Traditional tanning and the modern world
Tanning has a long and rich history. It’s long been held as one of the best ways to look great. And unlike a lot of other methods, it’s something that’s always working. Makeup needs to be applied every day. Hair seems to always need extra effort in the morning. But a tan is a gift that seems to keep on giving. It looks great for quite some time after whatever great outdoor event created it. But there’s also one quite significant downside to a great tan. Scientists have concluded that the traditional methods of tanning also bring a whole host of health risks.
The problem with traditional tanning
The main problem with tanning isn’t the actual tan. A tan is simply the result of elevated melanin levels in the skin. The real issue comes from exactly what triggers melanin production. It normally only happens when there’s already been significant but usually invisible damage to the skin. And one must continue to expose skin to that damage in order to keep up the melanin production. It’s this process of continued exposure to the sun that creates the negative health effects of tanning, not the tan itself.
A healthier way to tan
This might all seem academic at first. But there is a practical application of this knowledge. A substance called melanotan can actually stimulate the production of melanin. One still needs to have some initial exposure to sunlight. But this is well below the dangerous levels associated with traditional tanning. Instead, one simply needs to be in direct sunlight for a very short period of time. Melanotan then tricks the body into creating a far larger amount of melanin than it normally would under those circumstances. This creates a great tan when one has only had a small and healthy amount of sunlight.
Melanotan 