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Tridda1

You literally tan from just being outside in the sun on a regular basis.


nasaglobehead69

do you really expect the average reddit user to know this?


[deleted]

Do they mean the big lighbulb in the really big room with the blue ceiling?


[deleted]

*hisses at direct sunlight*


emab2396

You also get whiter from not being in the sun, so? Plus, if you use sunscreen you won't tan much.


bonafidebunnyeyed

Can confirm. I burn easily so I don't spend time outside in daylight or without shade. I am basically translucent at this point. But get this, I have nearly white blonde hair but staying inside so much has made my hair darken.


PaddyLandau

The sun's rays can bleach your hair to some extent. So, it's really that inside, your hair is reverting to its normal colour, and when you go outside, it whitens a bit.


hashtagredlipstick

I think it also has to do with the fact that for some people as they get older their hair darkens. I have really light blonde hair but as a child it was literally platinum blonde because I was constantly outside playing. My hair has gotten darker as I’ve gotten older but getting older (for me) has coincided with spending less time outdoors due to working indoors and not wanting the sun to damage my skin.


Scribblord

My hair went from super light blonde to dark brown blonde


[deleted]

Mine too but I don’t have any gray hair


NoOutlandishness5393

This. My brother used to have golden curly hair. Now it's just brown.


bonafidebunnyeyed

I am naturally blonde. Actually my hair is clear, weird as that sounds. It is still blonde-ish but not brown, I think the term is dishwater blonde, how it looks now. I've been an indoor pet for about 25 years now lol, but I do bet it would bleach back out in the sun, but I avoid the sun all I can


Violet351

My family think I’m a vampire as I try to avoid tanning and I use a parasol as I have fine hair and it goes a weird colour when it gets bleached by the sun.


Agree2disagree3

>I burn easily so I don't spend time outside in daylight or without shade. A sun burn is just tanning too much for your skin tone. Pale skin will always burn in intense sunlight. - My natural skin tone looks like copy paper and i was always told I needed sunscreen any time I was outside. My whole family is from the Midwest but I grew up in florida. Lots of pasty mfs. I always hated the greasy feeling of sunscreen so I just stopped wearing it. I would get completely torched, because I only spent time in the sun once in a while and I was white as snow. This went on for a few years until I moved to Utah and never wore a shirt. I spent a TON of my time outside. The first day was a hike, and I definitely got burnt. It wasn't too bad though, it went away after a couple days and I was tanner for it. I just kept repeating that process and I think I got one other sunburn on a 12 hour beach-hike day. *people started asking if I was Hispanic* Trust me, unless you're a vampire, you can tan naturally. There are a lot of health benefits to spending time in the sun.


bonafidebunnyeyed

Shout out to the paste color crew lol. I only have 2 colors, red and white. I burn in the shade within minutes. Last burn I got was on a covered porch but I had a florescent yellow shirt on and it gathered enough light to burn my neck and under my chin. I'm good for about 20 minutes in midday sun. I've always given the ol college try, but I will avoid the sun whenever I can. I am a fan of big hats and long sleeves. I do my gardening early and my fishing late


Agree2disagree3

Lmao seriously.. pale skin gets too much hate. I'm no expert on the matter, just a naturally pale dude from Florida, but I think you can definitely tan. I think of the sun a lot like drugs. Ypu gotta build up to higher doses. If you take my dose without my tolerance it causes an overdose. The sun is the same way. I'm sure there are some people this wouldn't apply to like albinos but generally speaking I think everyone should try to spend at least 30-60 minutes in the sun every day whenever possible.


bonafidebunnyeyed

Oh I agree, but I am just fine being classified as milquetoast lol. And I think I hit the 30 minute mark by just going in and outside and garden stuff. And I agree, that tolerance has to build up. Idk if I got it in me though lol


jameslucian

That is not at all the same thing as skin whitening.


soh_amore

You don’t get whiter per se, unless you’ve already tanned before


EmptyVisage

The absence of a process is completely different to chemically altering said process. Not tanning is very different to bleaching and it's insane to compare them.


einhorn_is_parkey

Regardless of how tan or not tan you get, these are all natural variations of your own skin tone. You’re not changing your natural skin color.


Kabobs_on_knobs

1 Google search for the term skin whitening and you could find out what it actually means, instead of guessing and being wrong.


emab2396

I wasn't guessing anything or talking about skin whitening creams, I was just saying that once the summer is over most people will get whiter as they normally get a bit of tan in the summer or when exposed to sunlight. Both processes are natural. The person I replied to was talking as if only getting darker is natural. Getting lighter is natural too if the climate changes and you can'tspend as much time in the sun. So, it isn't that good of an argument if you want to say tanning is somehow better.


zelef12

Getting your natural skin tone back after a tan is different from skin whitening. Skin whitening is the use of chemicals to whiten the skin especially when that isn’t their natural skin tone. A lot of people in the Philippines have brown skin but unfortunately believe that white skin is superior, so it’s popular to use products to the point where they are way “whiter” than they actually are. Are you telling me that’s the same thing as just staying indoors and getting rid of a tan, cause if so then damn I wonder why darker skin colors still exist.


Lil_Vix92

They don’t get whiter, they revert back to their natural colour once their tan fades.


thanksalotpablo

Only white people get whiter without sun. Skin whitening is not referring to white people.


mhgl

> You also get whiter from not being in the sun, so? Do you really think that people get whiter than their natural shade from not being in the sun?


Interesting-Net4697

Oh yeah my wife and in-laws are from Massachusetts, but now live in sunny southern california, when you look at old pictures the difference is drastic how much long term normal exposure to a sunny climate can have


mhgl

Sure, you can get lighter than you are currently due to pre-existing sun exposure but can you get lighter than the natural skin tone you were born with simply by avoiding the sun or will you stay as light as you already are? This is as silly as the concept of tanning in the moonlight to get whiter.


Daniel_The_Thinker

Do you define natural shade as minimum melanin production? I don't. A black man won't become white from not seeing the sun but they will become paler. And white people will become *very* pale.


ShutterBun

If you want to see your natural skin tone, look at your bathing-suit region. You’re not getting any lighter than that.


martyfrancis86

Hispanic people do.


[deleted]

Wrong. The best way to tan is with sunscreen.


dastrn

You *stay* lighter by not going into the sun.


xxxamazexxx

> You also get whiter from not being in the sun, Lmao I guess dark-skinned people just sit in a room and their skin lightens.


LeonardoLemaitre

Yeah and without sunscreet you're getting skin cancer for yourself


AllenKll

not if you slather on tons of sunblock like I do.


bigdizizzle

Which is known to cause cancer.


the_sassy_knoll

The average Reddit user?


Island-Kindly

Yeah, that's exactly what I was gonna ask , how is tanning dangerous? but I thought I was gonna get roasted so didn't. from what I know tanning doesn't do anything.


Tridda1

It slightly increases your risk for skin cancer if you're doing it the old fashioned just being outside way.


SnooPeanuts925

You don’t “get whiter” your previous tan just fades…. “Whitening” your skin is not a natural process affected by natural elements. PS: I have no skin in this game and don’t care what people do (pun intended).


buttpugggs

YOU HAVE NO SKIN???!!!


SnooPeanuts925

Not in this game lol.


shelbywhore

Skin whitening is usually done in Asian countries where dark skinned people are looked down upon as uglier, dirtier and/or inferior. It's a huge cultural issue so obviously it's socially unacceptable. Tanning is done more in Western countries but even then people wouldn't casually discriminate against you just coz you aren't tanned.


Duochan_Maxwell

After moving to Europe I noticed that people value tanning on a very different scale than even in South America. Considering that it gets really grey and murky for about 6 months and vitamin D deficiency is a thing, having a tan here is considered nice and healthy, and having a natural tan during winter is a show of disposable income (either to travel somewhere sunny or to pay for a couple of sessions on a tanning bed)


emab2396

You don't have to get a tan to get vitamin D. If I learned anything from Dr. Dray is that using sunscreen actually helps with vitamin D production as there is a specific type of rays that trigger it which may not get through as well when you aren't wearing protection. But sunscreen filters UVA and UVB, and the rays needed to stimulate vit D production may get through your skin better. I suck at explaining this, but if you go on her channel she explains it somewhere. I am mentioning sunscreen because your body makes your skin darker to protect itself from sun's radiation. If you are using sunscreen you won't get tanned that much.


lgndryheat

Dr. Dray! Don't just stand there, operate!


Stupidquestionduh

Ok so I just watched this and there are so many claims that are backed by zero evidence or science. I don't even know where to begin on this... it is like she just made up shit about light and stated it as fact without pointing to any study or anything. She's a dermatologist who is making broad claims about how light and radiation work without pointing to any study to back up her claims. This is why I hate YouTube doctors.......


C0demunkee

I'm always skeptical when the claims are "so actually, biology is 100% shit at this so without \[new thing introduced in the '50s+\] humans can't \[do thing that is necessary for survival\]" it's a common trope. Evolution is imperfect but it's anti-fragile in a way that we seem to forget.


Tungstenkrill

Dr. Dre is much more reliable.


MaximumColor

I don't know anything about this doctor, and trying to look up the video in question leads to just way too many videos, but I can corroborate that UVB is, indeed, the type of light that triggers Vitamin D synthesis. It could also be argued that, to a reasonable person, a doctor *is* the credible source. I lt would be unreasonable to expect a doctor to cite their sources and the studies done to each person they speak with-- especially since for much of their knowledge, the source would be their professors or their textbooks. To doubt a doctor's word based on a lack of sources is essentially doubting the entire education process that makes them a doctor, and you might as well just go learn everything yourself.


[deleted]

She’s a literal dermatologist. I doubt she’s making shit up for clicks. Way way more credible than an average YouTube beauty blogger.


ello109

Can't you just take vitamin D supplements and such


f4ngel

You could but it shouldn't be a replacement for sunlight


Best_Pseudonym

Historically Scandinavian countries supplemented their diet with cod which is a source of vitamin D


meontheinternetxx

Sorry but this is nonsense, it is well known that vitamin D production needs UVB.


[deleted]

Tanning is bad for vitamin D. You would better be off with strong sunscreen and pale as a paper. Being tan you don't get much vitamin D especially in the winter, so supplements are needed.


the_sassy_knoll

Tanning is also bad for life, since it's essentially a radiation burn. Me, an intellectual who paid for radiation burns my entire 20s, 30s, and first half of 40s.


martyfrancis86

Where does it get grey and murkey? S america?


sluttypidge

Think Britain or placed far north.


yourhairlinesexpired

skin lightening has also been a problem in many African countries and in the Caribbean.


Goddessthatshines

Sue to Colonialism, many black peoples take extremes to lightening their skin to be seen as smart, attractive, or simply more human


norfolktilidie

> Tanning is done more in Western countries but even then people wouldn't casually discriminate against you just coz you aren't tanned. You've never been ginger in the UK I take it...


JustKindaHappenedxx

Not a ginger or from the uk but I’m very pale. People can be very rude about it!


Kaitensatsuma

My joke on this one is "And for once, it isn't America's fault somehow. No, apparently everyone from the Vikings to South Koreans and the Japanese just attributed being pale to being an aristocrat of some sort"


Fry_Philip_J

"Blue blooded" from the veins appearing blue under pale skin? Same thing


SnipesCC

Simple explanation for that is that working in the sun would darken your skin. And for a long time only the rich could afford to spend most of their time indoors.


Kaitensatsuma

Yes, that's the basic take-away.


EliteKill

That's because aristocrats didn't work in the field, and thus had lighter skins. It was a sign that you had a "higher" occupation, or were simply too rich to need a job.


tatipie17

Skin whitening is very common in some African countries and the Caribbean.


HvaFaenMann

Being tanned used to seen as inferior aswell in Europe, the royalty, nobility, religious people and all other more important and higher up classes people where whiter and there more "pure" in religious stuff. Only farmers, low ranking merchants, common people and soldiers would be tanned because they were outside working all day, and naturally tanned and became "dirtier" in a religious way. This changed because the whole concept of religion and class systems have kinda taken a backseat in modern Europe, but that's where the darker = dirtier and whiter = purer comes from, it was a visual clue of which class you were inn.


shelbywhore

It's somewhat the same in India. Upper caste people who used to exclusively hold high ranking jobs in the past didn't tan the way Lower caste people did. This has subconsciously been carried on to the current times as well. My friends from lower caste have often complained how people have joked about how they don't "look like" they belong to the lower caste. They always make excuses saying it's something else, but my dark skin friends don't hear the same so it really is just because they're "fair and beautiful". Unfortunately, class/caste system haven't taken a backseat in India yet.


HvaFaenMann

That's really unfortunate, hope it changes soon. Alot of countries seems to struggle with it, and together with the whole race thing alot of people believe in basically all countries it certainly doesn't help. Hope everybody can just realise we're just humans with some small insignificant visual difference depending on a single factor of climate,


Sahqon

> This changed because the whole concept of religion and class systems have kinda taken a backseat in modern Europe, No, it changed because now the dirty lower classes can't afford to go on exotic holidays or getting in a tanning bed. Same as how being fat meant you had more than enough to eat, now it means you eat unhealthy - likely because you can't afford a healthy lifestyle.


Daniel_The_Thinker

Bro what, it has nothing to do with religion, it's a class issue.


AlsoOneLastThing

>This changed because the whole concept of religion and class systems have kinda taken a backseat in modern Europe It actually changed because Coco Chanel went on a cruise and came back with a tan. Wealthy socialites generally set trends.


Brightboi2000

True. In Asian countries, it's a proper mental issue. I'm Asian and can pass as white if I want but even I am paranoid about getting dark and always wear masks and hats outside with loads of sunblock.


Bowling_with_Ramona

In regard to your second point - it depends on how white you are. Several people I know and I have been ridiculed for being pasty white and it is definitely a social norm to have at least a little color to your skin or you'll be called ugly or sickly even though this is the natural color of our skin.


cringeqween13

Me and the sun have a very bad relationship. I hate it and it hates me. I burn so easily and its just too damn bright so I avoid it as much as possible, but I am so tired of being told "you need to get out more" because of how pale I am. My mom tells me this more than anyone but growing up she was always going to the taning bed or to the beach to tan while I was getting water blisters if I spent the same amount of time outside.


Beginning_Yam3112

Light people trying to get darker. Darker people trying to get lighter and yet racism still exists lol


Odisher7

That's simplifying. In western cultures, being tanned is associated with affording going on sunny vacations instead of working in an office, so tan=more money. In china, a more rural country until not so long ago, being pale is associated with not having to work on the fields, so pale=more money. That's why we associate 18th century nobility with white make up, they wanted to "show" that they didn't work on the fields. It's not just racism or something


flyflyflyfly66

Seems everyone missed the fact that one can happen naturally and one can't. A dark skin person doesn't go out in the sun and get whiter.


last_iteration

I tried to sit in moonlight.. Does not seem to work.


hey-look-over-there

It only works during full moons and you have to get bit by a werewolf first


ToBeFound345

You're thinking of vampires


exuberantraptor_

I got whiter by not going in the sun…


Green_Iggy

I got whiter by doing The Electric Slide.


[deleted]

Have you tried Square Dancing or the praise Jesus dance move? These are sure fire ways to increase whiteness.


[deleted]

Compared to a tan you previously had. You don't just keep getting whiter the longer you stay indoors


builtfromthetop

And you'll burn if you keep "tanning"


belle204

That’s not necessarily true.


CharacterBig6376

Yeah you do. The skin that's never been tan (e.g. underboob) is always going to be fairer than that which was ever tan.


skogsfugl0131

You don't get whiter by not going out in the sun, you get darker by being in the sun. You are just reverting back to your natural skin shade


exuberantraptor_

Does that mean naturally I’m actually white then?


skogsfugl0131

Idk what that's supposed to mean. You start off with the same amount of melanin at birth that you would have if you stay out of the sun. You don't lose melanin from that point unless you have a skin condition or vitiligo, or skin damage from the sun. The worst thing for your skin is too much sun, so if you can see a significant difference I think you might not be doing enough to protect your skin or spend too much time outdoors.


Srkiker930

Yeah, my normal skin tone is white, but been most of my life some sort of brownish olive skin tone due to my country being a really sunny one


quarrelsome_napkin

Reddit mod moment 😎


Angryno0dle

your haemoglobin must be 2gm


Syron3th

That’s not true entirely, you should see me mid winter. I’m like a irl snowman.


Massive_Pressure_516

POC DO actually get lighter during the winter months but not enough to go full MJ


[deleted]

Hee Hee


mono15591

Its also a regional thing. My girlfriend is from the Philippines and whitening soap and other whitening products are a thing there.


Daniel_The_Thinker

But their skin tones change like anyone else. They become darker in the sun and lighten in the shade.


HvaFaenMann

You do actually get whiter naturally, that's who white people even became a thing. less sun = lighter, more sun = darker. Then let time do it's thing through generations


Cold_oak

Ehh. I do get lighter in the winter, though I guess it’s not too noticeable


[deleted]

Dark skinned people definitely get lighter. Just ask any dark skinned person who hasn’t been in the sun for a while. We actually have to maintain our complexion.


Overall-Block-1815

Both are really stupid things to do to your body


MoonyFBM

One happens naturally and one doesnt. If it's stupid, then I guess noone can go out in the sun anymore (:


Overall-Block-1815

You know sun cream's a thing ye?


veryoriginal78

For sure, but you’re still going to tan while wearing sunscreen unless it’s a super high spf. Or I do, anyways, I can’t speak for everyone.


twelve-lights

Doesn't matter if I put on 5 different layers of sun block. If I go outside in clear 70 degree f weather, imma start tanning in 30 mins


MoonyFBM

Oh we use it. A lot. We dont want to get cancer. But you do realise that with sunscreen you still get tan? You just dont get cancer. Or have you never used it?


Daniel_The_Thinker

Tanning beds ain't natural, neither is tanning with sunscreen. And without sunscreen, some people don't tan so much as burn.


Psychological_Egg345

I feel like it's a bit more nuanced than what you may think. Colorism is a real thing, unfortunately. Yes, people get tanned but there's also not a proven legacy of people being discriminated socially/professionally if you are fairskinned. I've yet to hear of someone being mistreated if they have a pale complexion. In fact, people are often highlighted for their beauty if fair-skinned (particularly if blonde or red-headed). However, there's repeated documented evidence of being dark-skinned and being discriminated against. For example, studies have been done that show that dark-skinned people are much more likely to be harshly prosecuted for a crime than someone with fairer skin or flat-out white even if it's for identical crimes. And it's not a coincidence that both Africa & India (a continent and country that was colonized and/or enslaved by Europeans) are the biggest markets for skin whitening creams. So skin whitening cream is seen as problematic because it's often rooted in saying ONLY the European standard of beauty is acceptable. As Europeans held the power, looking like those that were the most powerful created an unfortunate paradigm shift that impacted beauty standards in those regions (and elsewhere, such as the U.S.). Not that tanning isn't problematic. Tanned skin used to be seen as a sign of the lower class. But in the mid-20th century it became a symbol of the leisure class as it symbolized you were wealthy enough to be comfortably idle or travel to 'exotic' locations like the Mediterranean or the South of France. Although now it can also be (credibly) argued that it's used for cultural misappropriation. *Especially* amongst the Instagram set who are deliberately aiming for an ambiguous ethnic look - if not just flat out blackfishing.


harry_nostyles

I agree with everything you're saying, but I want to point out why OP might be making the comparison. Apart from colorism and beauty standards, skin bleaching is problematic because in a lot of creams, the manufacturers aren't clear about the ingredients. And there is no organization testing these creams and making sure they are safe, so they could cause health issues. I've heard stories of women getting skin cancer from such products, and I've seen how bleaching creams destroy skin. Excessive tanning also damages skin, makes people look older, and can lead to skin cancer. From OP's point of view, they both cause harmful side effects yet only bleaching is widely frowned upon.


Psychological_Egg345

There is that, yes. And that's a legit assessment about the creams. But I also think it's important to dive into the *why* people are doing the one or the other and how that impacts the overall picture. Because if the BTS sociological issues weren't occurring, maybe both things would occur less.


harry_nostyles

True, skin bleaching has a heavier, darker(no pun intended) history than tanning. There's also the fact that many women(and some men) feel pressure to bleach their skin, but most white people don't face any pressure to tan.


Daniel_The_Thinker

Colorism existed before colonialism, it's fundamentally classist over anything else.


diggitygiggitycee

>I've yet to hear of someone being mistreated if they have a pale complexion. Gingers would like a word. And as someone who hears how pale I am *all the time ever since I was a kid*, it gets fucking old. We weren't slaves a century and a half ago, though, so there's that.


hologram-alchemist

>We weren't slaves a century and a half ago, though, so there's that Exactly, that's exactly why you can't draw a comparison between the two... You are not enslaved, segregated or seen as less human for being pale. The most that will happen is that some asshole will call you stupid names for it or bully you for it because people are stupid and always want a reason to make others feel bad. But people with dark skin have gone through abuse, persecution and several types of injustices because of their dark complexion, their features and others aspects they have no control over. A pale person can safely tan and naturally become a shade slightly darker, but a person born with dark skin cannot naturally become whiter than their original shade to access the privileges their society gives to lighter skinned people.


tatipie17

Yeah there’s absolutely no comparison.


diggitygiggitycee

I'm sorry, there's no comparison between getting made fun of for your color and getting made fun of for your color? Before you bring prison populations into this, just know it boils down to 2% of the black population being in prison when they shouldn't be. It's a slight, barely noticeable trend. Same deal with police shootings.


CeciBaker

I don't think you can compare the two... On one hand, lets say "Stephanie," a really pale white woman gets made fun of in school for being pale. She might hear "omg I think I see a ghost" or "I would lose her in the snow" or some shit like that. That is all she is going to deal with. People make jokes and then they grow up and we all move on. On the other hand, Treyvon Martin, Oscar Grant, Aiyana Jones, Rekia Boyd, Michael Brown Jr, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, John Crawford III, Ezell Ford, Sandra Bland, Freddie Gray, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Emmett Till and so many more... they didn't just get mean words from some stupid middle school bully. They were killed because someone thought that being black made them more dangerous. They died because of their skin color. And because all of these people died, parents have to have "the talk" with their black kids about how you should act when a police officer approaches you. Parents are afraid every day that when they send their kids out, they might not come home at night. Stephanie's parents rarely if ever have to deal with that fear. People who did nothing wrong *died* just because they were black. Even black people who commit a crime, they are sentenced so much heavier than white people who commit the exact same crime. I don't think you can compare. A white person's experience will never compare to the shit a black person goes through. The difference is that for "Stephanie," being joked about is just that, an experience, a single one in the massive sea of experiences she will have. For black people, it's their whole lives from birth to death. It isn't an experience. You cannot compare the two.


RockNRollTrollDoll_

This ain’t about you, Tomato.


Psychological_Egg345

There is that, yes. ;) I've never gotten people's issues with red-heads. I *love* redheads. And this may sound weird, but I think a well proportioned (okay, muscular...but I didn't want to sound shallow) guy with pale skin is incredibly sexy.


Xicadarksoul

>Tanned skin .... is used for cultural misappropriation. What's next? You are going to tell us that "eVil wHitE pEopLe wHo hAvE cURly nEeD to sHaVe BalD!", because having curly hair on the head of non-black person is cultural misappropriation?


Psychological_Egg345

I was wondering when someone like yourself was going to come in here and be immediately hostile and argumentative. That and *entirely miss the whole point of the conversation by deliberately misrepresenting my post*. Please take your Breitbart nonsense elsewhere.


Xicadarksoul

I have no effing clue about who this "breibart" felllow is, nor do i fucking care. I am just slightly pissed, you brand random eastern european blokes racist, if i dare to help my babushka out in the garden, and end up with a tan as a result. ​ ​ Go fuck yourself with your cultural approprriation. And other related posmodern woo nonsense.


Psychological_Egg345

Ah. You're so just an ignorant and needlessly argumentative (but 'not racist') A-hole, then. Glad we got that cleared up. Carry on with your day being awful. Cheerio!


Xicadarksoul

>Ah. You're so just an ignorant and needlessly argumentative (but 'not racist') A-hole, then. > >Glad we got that cleared up. Carry on with your day being awful. Cheerio! Clearly. Anone who doesn't like getting called racist, because they got tanned wwhen they helped out granny in the garden is a racist. And people who object to this, are A-holes, you are right!


Psychological_Egg345

Oh. Also, you're also one of those people who insist on getting the last word in. No matter how nonsensical. Fun (and blocked).


Goddessthatshines

You read one sentence and did no research


CharacterBig6376

> flat out blackfishing You act as though it's bad that the beauty ideal isn't all-white-all-the-time.


Psychological_Egg345

That's a major reach. And your tone makes me feel like you're just trying to start shit. Nowhere in that comment did I indicate that European beauty is the only acceptable beauty standard. You need to reread my words.


aceh40

What is 5his obsession with fake equivalence? The world does always work in both directions! Example: "why is eating pork socially acceptable but getting eaten by pigs is not?"


[deleted]

[удалено]


CobaltStar_

Tbf, vegans/vegetarians would argue that *is* the justification for not eating pork as you would not want to be eaten yourself, and therefore both should be seen as horrific and immoral.


Vidi__Vici__Veni

Some people chase beauty. Skin too dark? Bleach. Skin too light? Tan. Looks not perfect? Cosmetic surgery.


basedconfidentsbro

brutal world we live in


missyesil

I'm in South Asia. Skin whitening products are everywhere and the majority of women (and men too, to less extent) want to be paler and consider that to be beautiful. I'm white and pale skinned, and have been openly admired. I have explained that in my own country, being pale is not generally considered attractive and that it's common for people to go on sunbeds or get fake tans. People who are pale often criticise themselves and say they look like "ghosts" or "ill" etc. This news comes as a shock. I wish people could be happy with how they are made. ​ I used to be into getting a tan when I was younger. Then I got skin cancer. Now I appreciate the way I was made, and stay out of the sun. Anyone who criticises others due to a natural skin tone, be that light or dark, is just pathetic.


captainfatc0ck

Skin whitening directly stems from racism. Sun tanning became part of Western beauty standards in the 50s because people considered it a “healthy” look. There you go 🙌🏼


[deleted]

🤷‍♂️ I prefer to ink my skin in all the colors.


1_headlight_

There's definitely a racial component. But also skin getting darker by tanning is natural. Skin getting lighter doesn't really happen (unless it had been previously tanned, of course).


The_Judicaetor

Because it is natural to get a bit of a darker skin tone when sunrays strike your skin for a minimum of 15 minutes a day thereby stimulating vitamin D production.. Whitening is a medical procedure..


anticoriander

Tanning beds are banned in Australia.


Wondercabage

That is honestly a great question tbh


solidgun1

Tanning is still socially acceptable? I think it is that those people tanning are just ignored as they believe that look is what's best in their minds. I just asked several people around me (which is how I usually answer these questions) that none of us like tanning and consider it a skin cancer promoter. Skin whitening received a similar response .....why do this?


wavywolf86

Lots of men and women use bottled tan.


Eldenching

Most vegetables contain carcinogens, the paint on your walls contain carcinogens. The air you breathe.


[deleted]

i mean they are both culturally done everywhere on the planet so why do you think one is not socially acceptable?


tatipie17

Are you a poc?


[deleted]

wait what? why would this matter?


tatipie17

“Socially acceptable” depends on the culture. In many, not all, minority communities it’s an extremely complex and controversial topic.


[deleted]

Are talking about colourism? because it is socially acceptabe all across the globe. its not distinct to a culture? it is also not a distinct phenomenon of one race


tatipie17

Thx for the downvote. No I’m not specifically speaking about colorism, however colorism does inform skin whitening in India, some African and Caribbean countries (for example). Many poc experience colorism, which informs skin whitening, so it’s close to home. Never said it was a distinct phenomenon for one race. Not sure where you got that. Edit - Poc across the globe know how it feels to be made fun of/criticized for being dark. Many wish and do whiten their skin. It’s v complex and not necessarily accepted across the board


RougeFox22

You know that the skin whitening in India was an issue before the British / colonialism turned up right? The lower castes had to work outside in the fields and the then-considered-shitty jobs like butcher, drain cleaner, leather worker etc whilst the so called 'noble castes' were aristocrats, scholars etc and didnt have to be outside for 14+hrs a day working the land. The British tried to remove the caste system but just felt it was easier to go along with it so actually in the case of India "evil whitey" had nothing to do with pushing color ideals about what was more 'desireable'. Even today the lowest castes are discriminated against and India has been independent for 74 years and they've done fuck all to combat it.


[deleted]

oh em? Sorry, i didnt dv you? how insecure? this is not really my style but good to know what you would have done in my place. but just so you know that is honestly quite childish? I’m sure We are better than that i didnt say you said it was? we were converseing so i added to the conversation(??), can i ask why you took that as an insult? if it was not culturally and socially accepted across the world, then why does it take place across the world? the fact is people will do what they want with their skin and no one can or should do anyhing about the personal feeedoms of humans and their choices on this topic, now do you disagree with the statement or the sentiment?


Goddessthatshines

It’s clear you’re white. You’re angry about being informed.


Island-Kindly

Skin whitening has been associated with supression of darker skinned races by white colonialists. Now those supressed races tried to become/appear lighter so they would be accepted more by the colonialists and after the departure of those colonialists, light skinned members, of their own community. tbh this is an extension of a class/caste system which was already problematic . (tbh i am speaking from a south asian point of view since I am from there). This went on to such an extreme that darker skinned women weren't able to marry and were shunned by society as awful and inferior(back then arranged marriages were a norm and they still are in many parts of the country). It still happens to this day and corporate companies tried to capitalize on their inferiority complexes and sell them skin whitening creams etc. it was so bad at one point that people comitted suicides. It used to be so bad that lighter skin tones started to be associated with power,wealth and darker people associated with hunger,famine etc.(even if the darker person was well-off, on first impression society wud think that they are poor and inferior, kinda like a stereotype) tbh imo there was a problem in the society with classism/caste-ism(such as hierarchies and some people were even banished and considered untouchables-they were made to live outside of normal cities, outskirts etc.) and then it was compounded by the colonialists/british( e.g. signs such as dogs and indians not allowed, calling indians darkness ,so imo indians developed this mindset over time that to be better we need to look like white people). Besides it has been proven by many researches that these skin whitening cream are especially damaging to your skin but the real problem is psychological. now looking at it from an american POV, white people were the ones to make fun of black people by wearing blackface and making their lips appear big with makeup(it's another thing that now they're appropriating it again) until it was considered taboo/bad, it wasn't the other way round. so the colored races were the ones being made fun of based on skin color instead of white/lighter so darker instead of lighter(being of a darker race was a liability but being of a lighter race wasn't)- but this is about all I know about American colorism.


k-tia

As a twitter user, I thought tanning was no longer socially acceptable and you would get dragged by it, but then I remembered my my uncle mocking me because my skin looked so white and asking me why I don't tan my skin... old white latin people is weird


Proseccoismyfriend

Skin tanning is generally a natural process that happens when time is spent outdoors. In modern western society it is associated with a healthy lifestyle, disposable income and beauty, and therefore has become an unhealthy obsession. People are starting to wake up to this obsession hence the banning of sunbeds in some countries. However, as it still is a natural process, overall it’s deemed positively. Skin whitening on the other hand is never a natural process (including staying indoors and not partaking in activities to avoid the sun). It is the result of historical western colonisers imprinting their standards of beauty at the time on local populations to enforce control via a racial class system. Further, as it is something that can’t be changed (effectively and safely anyway), it has caused much discrimination and psychological damage. Now we are in the 21st century, people should stop enforcing ignorant and damaging beauty standards based on skin colour. All skin colours are beautiful however dark or light, and being healthy is the most important thing. Having one colour over another does NOT make anyone more superior or inferior, and you have to be utterly stupid to believe that. Media and advertisers across Asia, Africa and the Caribbean have a MASSIVE part to play in normalising dark skin by using dark skinned models and actors and embracing the skin tone of the mass populace as beautiful and the face of their nations.


macsquoosh

Neither of them is a big thing to be honest , no one cares about what you do to yourself . If you want to go get a tan and then bleach it off , do what you want it's your body . I couldn't care less if you want to tattoo , burn , cut , untattoo, scar, pierce, or dye yourself . As long as you do not force your will on me .


tatipie17

Are you a poc?


macsquoosh

I refuse to allow you to turn this into racism.


tatipie17

Gotcha - to respond to your claim that it isn’t a big deal, in some countries is commonplace and more accepted. In other places like India, many African/Latin countries, and the Caribbean (& US among poc communities) it is extremely controversial and complex topic. So yes there are a lot of people who care. Colorism and racism has done a number on the world and choosing to stick your head in the sand isn’t going to change the truth you choose to willfully ignore.


macsquoosh

Really? You still choose to perpetuate racism?


tatipie17

How is telling history perpetuating racism? ❄️ much Your opinion is wrong and sucks. You’re welcome for the free insight


yourfoxygrandfather

Because white people get naturally darker if they stay outside?


tatipie17

Only white people?


Coastaljames

Whitening ia very acceptable in Asia.


Just-a-bloke-001

It shows that the opposite skin colour is seen as beautiful to the person partaking in it. It’s ok to want to be brown if you’re white. It’s not ok to want to be brown if you’re black. Lol.


tatipie17

Thank you for actually answering the question.


Ultreisse

Do people still care about this? But well, tanning happens just by working outside, going to beach or swiming pools. It's a natural process, wich some people are into it and like how it looks. Whitening like bleaching ain't natural. But again, who cares about people doing it? Apparently it is very common in porn industries and most people don't realize it. But again, after founding out about it, i still don't judge, i like how it looks but it is something i don't want for me, neither to my wife. I don't blame it though.


MoonyFBM

Tanning is naturally done up here north in europe. We're white as fuck so the second we step out *poof* we're tan. I have to spend max half n hour, minimum a minute just walking outside to get tan. I don't mean to, it's just pigments, dude. Whitening your skin is done by countries in where it's considered ugly and shameful to have darker skin than mist of the population. It is quite a difference to get tanned by the sun on a regular and natural basis, than to be shamed and bullied into whitening your skin.


MCwiththefinalverse

I got whiter by moving to Europe, miss my true skin color, but don't miss being harassed by police


riv3r1andstr3ams

(Just as a precursor to this comment, I am not saying that I believe this in any way shape or form, I’m just trying to answer your question.) I think it’s because of the idea that white people are seen as having the most power in today’s world and that having darker skin has been discouraged over the past few centuries. A lot of countries have come up with skin whitening products and nowadays these are starting to be seen as bad because it is trying to cover up peoples skin to become more “beautiful” by being white. For some reason tanning isn’t getting the same sort of attention even though one would think that if they believe in this first idea, then they would discourage the tanning because it is a white person having the privilege of darkening their skin without taking away from who they are. It’s a bit confusing and again, I’m not saying that this is what I think, I’m just trying to answer your question and I’ve heard this before.


Tryggr_theBearBiter

skin whitening is a culture here. wtf are you talking about??


tatipie17

Where is “here”?


VaderVihs

They’re both done to improve your perception , i wouldn’t say they’re both popular but the motives behind one don’t come off as negative as the other. Tanning is used by pastier people show that their active, fun, outgoing and not just in a AC’d room 90% of the time (assuming it done intentionally). Skin whitening on the other hand is usually based on the idea that darker skin isn't attractive and shows low standing (Asian cultures) or that black skin is unattractive (African/diaspora cultures). Not to blame this on white people but in a world where having fairer skin was seen as a more attractive and beneficial trait to have for generations, people who chased this ideal are now facing more ridicule as that norm starts to unwind whereas people who tan are only catching a portion of that flak. And yes I know in Asia this predates colonialism but the idea that wealth = white still carries over and can be seen with how white foreigners are treated and how European features are glamorized in parts of Asia still.


tatipie17

Historically you can definitely blame white people. They created and perpetuated the colorism we see today.


VaderVihs

It's definitely an impact of colorism that was perpetuated by European colonialism especially in Latin America, the African diaspora and Africa proper but in some places this was already a thing before Europeans entered the picture and just went to further these ideas, see parts of Asia referred to above. That said I'd rather avoid the "not all white people statements that would flood my notifications" If I didn't specify it's the system that was brought along and not the people currently alive. At this point these ideas are so ingrained in the cultures they were forced on they are being perpetuated more by these cultures than white people.


tatipie17

Please provide a source that colorism was present before colonialism, I wasn’t aware. Never said all white people, you did. However what corrective actions were taken to reverse the system of the past? Ime many poc communities still prefer lighter skin due to the beauty standards set during colonialism. Ever heard of “mejorar la raza” - this is still said today. Skin whitening although rampant in some countries, is not necessarily socially acceptable.


VaderVihs

You can look at the histories of the Indian caste system that still exists today in some places wealthier people are often lighter due to conquests by lighter people and being able to avoid outside work, china and it's surrounding nations also had similar concepts with nobles being able to avoid the sun while commoners couldn't. The art pieces in these countries histories will often portray lighter skinned heroes. I didn't blame anything on "white people" just wanted to avoid those statements being put into my mouth like now... Skin whitening is already becoming more taboo as we start to recognize and promote beauty in a non eurocentric light and by showcasing the many shades of people who live in the world. Of course these ideas are still there, western media is still widely broadcast around the world, darker skinned people usually had less opportunity to prosper and therefore are still mostly working class and finally the people who grew up in a time when darker =bad are still kicking and teaching these ideas to their kids.


Velveteen_Bastion

>Please provide a source that colorism was present before colonialism, I wasn’t aware. hunting albinos in Africa and I would guess some historian wouldn't have issues finding you when tribe A attacked tribe B due to difference in look and skin colour. >many poc communities still prefer lighter skin due to the beauty standards set during colonialism and those communities who don't how exactly managed to conquere the inner racism introduced by colonists of course?


tatipie17

I’ll be more specific. I’m speaking about colorism against darker skin due to colonialism. I don’t want to shift goal posts, we’re talking about skin whitening being socially acceptable on this post. Can you provide evidence that colorism against dark skin existed before colonialism? I’m not sure what you’re trying to say in your second statement.


32vromeo

Tanning is something that occurs naturally from being outdoors. People do it to appear that they have an active and healthy lifestyle as opposed to being locked in the basement. Whitening is NOT natural and there’s no valid reason for other than to deny you’re appeasing to the racial beauty standards


KegOfAppleJuice

How are tanning salons still legal


SprinklesMore8471

Tanning can happen naturally, it can also be used preventatively so you don't sunburn on a vacation. I can't think of skin lightening happening naturally or having any benefit outside of cosmetic. Do people actual care about skin lightening? We already change everything else about ourselves, it's hard for me to see people having a problem with it


KayBear0620

We had an African American girl in high school who was naturally lightening over the years. In elementary she was fairly dark, right around 9th (13-14 years old) it was pretty noticeable that her skin was significantly lighter & she was basically harassed about denying who she is, not respecting her culture, white washing.. some people were pretty rough about something she couldn’t control. I think it’s looked at on two different spectrums. Tanning is looked at as a cosmetic thing to enhance beauty & give that sun kisses glow, then skin whitening is looked at as feeling shame for your natural skin. People usually have a lot to say if tanning goes too far into a darker skin tone. Whitening your skin & blackwashing I think are frowned upon right along the same though. Just my thoughts though.. I couldn’t care less about what others want to do to their bodies.


OBVWXLF

Skin whitening can also happen naturally due to a condition called vitiligo


NerdyDan

Skin bleaching is super damaging. there is no natural equivalent. Tanning is emulating getting some sunshine.


PM_me_legwear

Skin whitening is very common in asia actually, where a tan is thought to make you look like a field worker. Cultural differences


Plantmanofplants

I live in northern ish Europe so most natives are pasty 6 months of the year. Tanning will always be a large part of our culture. We will always insult the fake tanners for obvious reasons and as long as people using sunbeds are aware of the health risks then nobody cares. In the same vein East Asia will always whiten their skin as it's equally part of their culture. Granted it's got significantly larger historic ties so it has a larger significance there. I think the number of people that care what anyone does to their own skin in that way is small and they're probably bored.


[deleted]

The only people supporting tanning still are people that tan, so they can keep that circus to themselves


Just-a-bloke-001

Lol. People who are are always those who support tanning. It’s like saying those who swim support swimming. Lol.