As the sunny, warm weather begins to roll in, so are the sun’s harmful rays and UV damage. While many love a good tan, our skin does not—and neither will our older selves.
Regarding summertime skincare, Upper School biology teacher Sarah Kutschke said, “Load up [on] the sunscreen. You should wear sunscreen every day, even when you’re not outside.”
Ms. Kutschke’s advice is especially important for student-athletes. Junior Medha Sharma said, “Because of soccer, I spend more time in the sun because of practice, so as it gets warmer, I definitely get more sunlight on my skin than others.” She continued, “A lot of [soccer players] wear sunscreen to protect themselves on very sunny days because they know the harmful effects of the sun.”
But if you’re craving a nice, summer bronze, there are many ways to get your tan on, some better than others.
Stay away from tanning beds, or as Ms. Kutschke calls them, “cancer beds.” She noted that they only give harmful UV rays like UVA and UVB, which are kinds of rays that damage the DNA in our cells. “I think that they are terrible,” Ms. Kutschke said. “I thought they were on their way out, but apparently, there are still companies that have fake tanning beds.”
Rather than tanning beds, opting for a spray tan is a safer alternative. Spray tans are alternatives to UV tanning because, instead of lying under harmful rays in a tanning bed or out in the sun, spray tans sit on top of your skin.
“I’m sure [spray tans] are a better alternative than a cancer bed,” Ms. Kutschke said. “Even if you end up looking orange, it’s way safer than going to a cancer bed.”
And even if your spray tan leaves you orange, at least it’s one of Latin’s school colors.
We definitely see the spray tan route come into play the week of Prom. Junior Elana Goldwin said, “The Friday before [Prom] is so fun. You get to see everyone’s tan. Like, some are amazing, but some are tragic.”
So, yes, summer is for laying and soaking up the sun, but there is always a price to pay. While it may be fun now, as we get older, there are always wrinkles, skin cancer, sun spots, and more to remind us that we always need to protect our skin. For those whose sunscreen has been collecting dust in their bathroom cabinet, it’s time to begin a new chapter and finally put it to use. You’ll thank yourself later.
