Autumn is upon us. The ratio of people to Northfaces is rising. Sunglasses will soon be exchanged for pashmina scarves, flip flops will be replaced by some new version of the Ugg boot, and tanning goggles will take the place of tanning oil.

Winter on this campus translates directly to tanning season. At some point in the last ten years, “tan” became synonymous with “pretty.” Sometimes it seems like the faker the better. And, why not? According to the Indoor Tanning Association, it’s totally safe.

Earlier this year, the ITA printed a full page ad in the New York Times defending their multi-billion dollar industry and touting the benefits of indoor tanning. The main claim made by indoor tanning buffs, supported by ITA-funded research, is that exposure to UV rays via tanning beds provides Vitamin D, which is essential for various bodily functions. They suggest that a few minutes under their fluorescent lights, which emit up to three times the amount of UVA rays as the sun, will do wonders for the body.

While I appreciate the advice of the Indoor Tanning Association, I think I’ll go with the American Academy of Dermatology. The AAD not only opposes indoor tanning, but officially supports a ban on the production and sale of tanning equipment for non-medical purposes. It also states that indoor tanning is an unsafe method of obtaining Vitamin D because it can lead to skin cancer, eye damage, aging skin, and immune suppression. But, don’t worry, a multivitamin or a few minutes of sun exposure a day will provide all the Vitamin D you need.

If dermatologists don’t convince you, how about the World Health Organization? The WHO, along with the Skin Cancer Foundation and various other health groups, call for more indoor tanning regulation and suggest that minors be banned from tanning due to the danger of skin cancer. Those who fake bake in their teens and 20s are at a significantly greater risk of developing malignant melanoma later in life.

Research very strongly relates indoor tanning to skin cancer, especially for fair skinned individuals because tanning lamp beds emit UVA rays three times stronger than the sun. These rays, which penetrate skin at a deeper level than the UVB rays, can alter DNA in the skin, causing cancer. We’ve all been warned about the dangers of smoking, but UVA rays rank right up there with cigarettes as carcinogens.

Apparently, the health risks are not substantial enough to deter one million people in this country from using tanning salons every day. I guess we hear the word “carcinogen” so often, that it’s lost its impact. Or maybe our self-images have become so distorted and the need to achieve perfection such a high priority that many of us are willing to sacrifice our health for some physical ideal. I am consistently amazed by people’s willingness to fry themselves in the name of beauty.

As young adults, we should be capable of learning from each other’s mistakes. When the girl in front of you at Foellinger is red and blistering in the middle of January, you might rethink your one hour tanning appointment later in the day. But every winter, without fail, I see a sizeable number of girls who overdo it. A few even hop from one salon to another when they reach the time limit.

Some people, like myself, are just white. Period. Why not embrace it? Some of Hollywood’s most beautiful women are pale, and they own it; Kate Winslett, Cate Blanchett, and Alexis Bledel, just to name a few.

I don’t expect anyone to quit tanning. It’s a beloved pastime for about fifty percent of this campus, and in small doses, it’s not such a bad thing. But could everyone tone it down a little bit? Maybe call it quits before reaching a superhuman orange glow? I like the Illini as much as the next guy, but let’s leave the orange on the football field.

Katie is a senior in Spanish and political science and for the next five months, she’ll be the whitest girl in the room.