There are people unable to live without sunbathing or UVA rays. They are the tanorexics, whose need to maintain a perfect tan endangers their physical and mental health.
The girls of the Japanese urban tribeGanguro, what does it meanblack faces, they walk through the Shibuya neighborhood of Tokyo wearing a transgressive dress, bleached hair and aexcessively tanned skin. They get their exhilarating body tone by sunbathing or by frequenting UVA booths. Some of them even simulate a tropical tan with a brown spray that stains their skin. According to a study carried out by Garnier Delial and the Association of European Leagues Against Cancer, two thirds of the Spanish population believe that excessive tanning is out of date, just the opposite of what ganguras consider the coolest. And it is that flirting bronze goes through neighborhoods.
Nonetheless,31% of Spaniards acknowledge that they sunbathe between 12 noon and 5 in the afternoon, the time slot with the highest sunshine. Other countries beat us recklessly. This is the case of Germany, whose inhabitants are the most exposed in the aforementioned time slot; Norway, where only 61% of the population uses sun protection, or Great Britain, which has about three million people who frequently visit UV salons.
And, although more and more people are taking the sun with caution, experts warn that in recent years there has been an alarming increase in the number of people obsessed with showing aexuberant tanand. His fixation onsunbathsit can even become unhealthy and cause for psychological distress. It is what is known astanorexia, a kind ofdysmorphobia-Chronic lack of acceptance of the body or facial image- which mainly affects women between 17 and 35 years old. These, despite being brown, always look pale and show an obsessive need to achieve a darker skin tone. The term tanorexia was coined by American dermatologists to describe a group of patients who came to their clinics withskin lesionscaused byultraviolet raysand that, despite this, they continued with the exhibitions. In the opinion of José Luis Carrasco, Professor of Psychiatry at the Complutense University and Coordinator of the Liaison Psychiatry Unit and the Personality Disorders Unit of the Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Madrid, “it is an exaggerated and irrational concern for having tanned skin to unsightly and even dangerous limits “. Failure to achieve a sufficiently dark tone generates anguish and feelings of guilt in tanorexics.
? They are never satisfied with their skin color and are anxious about missing a tanning session. If it’s cloudy one day, are they going to take UVA rays ?, explains Aurora Guerra, Head of the Dermatology Service section of the 12 de Octubre University Hospital in Madrid and author of the book Psychiatric Dermatology, from the mind to the skin.
Just as anorexics never look thin enough, tanorexics appear pale even when they aren’t. That is why they combine sunbathing on the beach or in the pool with UVA sessions in solariums throughout the year. Juan José Tamayo, specialist inActive Psychology, explains that “it is aPsychological trastorn, not a medical illness, although it is usually accompanied by skin lesions and other dermatological ailments. In addition, tanorexia is often associated withmajor depressive disorder, thesocial phobia, theobsessive compulsive disorderor, in more severe cases, thedelusional disordersomatic type. In the latter, the affected person shows the absolute and incorrigible conviction that he has a much lighter skin tone than he really is “.
For some tanorexics, missing their dose of radiation can produce symptoms similar to those of drug withdrawal, according to data from a study published in 2006 by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (USA). The reason is clear: UVA rays from solariums trigger the production ofendorphins, brain chemicals that produce feelings of euphoria and relieve pain. “We had previously proven that UV light affects mood. Now we have shown that some of those who tan too much experience withdrawal symptoms when wellness chemicals are blocked,” study leader Mandeep Kaur said in a article published in theJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Although tanorexia affects both sexes and despite the fact that a characteristic psychological profile has not been described,? The reason for the prevalence in young women is probably found in sociocultural factors related to the beauty model that has prevailed in the West since the end of the 20th century. The prevailing canon emphasizes the value of thinness and small stature, body proportion and symmetry, and tanning of the skin, and identifies them with physical health and social success. Although at first women were the main recipients of this beauty prototype, in recent years it has also spread to men ?, explains Tamayo. Hence, more and more men interested in basking in the sun are counted.
Those who suffer from tanorexia do not recognize that they have a disorder, so they do not visit the dermatologist or the psychologist for this reason. “Generally, they go to the first for alterations in the skin caused by exposure to the sun, such as spots, wrinkles or changes in the size or shape of the moles,” says Guerra.
In addition to causing apremature skin aging, uncontrolled tanning has cumulative effects and fatal consequences. In the last twenty years, the number of melanomas in Spain has multiplied by ten and, according to a study by the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, six out of ten Spaniards do not know what their phototype is – the ability of the skin to absorb sunlight-. Therefore, they do not use adequate protection, one of the fundamental risk factors for the appearance of melanomas. “At an early age there is little incidence of skin cancer. This appears especially from the age of 50,” warns Guerra. To prevent an increase in skin cancer in the United States, the American Medical Association has recommended a ban on the use of UVA lamps. In Spain, the Spanish Society of Dermatology also advises avoiding its use, in addition to controlling sun exposure, not taking it between 12 and 17 hours and using an adequate protection factor for each skin type. It also does not hurt to go to the dermatologist at least once a year, to explore the skin and rule out the presence of lesions. It should not be forgotten that, when skin cancer is detected in the early stages, the probability of cure is around 90%.
And we must bear in mind that the sun, taken in moderation, has positive effects on our body. Among them the production ofserotonin, a neurotransmitter in the nervous system that produces a feeling of well-being and relaxation. In addition, it stimulates the production ofvitamin D, basic to maintain healthy bones; help tosleep betterYstrengthens the immune system. But despite all its benefits, experts insist that in a country like Spain, where there are many hours of daylight, it is not necessary to expose yourself directly and continuously to obtain these benefits. ? It has been shown that the sun improves our mood and the evolution of some dermatological diseases, such as psoriasis, but taking it five minutes a week on any part of the body, such as the face, is enough to stimulate the production of vitamin D? says Guerra. To avoid taking unnecessary risks, you must always apply adequate protection to the skin’s phototype and follow certain guidelines before and after exposure. Ricardo Ortigosa, from the Nivea Sun marketing team, explains that “it is advisable to apply sunscreen before leaving home, even if we use products that offer immediate protection. It is also advisable to apply it again every time we get wet and towel dry. “. To combat dry skin, you always have to nourish it generously afterwards. “It is advisable to use a lotion that ensures that the skin recovers its normal level ofhydration, so that it is not tight and dry. After-sun lotions, with ingredients like aloe vera or avocado oil, soothe and refresh while intensely hydrating. This ensures a longer tan. “
When sunbathing becomes an obsession and, therefore, affects self-esteem and interferes with social, work or personal functioning, it is necessary to go to a specialist and combine psychological therapy with dermatological treatment. In some cases, drugs are also used. “The psychological intervention involves restricting the behaviors of exposure to ultraviolet rays, correcting the distortion in body perception and questioning the importance of physical appearance in personal assessment. The frequency of therapy sessions depends on the characteristics and severity of the problem , although it is usually weekly, and can be reduced as the patient improves, “concludes Tamayo.
