Do you try to tan, or do you remain pale during the summer?--Al

-- Al Schroeder (al.schroeder@nashville.com), September 12, 2000

Answers

After years of working in the sun, the back of my neck and tippy little points on each corner of my forehead, plus my forearms do not ever lose a deeper color than any of the rest of me. When sitting in a place where the sun shines on my forearm it begins to hurt. I have had the top corners (where the hair disappears first) of my forehead treated to freeze out precancerous conditions. I try to remain out of the sun as a matter of self survival.

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), September 12, 2000.

My husband and I are both redheads. Enough said. When visiting relatives in Florida we both huddle under an umbrella on the beach, looking ridiculous.

-- AJ (joijoijoi@hotmail.com), September 12, 2000.

"Tan" is not in my vocabulary. I've had too much experience with "burn." I'm so glad to discover, in my old age, that lying out in the sun is bad for you because I've avoided it all these years and now I can stop feeling guilty about that.

-- Bev Sykes (basykes@dcn.davis.ca.us), September 12, 2000.

Well, being a Los Angeleno I think it's ingrained in me to want a good tan. So I usually start in late June, when it starts to get hot enough. I lay out for about 20-30 minutes at a time at first, once a week, or once every other week, just to get a base, so I won't burn. I then up it to about 35-45 minutes for the rest of the summer at about the once a week or so pace. I always have a nice golden tan by August, and I stop my tanning around mid-August, when it is usually unbearable to lay out for more than 15 minutes. This summer was cool for LA, so I didn't lay out that much. But I, like Al, get really restless and bored lying out. If there is a Dodger game on, it's not so bad cause i am distracted, but generally it's a struggle.

ally

-- ally (ally3223@aol.com), September 12, 2000.

With reddish hair, fair skin and freckles, I don't tan, I burn. Hence, unless I need to be out in the sun for some reason, I avoid it. I think my skin is less wrinkly as a result. I'm told I don't look my 41 years. (But I feel it on the inside!)

-- Joan Lansberry (joanlansberry@hotmail.com), September 12, 2000.

Hey, I pay good money for this tan! Who has time to lay out and work on a tan? I just go to the salon, lie down for 20 minutes a couple of times a week, get my nap, and voila! We won't talk about how bad that is for my skin, ok?

-- Sunshyn (sunshyndream@aol.com), September 13, 2000.

Truly it is a Sunshyn dream. Sun affects different people differently -- may you be one of the lucky ones !

-- Denver doug (ionoi@webtv.net), September 13, 2000.

Y'all are going to hate me, but... I don't burn, at all. I can be outside for an hour and have a good glow, or out all day and have a kick-ass tan. I can't understand it. My mom can look at the sun and be peeling a half hour later. I swear I'm adopted, but she doesn't think so... Incidentally, I am Chinese, dark hair & eyes, but relatively light colored skin. I am an enigma in my own right. I can't figure it out, but I'm not too concerned with it now.

-- Claire (claire@blueletters.net), September 14, 2000.

I love to tan. I look great tanned, but I cannot stand to be outside. And tanning places don't float my boat so I'm left with a tiny tinted trace of sunlight.

-- Jen (Winter@nyc.com), September 14, 2000.

i want to know how someone with pale skin can tan, i don't want to have to put on fake tan, theres bound to be something you can reccommend for me cause i don't want to have to go to the beach pure white.

-- dympna mc kenna (dympna_mc_kenna@hotmail.com), March 27, 2002.

Hi, I have fRECKLES IT SUX i HAVE BROWN HAIR.... IS THERE ANYWAY TO GET TAN WITHOUT A SUNBURN I THINK IT IS COOL TO GO IN THE SUN IF YOU DONT HAVE FRECKLES YOUR LUCKY.....BUT IS THERE A WAY SO I CAN GET TAN CAUSE I LOOK REALLY PAIL AND THE SUNLESS TANNING STUFF DOSEN'T WORK IT JUST TURNS ORANGE OR SOMETHING SO IF YOU HAVE NO FRECKLES YOU LUCKY

-- libby roxanne james (shutup52@angelfire.com), April 01, 2002.

i tan pretty easily, but sometimes it takes up to an hour to get a base tan for me and i hate to wait that long, and in the winter, w no sun, im this ugly light sallow color on my face while my arms and legs are light brown. i have recently been using this tanning lotion on my face called Au Corrant and i love it! i use it on my face during winter(not my whole body cuz it cost a lot of $$$) and it evens outs my face tone and hides ugly blemishes or pimples. i would definitely recommend it to anyone. (bleive me it works i have a very pale face and it doesnt look the least bit orange, its a light oliveybrownish color. its so pretty)

-- n.y.o.b. (www.artiststar2008@aol.com), September 17, 2003.

I sit here now with self tanner slathered upon my white freckly skin. I cannot tan, not very well anyhow. I am reminded of my prom where I spent a month and a lot of my own money at a tanning salon. Only to get a gillion more freckles and a little ruddy coloring. I love salons though, the smell of the coconut lotions the whirring fans and the warm lamps..it's quite an environment. Every summer I sign up every summer I get just a little color of pink and can play connect the freckles and every summer I swear I will just enjoy my fair skin since it takes so much time and effort to get even a quasi tan. It is an endless cycle. my arms at the moment are dark my back white and my legs streaky, this is the time I resort to the tanning beds. I dont care what product you use, it never "dries in 5 minutes" or is virtually "streak free" its a load of bull you must stand in the middle of your living room naked arms out to your side and not move for at least 20 minutes if you are to not get all streaky..I know I am not alone. so while I will be multi colored for a few more days, I think I will go sign up for the tanning salon tomorrow, just to swear it off in a few months....*sigh

-- Rachel Daniel (rdaniel82@aol.com), April 09, 2004.