Chelsea Steiner and Jeff Malkiewicz are complete strangers but, have something in common — both of their mothers survived skin cancer.
Five years ago, Steiner's mother had cancerous basal cells removed from her leg. Malkiewicz's mother experienced the same diagnosis and procedure two years ago.
While the two mothers have since beat the skin cancer, their children now have decided to take a stand against tanning, which has been shown to increase the likelihood of developing cancer.
Steiner, a political science sophomore, started her crusade against tanning by forming the Facebook.com group, "Tanning: the Next Black Plague to Sweep the Nation!"
The group compares strikingly similar photos of an Oompa Loompa and Jessica Simpson.
Malkiewicz also is a member of the group.
"My mom would chew me out if I was an avid tanner," Malkiewicz, a finance sophomore said.
Forty to 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will be diagnosed with nonmelanoma skin cancer, which makes it the most common type of cancer in the United States, according to the National Cancer Institute's Web site.
Almost anyone who frequents tanning salons puts themselves in danger of skin cancer, and those with the greatest risk are fair-skinned, according to the institute.
Malkiewicz's mother's past skin cancer isn't the only thing that turns him off to tanning. He also disapproves of the look it creates.
"I don't think it looks good on most girls because it is so fake," he said. "Girls in Michigan forget that they don't live in California or Florida."
Malkiewicz remembers an experience at a school dance when his date was over-tanned, resulting in an unpleasant orange color.
"Everyone else was really white, and she just stood out," he said. "Girls definitely do it for guys. They want to look like the celebrities on 'The O.C.' and 'Laguna Beach.'"
Steiner has spent her summers working as a lifeguard at Waterford Oaks Waterpark for the past two years, and she makes an extra effort to apply sunscreen.
"It's bad enough to be in the sun all day long," she said. "We need winter to give our skin a break."
According to the institute, both sexes can contract skin cancer. Beal said women are more likely to have it on their legs while men are more likely to see signs of it on their backs.
Malkiewicz said that the price of tanning isn't cheap.
"I have better things to spend my money on," he said.
Although Malkiewicz and Steiner cite skin cancer as a deterrent to tanning, elementary education freshman Sarah Pylar considers the future in her decision not to tan.
"I'd rather not be wrinkly when I'm old," Pylar said.
Pylar, a fair-skinned redhead, said she knows she is among those who would be most vulnerable to skin cancer. Pylar believes the prolonged aesthetic results of tanning are enough to keep her from frequenting a tanning salon.
In the case that Steiner must attend a wedding or formal party, she does sometimes apply a sunless tanner. She prefers the tanning spray made by Estée Lauder.
"It looks really good," she said. "The more expensive you get, the better it is. Obviously, stores sell some cheap, streaky stuff."
Spray-on tans now are becoming available alongside traditional beds at tanning salons. Manager Samantha Miller of Bronze Bay Tanning, 109 E. Grand River Ave., uses the spray-on tan.
"I don't have the time for tanning," Miller said. "A simple base tan (using a tanning bed) takes six to 10 visits. If I want to go out to the bar that night, I do a spray-on."
Miller said a spray-on tan takes about 15 minutes and is less expensive than tanning beds.
The artificial tan lasts one to two weeks, depending on how often the individual showers. Miller said the salon books about four to 10 appointments per week for spray-on tans.
Miller said the new alternative to the "fake and bake" method has become much more popular.
"People who don't want long-term effects are getting spray-ons," she said.
Pylar said tanning, unfortunately, has become part of the social "norm." Many of Pylar's friends are devoted tanners, but she doesn't typically try to convince them to stop.
Steiner, however, often tries to persuade her friends not to tan.
"I give them a hard time, just because I think they look better without it," she said. "People should be happier with how they're meant to look."
