Multiple studies have shown that people not only feel more attractive when they're tan but also perceive others as more appealing with a golden glow. How did it become a beauty ideal in the first place?
A tan skin tone is often considered attractive because it is associated with an active lifestyle, health, and vitality. Cultural influences, including media representation and advertising, contribute to this perception. Moreover, tanned skin can enhance contrast with lighter features, making it visually appealing.
Accordingly, ratings were elicited for both the "untanned" (n = 6,228) and tanned (n = 8,988) versions of the photos. The authors analyzed the data in one of three ways, all of which yielded the same conclusion: tanned individuals were perceived as more attractive than their untanned versions.
Gentlemen do not just prefer blondes, but lighter-skinned women in general, a study has suggested. Scientists looking into attractiveness in men and woman suggest that men from all races find fairer-skinned woman most alluring, while women are the polar opposite and favour men with black hair and tanned skin.
If you like the way you look with tanned skin, you're far from alone... Some even claim that tanning is safer and healthier than having pale skin. As much as people want to believe that, there is no such thing as a ``healthy'' tan. Dermatologists agree that tanning with natural or artificial sunlight is not safe.
A natural tan will usually last for around 7-10 days, although this can vary for each different skin type and colour. However, any exposure to sun during that 7-10 day period could mean that your tan will hang around for longer, so the length of time it lasts really does depend on the individual.
Health Benefits
Several health benefit claims such as improved appearance, enhanced mood, and increased vitamin D levels have been attributed to tanning. Furthermore, the Indoor Tanning Association claims that “catching some rays may lengthen your life” [5].
Multiple studies have shown that people not only feel more attractive when they're tan but also perceive others as more appealing with a golden glow.
Average skin colors are seen as most attractive. Typically, tan is the average skin color, making it very attractive to most people. However, the most attractive skin color varies on preference, culture, and sex. A healthy skin complexion and rosy “glow” is always considered attractive.
For many men, the thought of fake tan fills them with dread. If it's not the 'Ross from Friends' horror, it's the time that they saw and smelt their girlfriend developing a not-so natural hue. Also, many guys who love a natural tan have been more swayed by sun beds in the past.
The glow provided by a tan can make a face look more vibrant and therefore youthful. A tan can also help make muscles look more toned and more well defined. Today, having a tan is associated with people that have an active, outdoor lifestyle. A tan therefore makes people look healthier and fit.
The professional indoor tanning industry promotes and teaches what we refer to as The Golden Rule of Smart Tanning: Don't ever sunburn. The indoor tanning industry has been more effective at teaching sunburn prevention than those who promote complete sun avoidance.
About 40 percent of Americans believe they are "more attractive" when they have a tan. Priscilla Tsai, founder of skin-care brand Cocokind, told POPSUGAR that when she was young, she felt she had to be tan to fit in and cover up insecurities. "My sister and I really got into this idea that we should be tan," Tsai says.
So how does a tan make you look thinner? Not only does it cover any signs of cellulite or skin creases, but it also gives definition to areas that usually look slightly less defined.
Results indicated that preference for light skin tones were associated with increased levels of self-esteem. Higher levels of ethnic identity attitude were associated with preference for medium skin tones. Finally, there was a trend for participants with darker skin tones having a preference for medium skin tone.
By the 1920s, however, a cultural transformation took place, and tan skin became the ideal.
From previous research, it has confirmed that people are more interested in brighter irises than darker ones, and it seems that the stereotype of blue and green eyes being the most amazing does exist, as the recent research shows that the most scientifically attractive eye color is either blue and green.
An oval face is considered one of the best attractive face shapes for women, but unfortunately not for men. Though, for hair cuts it is a good face shape to have, because many look will look good on you. Men with an oval face can pull off different shapes and lengths because the face is well balanced.
Natalie Portman is known for her perfectly clear and radiant complexion, her skin seems to glow so naturally. The star insists on the importance of drinking a lot of water every day to keep the skin moisturized and fresh.
A similar study found that males not only rated dark tans as more attractive (vs. light or medium tans), but also perceived dark-tanned women as thinner (Banerjee, Campo, & Greene, 2008).
Sun exposure triggers the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood lifters. Endorphins are neurotransmitters that promote feelings of happiness and reduce stress.
Due to the heavily melanised melanosomes in darkly-pigmented skin, it can absorb more energy from UVR and thus offers better protection against sunburns and by absorption and dispersion UV rays. Darkly-pigmented skin protects against direct and indirect DNA damage.
These fluorescent lamps range anywhere from 100-watt bulbs to 140-watt bulbs. Because of their power – and the fact that they simulate UVA rays vs. UVB rays – they can actually penetrate the skin on a deeper level than the sun. This is why ten minutes in a tanning bed equates to about two hours of direct sun exposure.
Indoor tanning speeds up skin aging
Indoor tanning is known to cause wrinkles, brown spots and thick leathery skin. Indoor tanning ages your skin 3 times faster than sunlight: indoor tanning can emit up to 15 times more UV radiation than sunlight.
Because you might feel like you have some inital reduction in oil, you may think tanning + sun exposure helps your acne and breakouts, but it's actually a vicious circle with only short-term benefits. In the longer term, you're only going deeper into the problem, making it harder to get rid of.