Sunday, March 4, 2012

TANNING

Tanning is not good for the skin, say the medicos.  As does my wife.  We have known a number of people who were dedicated to their tans, only to end up with tiny melanomas late in their lives.

But.  I read awhile back about a man who lived in New York City and always had a lovely tan no matter the time of year.  Meeting an acquaintance on the street, he would be asked how his Florida vacation had gone.  Truth be told?  He never went to Florida.  His son revealed that he would spend 10 minutes a day in the sun, every day, and thus acquired his all-season color.

So I thought I'd try that.  For several weeks, I have spent 10 minutes a day facing directly into the sun, on the days when there was one.


This was how I looked today.  Not much different, I'd say, from my normal Norwegian pastiness though there is a bit of color beginning to show.

Here's (sort of) what I'm aiming for.


Probably a little less orange and a little more George Hamilton bronze than this.

SWMBO keeps telling me to put on lotion when I come inside and, variously, telling me I am crazy, not being conscious of my health, will be sorry someday, etc.

She seems convinced that I will turn out more like this:


She may be right but I like to think that living in Arizona, I will retreat from, as I call it, "the solarium" long before the temperature rises high enough to do that kind of damage.

But . . . time will tell.

4 comments:

  1. Everything in moderation, I say. I was always told 10 minutes a day was what was necessary for your body to produce Vitamin D, which I'm told is rather important. I say go for it, unless you turn out like the guy behind door #3, in which case you didn't hear this from me. ;)

    S

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  2. Stop immediately. You look great just the way you are and you don't want to be confused with John Boehner, the Duke of Orange.

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  3. Good for the bones! To use in moderation like for alcohol.

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  4. Your respondents are wise. Moderation, indeed.
    Good to get vitamin D, which we apparently are all in shortage of.
    And, change your desired outcome. I'd hate for you to end up a soul brother to John Boehner.

    And finally SWMBO is also right--a little lotion before and or after will keep you from looking like the governor of Az.

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