Ohio University sophomore Brett Ferguson tans at a salon twice a week and is part of a growing number of male tanners.
People do stereotype tanning
but I feel like people are over it. Girls like tan guys said Ferguson, who studies finance and marketing, and works at Attractions Salon, 19 N. Court St.
Though women have traditionally made up the majority of tanning clients, many men are also turning to tanning beds. According to a study done in 2008 at Fox Chase Cancer Center, 13 percent of the 18- to 29-year-old males who were surveyed had tanned at a salon.
We have definitely noticed an increase in the last few years for guys coming in to tan. The stereotype is slowly going away and guys are realizing it's OK to tan said Dan Snyder, manager of the tanning salon Outer Glow, 14 S. Court St.
One male student at OU said that the decision not to use a tanning bed is an economic one.
I would never pay to indoor tan because I like being outside and can just go out to tan
said Kevin Nye, a freshman who is undecided about his major.
Snyder said that men usually buy package sessions, which are three to seven sessions for a discounted rate, compared to women who will buy quarterly unlimited memberships.
With the unlimited memberships that most tanning salons offer, many customers will tan several times a week, which can lead to health problems like skin cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Because of the health risks associated with tanning, Ohio passed a law in April 2008 requiring teens under the age of 16 to have parental permission to tan. At least 28 other states regulate the tanning bed use of minors. In 2007, Congress passed the Tanning Accountability and Notification (TAN) Act that mandated that all tanning beds be clearly labeled with the risks of tanning.
Despite the warnings, about one million Americans use indoor tanning every day for different reasons, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
I feel better about myself when I'm tan
Ferguson said.
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Culture
Aliza Caton
