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<\/a>\nBeauty and the beast: at an Ottawa tanning salon.<\/p>\n
Now a Carleton University student and a more moderate tanner, Fagan admits that, back in high school, fitting in was a huge motivation for constant visits to the salon.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone was doing it. They were all getting really nice tans, and it was really attractive,\u201d she explains. \u201cI remember thinking, \u2018Oh my God, like I really want to do it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Risky business<\/span><\/p>\n Fagan says she tanned excessively, spending hundreds of dollars, not an easy feat for a teenager earning minimum wage.<\/p>\n Did she ever worry about the risks?<\/p>\n \u201cNot at all,\u201d she says. \u201cIt didn\u2019t even cross my mind. I didn\u2019t care. It was all about in the moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Darcy MacLennan, owner of a popular Ottawa tanning salon, says she sees many teens hoping to achieve the look they admire on celebrities and their peers without being aware of the risks.<\/p>\n \u201cSome teens, when they\u2019re 15, don\u2019t make the best judgment calls when it comes to their bodies and themselves,\u201d she observes.<\/p>\n The risks are proven, but today\u2019s teens seem willing to take their chances in order to achieve that perfect golden glow. <\/strong><\/p>\n ‘It\u2019s like drinking. People are going to find a way to do it whether it\u2019s against the law or not’ \u2014 Lindsay Fagan<\/span><\/p>\n According to the Canadian Dermatology Association, Canadians born in the 1990s are two-to-three times more likely to get skin cancer in their lifetime, compared with those born in the 1960s.<\/p>\n This summer, the World Health Organization labeled tanning beds as a definite cause of cancer in humans, upgraded to the same risk-level as tobacco and mustard gas.<\/p>\n The younger you are when you first tan or burn, the greater the risk. According to the report, tanners are 75 per cent more likely to develop skin cancer later in life if they start before age 30.<\/p>\n Despite such risks, MacLennan says tanning in a salon is the safest route for determined teen tanners.<\/p>\n \u201cKids, if they can\u2019t tan indoors before the summer or before going on a trip, they go out in the sun and put on their baby oil and then they give themselves first, second, third degree burns,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n She says that salons with proper standards offer a safer, supervised tanning experience to those teens determined to tan, no matter what.<\/p>\n Legislating safety? Parents play a key role in determining the fate of teen tanners. Fifteen is the minimum age for tanning in MacLennan\u2019s salon, and parents must sign a waiver, giving them the final say.<\/p>\n But some feel that stronger measures are needed to advocate for the health and safety of Ottawa\u2019s teenagers. In July 2009, following the Canadian Dermatology Association’s report about the risks of teen tanning, one city councillor proposed making it illegal for tanning salons to serve clients below age 18.<\/p>\n Alex Cullen, Bay Ward councillor, says while education is important, legislation is needed to regulate an activity that can have far-reaching consequences.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do want to use education. It informs people. But it\u2019s not just a question of \u2018Well, ok, I\u2019m informed now, so I\u2019m going to take an informed risk.\u2019 We\u2019re not only dealing with an impact of people\u2019s health, but the cost to us as taxpayers dealing with those symptoms,\u201d he explains. \u201cIt\u2019s in the public interest to eliminate these very preventable risks to a very common form of cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n In October, city council decided to scrap the ban, passing off the decision to the province, where similar legislation is under consideration. Cullen says he is disappointed by the decision but hopes there is room for change in the future.<\/p>\n Where there’s a will…<\/span><\/p>\n MacLennan says she feels that a ban would not deter teen tanners because it wouldn\u2019t deal with the root cause. Teenagers will still crave the sun-kissed look and may turn to extreme, unsupervised tanning practices to get it.<\/p>\n Citing her own experience, Fagan agrees that teens determined to tan would not be put off by a city-wide ban.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it\u2019s like drinking. People are going to find a way to do it whether it\u2019s against the law or not,\u201d she says. \u201cWe crossed the border to Hull when we were too young to drink here. There are places in Quebec that have tanning salons, too.\u201d<\/p>\n She says that teens are motivated because tanning makes you feel good and is a convenient way to boost self-esteem and be \u201ccool.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a quick fix. You can\u2019t go out and get liposuction, but you know you can go tanning and get that nice tanned look and feel better about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Related links<\/strong><\/p>\n The Canadian Cancer Society’s position on youth and artificial tanning<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>
\nTanning lotion and protective eyewear are two safety measures many tanning salons mandate for their clients.<\/p>\n
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\nInviting though it seems, harsh tropical sunshine can often cause burns for unsupervised tanners, on vacation.<\/span><\/p>\n
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