Those 2 dirty words.

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Growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, the sun was usually shaded by trees, and it rarely got warm enough to sun bathe outside.  At least, not where my parents lived on the top of a mountain.  Even in July it was a little chilly and I never seemed to get tan.

So when I started to get ready for my first prom, I was pretty sure that if I didn't go to the tanning bed and get a good tan, I would surely die of teenage embarrassment.  That began years of on again off again tanning.  I knew it wasn't the best for me, but I also love having a tan.

Moving up to Virginia and knowing I have a bridesmaid dress to wear in a few weeks, I figured I should probably get a bit of a tan so I don't cuss every time I see the pictures from this upcoming wedding.  They'll be momentos forever, so I need to look my best!

But when I started looking at websites for local tanning salons, I was a little bit shocked.  Instead of ignoring the whole issue, several actually had quite a bit of info about why tanning is good for you!

When I started to dig a little lot deeper, the core message remained the same.  Tanning may not actually be good for you, but it's not as bad in small doses as some would have you believe.  But I had to dig pretty deep to find anything even slightly negative about indoor tanning.  Here's one sentence I did find:

source

Personally, it makes me sad that they're actually trying to make it look like a healthy option.  Sure, for certain people with certain health conditions, it can help them... but for most of us?  It's just a luxury... a quick way to get a good tan.  And honestly?  I didn't even mind paying the 10% sales tax on it.  It's a luxury I'm choosing to afford... so why not make me pay extra for it?  I'd much rather pay 10% sales tax on tanning than on food!

[By the way, in South Carolina, there is no tax on food in a grocery store!  How appropriate is that?  Tanning, 10% tax; food, 0% tax.  Finally, something prioritized appropriately.]

So what's your take?  Do you think tanning is bad for you in general, or can it be good?  What do you think about tanning beds promoting themselves as being healthy?  The posters and info I've seen inside the tanning salons is even more suggestive than this website.

**Disclaimer: If you comment telling me how I shouldn't go tanning after I've clearly researched it and made my decision, then I reserve the right to beat you up side of the head.**