Once again, Prom season has snuck up on students across Frederick County, and with only days left before the big day for some schools, there is still so much to be done, including scheduling last-minute hair and nail appointments, picking up corsages and boutonnieres, and making sure every other detail about pictures and dinner reservations falls into place.
For most girls, finding the perfect dress is the most stressful aspect of Prom season. Where can I find the perfect dress? Do I want long or short? Do I want an open back? How much can I spend? One of the most important questions that runs through most girls’ heads as Prom approaches, however, is how do I get that natural-looking glow I need to pull off my dress?
MHS senior and 2015 Prom Queen, Maddie Houck, spent a good amount of time working to achieve this glow with her friends in preparation for Prom and this summer.
“Being tan makes you feel prettier and it makes you feel better in brighter clothes. It just makes you feel more confident all around,” said Houck.
Although it is not a necessity, many girls, like Houck, believe that looking sun-kissed for Prom is essential to complete the look. However, with very few sunny days this past month and a chill in the air, many girls had to turn to other methods to achieve this desired glow. Among these methods are spray tans, bronzing lotions and the oh-so-popular but extremely dangerous tanning beds.
“People tend to go to the tanning bed because it gives you quicker results and it doesn’t rub off or wear off easily like a lotion would,” said Houck.
On the Emmy-Award winning talk show The Doctors, the medical dream team comprised of ER physician Dr. Travis Stork, plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon, and Ob-Gyn Dr. Jennifer Ashton, zeroed in on the dangers of tanning beds. They showed a PSA, or Public Service Announcement, that aims to raise awareness of the health consequences that are a direct result of using tanning beds.
In the PSA by Mollie’s Fund, random people on the streets were given coupons for a free tanning session at a fake tanning salon. When they arrived at the salon, they redeemed their coupons and were directed back to a room at the end of a hallway. As they approached the door, they heard the depressing sounds of organ music and a symphony of sniffling. Inside the room, people were seated, dressed in black, on wooden benches set up in front of a tanning bed. On top of the bed was a sign that read “Rest in Peace; gone but never forgotten,” with a picture of each individual who had received the coupon and showed up to receive his/her free tan.
For most of the individuals, walking into their own “funeral” was a scarring experience that was powerful enough to scare them away from tanning beds for the rest of their lives. And if that wasn’t enough, the facts read to them afterwards surely did the trick. As discussed on The Doctors, just one indoor tanning session increases your risk of getting melanoma by 20 percent. Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanin-forming cells associated with skin cancer.
Melanoma can come in the form of spots on the skin, such as freckles, collections of blood vessels called cherry angiomas, or irregular bumps on the skin, as well as moles. Dr. Jennifer Ashton said that she talks to her teenaged patients about using tanning beds with the same scolding tone she uses when she smells cigarette smoke on her patients’ clothing or breath, because it is just as deadly.
Approximately 10,000 people die from melanoma each year and the number continues to rise. This is because countless people choose to ignore the dangers of tanning beds. In fact, despite knowing the risks, 13 percent of all high school students visit the tanning salon at least once a week; the numbers are even higher during the months surrounding Prom.
Tanning has become the social norm when it comes to Prom and other school dances, and it doesn’t stop there. This trend is largely due to peer pressure because so many young girls, and even some guys, feel an overwhelming need to look like the sun-kissed celebrities seen on TV.
After much consideration, MHS senior Morgan Cregan has chosen to just lay out in the sun this Prom season because the risk is lower.
“I thought about it a lot, but I’ve decided to just lay out with sunscreen this year. It’s easier to get cancer from beds because the UV lights are directly on top of you, and that’s scary,” said Cregan.
However, Cregan agrees that young girls continue to ignore the risks that come with using tanning beds because natural-looking “pasty” skin is no longer a desired trait in today’s society.
“At the place I looked at, it was only $12 for multiple sessions. It really is tempting because you feel better when you’re tan in my opinion,” said Cregan.
MHS junior Sarah Pearre feels that it isn’t worth it because it’s too expensive, doesn’t look natural, and comes with too many dangers.
“I already knew it could cause cancer. I guess people choose to ignore it because there is so much pressure to look good. I wouldn’t even get a spray tan, though, because none of that fake stuff looks natural,” said Pearre.
Similarly, after multiple trips to the tanning salon, Houck’s desire has significantly decreased.
“I went to the tanning bed despite the risks because I didn’t think going a couple times would hurt me and I wanted to build up a natural looking tan for certain events, but I have stopped going because I got scared,” said Houck.
Many believe that a natural-looking glow can be achieved using off-the-shelf products. Among these less harmful methods are bronzing lotions and spray tans.
“As long as you don’t look orange, I think that getting spray tans and using lotions are your best bet,” said Cregan. “They’re safe for your body and wallet.”
