Let’s face it. Tanned skin is gorgeous. Some even think it looks healthy. But no matter how stunning you may look walking around the office four shades darker than everyone else, you may be setting yourself up for a rather un-gorgeous future.
“Pigmentation is a response to injury,” says Henry A. Greenblatt, M.D., a dermatologist in Newburgh, New York. He says that your skin becomes tan “only to protect itself from further injury. I have patients who’ll go to a tanning booth and they’ll say, ‘Well, I’m going on a cruise to the Caribbean and I want to get some tan before I go so I don’t have problems down there.’ And I say, ‘Then you’re damaging you’re skin now and you’re damaging it later. Why don’t you skip both?’”
Greenblatt’s advice is simple and to the point. “Wear sunscreen, avoid the midday sun, and make sure you don’t burn. Do whatever that takes—whether that means covering yourself with clothing or staying in the shade. There are a variety of ways to avoid damage.”