Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, not the bulb of a tanning bed.

Please know before your read this I do NOT judge those who tan, we all have our unhealthy habits.  Dangers of tanning beds is one of my most passionate topics.  Let me give you a little background story to why I feel the way I do.  5 1/2 years ago I lost my great uncle Jim to cancer.  No, he did not pass from skin cancer but my entire form of thinking was transformed after watching him go through this.  Jim was a healthy man; didn't smoke, rarely drank, received plenty of exercise while working on the farm, but he was still taken from us before we were ready to let him go.  After watching my uncle go through what he did, and the affect it had on my family, I would do any thing in my power to prevent myself or my family members to have to go through a preventable disease.  No my Uncles cancer was not preventable I want to make that clear, but watching him suffer forever changed my thought process.  I remember hearing someone who frequently tanned say, "I'd rather look good now and have wrinkles later when I'm married."  This was hard to hear with out snapping.  Think about your future; do you want to be married, have children, grandchildren?  If you were to be taken from this earth due to skin cancer caused by tanning, it would be because you wanted to have a sunny glow, something so miniscule in the span of your entire life.  If I can lessen the chance of leaving my future family due to a disease, well of course I'm going to do that, and I hope you consider it as well.  On a happier note :) Let's talk about how beautiful you are without that tan!! We were all born with different skin tones for a reason.  Our diversity is something so natural and beautiful why try to change it! I can honestly say I love my pasty pasty pasty skin, why not rock this "vampire" trend while it's still going.  Beautiful skin is healthy skin, no matter the color.  Yes I do accept and love my skin tone but sometimes a spray tan just boost your mood.  Spray tans are the perfect way to get that glow without those dangerous rays! It's affordable, less time consuming, and effective, and heck if you don't like it it will be gone in a week anyway :)  Thanks for taking the time to read this rant of mine, I hope you enjoyed it.