Dear Abby

[deal me in]

Hello all, sorry I haven't been around but something was brought to my attention this afternoon and I think it is an opportunity for us to get some information out.

A client came in today with the Florida Today and showed me an article by the journalist calling herself "Dear Abby." Now I don't want to sound like I live in a cave but until today I wouldn't have know Dear Abby if she sat on my face and wiggled. There was a writer that was asking about having pale skin and what to do about it. Her advice was to avoid tanning salons as they are bad and everyone knows they lead to premature aging.

At my salon we teach healthy tanning and encourage all of our clients to tan in moderation and take steps to protect their skin at all times. I sent Dear Abby and email pointing this out and gave her several references to learn about the positive effects of UV light. I gave her some books to research and studies to read and told her that to give advice to her readers to basically stay out of the sun because it leads to premature aging is irresponsible and an insult to women that the only thing that they would care about is the vanity of premature aging.

Who needs the health benefits of Vitamin D and the release of seratonin when they have a few wrinkles.

Anyway, I wanted to get that off of my chest and encourage everyone to send Dear Abby an email letting her know that tanning salons are not bad places to go and should be avoided at all cost.

Thanks for your time.

mc

[engfant]

I dunno what happened here but I responded to that nonsense.

[engfant]

Oh my GOD it's all over the place!!!!

http://www.trurodaily.com/index.cfm?...bmit&#thankyou

[deal me in]

Engfant, I haven't been here long but I see that you lead the group in sarcasm. I enjoyed reading your comments to that article. I've since learned that she is national syndicated so there is no telling how many people read her "advice"

I'm glad that you also did something to respond. I chose to write directly to "Dear Abby" and I think we should all find some way to comment on this whether it is posting's like yours or through direct communication with the author.

I fail to see why anyone, especially a nationally syndicated journalist, would condem an entire industry without doing a simple google search and reading for five minutes.

OK, I'm done ranting. I would like to hear some more comments about this.

Thanks for your time.

mc

[Shantilly]

awesome comeback engfant!!

[eileen]

that was a great response :)

[mr belvedere]

I got a blank screen when I tried Engfant's link, but if Eileen says it was good, then it must have been very informative, or very inflamatory, or both. It is this type of anti-tanning media exposure that the ITA and the Berman Co. have the best chance to reverse much of the damage that has been done in the consumers' minds when it comes to indoor tanning. Dear Abby strikes me as a no nonsense, no bull-**** kind of lady that is open-minded and only interested in the truth and helping people. I'm sure that she would be open to hearing solid facts about the issue and the setting the record straight in the forum of her column. But the response and subsequent printing the column is time-sensitive, ie the sooner the better. Thanks to Engfant for fighting the good fight. -Belvy

[engfant]

I don't know too much about this Dear Abby except for what I've been reading the past couple of days. I would have written her directly but had no idea the format. If people do contact her directly (please don't wait for me. I do things too randomly) just forward her links to real studies with some footnotes and I think that'll work best. Hammering her with pro tanning nonsense isn't going to do anything.

[eileen]

Belvy it was a nice mix of both, that works in many cases to keep someones interest to read to the end.

I'd like Rick Berman to get us to the point to do an ad that says "There such a thing as a HEALTHY TAN!" instead of the current no such thing as a healthy tan.

[navigatin1]

Engies comment on the subject......

engfant from LAND OF THE FREE writes: Tanning salons are unhealthy? Are they unsanitary? Are they physically hurting people? How can something that is FDA regulated and has one of the best track records out of all FDA regulated business be unhealthy?

Danger of skin cancer? What danger? Is there some strange outbreak of skin warts all of a sudden? I mean, moderate sun exposure not only NOT causes Melanoma but it PREVENTS all types of cancer INCLUDING melanoma.

Let's say that yes. It is tanning that causes skin cancer. Fine. I admit it. Then you look at the number of people that actually die from skin cancer and that's almost an insignificant number in the grand scheme of things. If it isn't then we should probably start with the DANGERS OF GETTING A DOCTOR'S PRESCRIPTION. More people are hurt or DIE from BAD PENMANSHIP than skin cancer every year. Or how about the dangers of driving? The dangers of sky diving? Sky diving while driving? Smoking while sky diving and hunting? Drinking and driving while hunting at 30000feet????

All legal. All much more dangerous than going in the sun. All have zero POSITIVE side effects unlike tanning.

OK, need more? How about to clear your skin up? Tanning acne shows positive results almost immediately. What's the alternative? Accutane? A product that doctors recommend to clear up skin but require a blood test and has side effects that you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. Skin cancer? How about SUICIDE, DEPRESSION, LOSS OF HAIR, INCREASE OF ACNE, KIDNEY FAILURE. That's much better than a wrinkle or a freckle.

Gimme a break.

Take a guess at what sun exposure has been known to HELP. That's right folks, please reread all of the side effects of ACCUTANE and that's what sun exposure as been shown to HELP prevent.

I can almost PROMISE you that 99% of all MELANOMA skin cancer is NON tanning salon related to the point that the cancer is most likely located on a part of the body that DOESN'T see the sun.

It's called Vitamin D folks. It's from the sun and we need it to live. The browning of the skin is called nature doing it's job to adjust to the amount of sun you are getting every day.


We started out black and as we miraged north/south our skin lightened to GET MORE SUN NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.

That's if you believe in NATURE and EVOLUTION and REALITY.

It's sad that even Dear Abby can seeming lose her mind when it comes to REALITY.

NOW, to say ALL tanning salons are unhealthy is to say all food stores are unhealthy cause they sell cake frosting and anyone can go in and buy a pallet and gorge away and die from diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, heart attack, SKIN CANCER. Yes skin cancer.

Why? Skin cancer and all cancer is cause by UNHEALTHY LIVING not one specific entity or product or gesture.

#1 cause of lung cancer? BREATHING

Think we should stop breathing before it's too late?

#1 cause of drowning? WATER

Should Poland Springs be held accountable for all cases of drowning for selling the killer FOR A PREMIUM one bottle at a time?

Unfortunately people are scared of EVERYTHING these days and instead of EDUCATING people we just cater to the fragile and proclaim it dangerous for all.

Why isn't Peanut Butter illegal now that there are a couple cases of allergy related deaths?

WE CANNOT KEEP CATERING TO EVERYONE THAT CAN'T CONTROL THEMSELVES. For the good of the country's economy. Why do we need to DAM all business in search for a safe place for even the most undereducated person regardless?

Bottom line, not only is a PROPERLY RUN tanning salon a good idea for people who do not get enough Vitamin D producing sun light in their lives (about 80% of the USA if I remember correctly) it should be RECOMMENDED by doctors if they REALLY cared about helping people get BETTER.

MOST tanning beds only take 5min or so to get more than enough Vitamin D for most people.

How is that dangerous again? Posted 26/11/2007 at 7:59 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment