why cant i tan? - General Health Message Board

Ms Harriet · 05-17-2004, 02:19 PM

hey everyone

i have very very white skin.(im very light haired as well) and i cant tan. not even a little bit. i can go and lay out in the sun for hours and nothing happenes. i tried all those tan lotions and stuff but they dont work at all for me. how can i make myself tan?

Laurie2 · 05-18-2004, 12:26 AM

Genetics and you do not have enough melatonin in your skin to tan with.

hobbitcutie · 05-18-2004, 09:43 AM

Yup, you'll probly just have to be happy with how you are. Besides, have you ever noticed that all those chicks who were hot and tan 10 years ago look much older than they should? Tans make you wrinkle faster, cause skin damage, and sometimes even cancer. I'm not even trying to tan (i'm 17) because i already had a suspicious mole cut off (thank God it was nothing). From what you posted, i can tell you already have a few of the skin cancer risk factors. If you really want to turn some heads and look "hot," consider making your hair darker...pale skin with dark hair is an automatic head-turner.

Ms Harriet · 05-18-2004, 09:04 PM

yeah my hair is dyed a blackey-browney-reddy sort a deal. i tried endless summer tonight, kinda made me orange but its not so bad. i dont wanna be dark dark just not so casper the ghost-ish.

tishea · 05-18-2004, 09:23 PM

Just because you don't tan doesn't mean that you aren't absorbing any of the UV rays the sun puts out. The UV rays are the cancer causing rays....so tanned or not...you are getting the same amount of IV rays.
Do you get many sun burns?
I hear that the prime tanning times are between 10am and 2pm.
You could also try the sunless tanning things they have at tanning salons. It is a little bit extra money to do that but it works on anyone and it will surely take your "casper" look away.