I am att odds even with the notion of anorexia. It may also be regarded as a "jibber-jab for dumb sluts" which in some cases cancerously grows into a serious problem.

[Susi]

Tanorexia isn't just confined to "dumb American sluts with self worth issues". It's also confined to models and those who work in industries where they will be presenting their face to the public (i.e. in corporations).

I think where this started is how the view on a tan has changed -- I guess this is rather similar to the concept of the evolution of suburbia so I shall draw parallels with this at some points where it applies.

At one point in history, tans were regarded as something that only working men and women would have (from toiling in the field). Therefore, it was not the ideal for the upper classes and those who aspired to them. However, with the advent of travel/tourism for the upper classes in these times (I would say circa 19th century), the tan became a sign of affluence because of the destinations these people would go to (i.e. the Medeterranean coast). This is where the parallel with suburban growth begins. The first people to live in suburban villas were the rich who wanted a place to escape their city townhouses... this was modelled on the country homes of the landed gentry which in turn were modelled (not the architecture but the surroundings) on the Italian countryside (this is where the idea of a "lawn" came from). In any case, the idea of suburbia, like the idea of a tan, both of which once representing affluence and wealth filtered down unto the lower classes to become what it is today. Just like there are different classes of suburban home, there are different classes of tanning.

The tan today also represents "free time". It shows the person looking at the tanned person that the tanner has time to waste by sunning themselves (when this is usually not the case and the tan comes from either a salon, a spray or a bottle). This in turn is seen as a positive trait (having "free time").

[The Venetian]

Personally, I avoid the sun as much as possible.

I find,that southern Italians are obsessed with their tans (from personal experience )

[melgalan]

Some people look great with a bit of a summertime glow, but I happen to not be one of them. I don't enjoy peeling half my skin off after a day at the beach. I certainly wouldn't pay to go tanning. May be I'm just jealous cause I can't tan..well thats what the people around me say. They are like if you could be tan you would be that way all the time. Some people look good tan , others look great pale..It is all in what suits you.

[Dux]

Interesting thing, there are plenty people that can get really tanned, despite being of extreme light colours in their eyes and hair (which is not a beautiful sight for me, to see someone darker than her own hair).

On the other hand, there are lots of people with dark hair and dark eyes, which can't be directly exposed to sun more than 10 minutes or they'll turn red and badly hurt.