Tanning Products vs. the Sun
It’s not surprising to hear that many young adults view having a tan as important to their overall appearance. And that’s just what a recent study confirmed. Assistant professor of family and consumer sciences at Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences, Jay Yoo, Ph.D., studied the use of sunless tanning products (bronzers, tanning lotions and tanning creams) in relation to an individuals’ level of appearance.
Yoo studied 182 Caucasian female college students who were an average of 19.7 years of age. The study indicated that maintaining and improving appearance was the primary motivation to use the products. However, if the products didn’t provide the perfect tan, the young women would not use them or they would use the tanning products in addition to UV tanning to compliment the color they get from the sun.
“Young women, who are the most frequent users, are not concerned about skin cancer unless they see it in themselves, a family member or someone else they know. And women ages 19 to 22 aren't worried about wrinkles and premature aging,” according to Yoo.
If you want to maintain a youthful appearance for as long as possible, it’s simple: protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. Yes, a tan can make you look and feel more beautiful, but the long-term effects will not keep you that way as the years go by. UV light from the sun will damage your elastin skin fibers and make you look older, faster…not to mention increase your chance for skin cancer.
Sunless tanning products are a great alternative to the sun.
If you’ve spent too much time in the sun over your lifetime and wish to erase some of the damage it’s done to your skin, there are cosmetic options for facial rejuvenation:
- Laser skin resurfacing
- BOTOX
- Dermal fillers
- Chemical peels
If you’d like to learn more, contact Dr. Golden at Doctors for Visual Freedom today to schedule a Cosmetic Consultation in Chicago to discuss your options. Visit doctorsforvisualfreedom.com or call 312-291-9680. The study mentioned above is published in a recent issue of Household and Personal Care Today.
