The Tea with Tina
The Tea with Tina is going to be your new favorite weekly chit-chat that will feel like a good, juicy sit-down with your BFF. This podcast isn't your average (and boring) radio talk show-styled podcast. We dig deep, get personal, and have lots of fun along the way. Hear some relatable stories and a different perspective on various topics from health and fitness to pop culture. I am Tina Wieland, a certified fitness trainer and nutrition coach. Grab your caffeinated drink of choice, get comfortable, and be ready to hear the TEA.
The Tea with Tina
231 | The Tanning Bed Resurgence: Unpacking Trends, Risks, and Cultural Influences
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Have you ever caught yourself questioning why the tanning bed trend is making a comeback among Gen Z? In this episode of Tea with Tina, I explore this surprising resurgence and draw parallels to past risky behaviors like smoking. As someone positioned between Gen Z and millennials, I offer a unique perspective on how both generations influence lifestyle choices and delve into the complex relationship between skincare, UV exposure, and cultural trends. During a period marked by personal challenges, including illness and a family emergency, I reflect on how these experiences have affected my daily routines and insights on maintaining health-conscious habits. Join me as I share my journey back to normalcy, emphasizing the importance of real, relatable conversations about such trends.
With a critical eye on societal influences, I tackle the dangers of tanning beds, discussing the associated cancer risks and the legislative bans in place to curb their usage. We explore safer alternatives like red light therapy and spray tans, while debunking myths like the "base tan" theory. The episode also shines a light on the impact of influencers like Nara Smith and controversial figures like Gwyneth Paltrow, who shape perceptions of beauty and health. Listeners are encouraged to think critically about these influences and consider the importance of comprehensive sunscreen use. By sharing personal anecdotes and observations, I aim to educate and inspire a more informed discussion on maintaining healthy skin practices in the face of prevailing cultural trends.
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Welcome to the Tea with Tina, your favorite podcast, where we talk all things health, fitness, lifestyle and maybe a little bit of tea gets spilled.
Speaker 2:We chat all about this in a super casual environment, so grab your beverage of choice, sit back, relax and enjoy back, relax and enjoy.
Speaker 2:Hey friends, welcome back to another episode of the Tea with Tina podcast. On today's episode we're going to be chatting about a trend that is coming back around and it's quite alarming, with Gen Z. It's kind of funny to say this because I remember when millennials were the blame for everything and we still kind of funny to say this because I remember when millennials were the blame for everything and we still kind of are the blame for everything, uh. But now it's like the pressure is getting put on gen z, which is nice. I think it's just a media thing, like trends come and go right, especially as we're younger and we're becoming adults. We adapt into these trends that maybe we haven't lived through. Uh, like Gen Z didn't get to experience that, like Britney phase and I will say I personally am a borderline Gen Z millennial. I'm like on that cutoff point, so I get to kind of experience the best of both worlds. But my sister and brother were actually older than me. You know, my sister is 10 years older than me, my brother's 13 years older, older than me, and I think I got exposed maybe more to the older generation. My husband is a year and a half older than me. So I feel like I tend to lean towards that. But there's definitely some things with the newer generation that I try to stay hip and with it. But yeah, this trend that is coming back around is tanning beds. How crazy is that? Right? It's almost like if smoking were to come back as a trend, which maybe it will, who knows. It's kind of crazy, right to think about.
Speaker 2:But yeah, before we dive into that too, just a little personal update. I sort of fell off the face of the earth for about two weeks. Sort of fell off the face of the earth for about two weeks. It was pretty crazy. My work schedule got extremely busy and unfortunately these podcasts tend to take the back burner because it's not a main driver of my business. It's just something that I do for fun for you guys, to kind of chit chat with you and bring value. So that's been going on.
Speaker 2:But also I got really sick, me and my husband got really sick. I don't know what it was like a nasty flu Because there has been something going around. The kids are going back to school, you know, there's just sickness floating around with the changing of the seasons and I was mad because it was in my prime fall time. It was beautiful fall, sunny, slightly warm weather. So, yeah, that really upset me.
Speaker 2:When I was out and honestly, I'm on day 11, I believe, as of today, because I got sick last Saturday and you know I still have some congestion, which is crazy to me I feel 100% better but like I really got knocked down with like a flu, body aches, fatigue, sleeping headaches, like the works of everything you could think of. And then and then when I was feeling better, I got all this congestion and I was trying every remedy in the book to clear it up and the best way I could describe it is like I would wake up and we get 10, 10% better and I'm like, okay, I see improvement, but it's still here, um, so it was kind of nagging and the worst part for me is you guys can probably relate I don't know how to describe it but it's like you have that sick feeling, like I'm not tired, I don't have a headache, like I don't feel worn down, but as far as like nasal congestion, it has that sick feeling to it, like I've had like a runniness before or congestion, and it's like allergy related, right, and it doesn't really feel like anything. This feels like sick congestion when I wake up. You know you feel a little sick.
Speaker 2:Things taste a little sick. Things don't quite taste a hundred percent and no, I didn't lose my like taste or smell. Um, like COVID it was more so. Like I, I'm have a muted sense of taste and smell because of my sinus congestion. So I mean I've been doing it all warm drinks, uh, gargling, salt water, hydrogen peroxide. I even swished in my mouth a little bit to try to kill bacteria. I sniffeded Vicks Vapor Rub. That actually helped a little bit. I've been doing facial massage and lymphatic drainage to try to clear my sinuses, like I took Dayquil when it was really bad. I've been doing the works.
Speaker 2:So, we're trying to survive here. We're getting better and better each day. On top of that, at the height of my sickness, I had a personal family emergency happen, which I don't want to get too much into detail with that, but it ended up working out and things are stable now. But that was just another thing on top of it all and I've been spending pretty much last week into this week playing catch up with everything and moving forward in this busy season, um, trying to enjoy fall and try to like feel somewhat normal, because I will tell you I have not felt normal. Uh, this is probably the most normal I've felt in quite a while. Even my eating has been off, like I haven't been as hungry. I haven't been really working out. I went for a walk yesterday, um, so yeah, it's been an interesting experience. But anyways, let's go back to the podcast. I just like to keep you guys updated in real time with my life. Hopefully, maybe you can relate a little bit to that. Just keep it real. But, um, yeah, this trend of tanning beds. I also want to say that in addition to the tanning bed trend, there's definitely Been other trends that come around.
Speaker 2:It's kind of funny to be old enough to see certain trends come back around. It's kind of like when we were kids and like you know, there's this cool new shirt or shoe and you're like, oh my god, I love it, and your parents are like, yeah, we used to wear those in high school. You know, it's weird. Like the clogs, I don don't. I know they have a certain brand name, but those like suede kind of slip-on clogs are trendy again. I remember them being so ugly but like fifth, sixth grade for me, I bought them anyway because like they were the cool thing. I got like a cheap version. It wasn't like the name brand expensive version.
Speaker 2:Uggs are coming back around. I personally was never an Ugg fan. Um, like I have like the, the fur boots, cause I just think they're comfy and easy to put on, but I always thought Uggs were kind of pricey, uh, for what you get. So I have not invested in those and probably don't plan on doing that. Uh, the flare, you know yoga pants are coming back with the roll down band, various things like that.
Speaker 2:But also in dieting, which is kind of scary and this can kind of relate to the tanning beds is the very thin look, and I actually did a podcast on this way back when these trends were starting to come back, kind of the Y2K poppy trend. We have, like the Paris Hilton, britney Spears era, that thin body look, especially with Ozempic coming into the realm. It's just a trend now and your body should not be a trend. It's amazing to see Like the Kardashians are a great example Jessica Simpson, christina Aguilera it's amazing to see how they were curvy and thicker and they truly manipulated their bodies. Like Kim K removed her butt implants um, I don't know if she got a breast reduction or not, but like she literally changed her body through surgery within like 10 years to curvy, to like this long, long and and lean look because it's a trend and I get it like from a branding perspective. But for those looking in, it's kind of it's wild right to just manipulate your body like that, because some people's bodies aren't really built to be like that. Like some people are just naturally like lean. Some people are naturally a little bit stockier, might be short and stumpy. Some people are long and lean. It just lean. Some people are naturally a little bit stockier, might be short and stumpy, some people are long and lean. It just depends. Some people might hold a little bit more fat. So it's weird to me to see that kind of come back in. And actually a lot of the dieting trends around this have kind of come back as well. I've noticed like there's more of an emphasis on the fat free. Some of the early 2000s kind of dieting trends with like shakes, like drinking all shakes, eating really low calorie. That's kind of always floated around. But you know we're going back to Pilates again with the emphasis of long and lean muscles.
Speaker 2:Strength training had its heyday. I always think strength training is going to be very foundational, but it was super trendy, like I'd say, when I was really in the middle of coming up as a personal trainer, which I enjoyed because that's what I fell in love with. And it's weird now I don't know if it's just like a change of life for me, like to go in phases, but like I do still love strength training but I don't find myself going towards it as often. I kind of do a mixture of everything. Now, like I literally would strictly strength train, I was obsessed with it, looking on Instagram all the time for different lifting ideas. I'd get so excited and I don't know, my Hashimoto's journey probably contributed to this as well, but I feel like I'm sort of finding my way.
Speaker 2:I'm taking my group circuit classes that I teach, I do it with my class, so it's kind of like a strength circuit combination. I'll do abs, I'll do yoga, I walk, but yeah, these days I haven't found myself under a barbell, which it kind of makes me sad, but I'm not trying to force it and just know that it's okay, you know, to go through phases like that If you're feeling something similar. I know a lot of people I've talked to have felt very similar to that, like they kind of got out of it, and maybe I was someone who fell with the trend. But I will say that strength training is still, regardless, very important. Many ways that you can get strength training. You know you don't have to do a traditional barbell squat and deadlift and look like a bodybuilder or a powerlifter. If you're using weighted resistance and doing sets and reps and training that way, that's perfectly fine, okay.
Speaker 2:But yeah, so lots of crazy Gen Z trends with the idea of being lean again going back to Paris Hilton, things like that, and now we have this tanning bed trend. Um, I have an article here from women's health. That's what kind of sparked this episode, uh, but it says Gen Z has increasingly been sharing their love for, and misinformation about, artificial tans online, bringing the controversial technology back to the mainstream as of 2023. There are nearly 22,000 tanning salons in operation in the US, over 6,000 more than during the tanning bed heyday of the late 2000s. This trend is confounding, especially considering Gen Z's noted concern with skincare and aging. This is super true.
Speaker 2:I feel like Gen Z is going to be known for being kind of conflicted. It's like they have the best intentions, but almost like they're I don't want to say they don't practice what they preach, but it's like they're very adamant about, um, bettering the world and, like you know, equal opportunity, and they're very strict with that. But at the same time, if people were to critique them and come at them, they're they receive the criticism. What's the best word I'm looking for? They're. They're sensitive, I guess is the best way to describe. They're very sensitive to receiving criticism. Um, so it's kind of like controversial, I guess. Right, um, and same thing with the skincare and aging. They were so all about really good skincare, getting all of these fancy skincare routines, cause not many generations before us did that, like, not many of them drank enough water. You know it'd just be like a cream when you're older, like in your forties and fifties, but nobody really took a big focus on skincare. Um, they're not taking care of their skin, despite having a 15 step skincare regimen is one of the quotes from a dermatologist, and it's true.
Speaker 2:I remember my husband's little sister. She's uh, she just turned 16, but this was even a couple years ago, when she was like 12 or 13. She had more skincare products than me. She literally was doing she doesn't wear makeup either and she was doing like the micellar water. She had all these lotions lined up. I was like, what is this girl doing? And we were on vacation. I was like that's a lot of work, right?
Speaker 2:So, yeah, now with the tanning beds, though, there's actually a lot of hard science that shows that they're not safe, which is kind of why I feel like usage declined for a little bit In the 2010s. Actually, it declined by nearly 30%. All ultraviolet wavelengths from the sun and artificially produced in tanning beds as group one carcinogens, putting them on a list with the like of asbestos, plutonium and tobacco. Since then, brazil banned tanning beds altogether, joining iran, which has banned them. A year earlier, in 2008, australia banned tanning salons yes, because their cancer rates are very high over there just from the sun, and in the US, 44 states have restrictions on tanning bed use by minors. Yes, and I know from just working in gyms with tanning beds the training we've gotten. We are required to take a test.
Speaker 2:You have to alert the people who are tanning, like you know, if this is your first time, you should recommend them different time lengths and different levels, because there's different levels of intensity. I will tell you, though, the people who are tanning addicts don't care. They'll like hop from salon to salon to kind of break the rules. It's pretty crazy. Now, aside from tanning beds, though, there are some other like options that have better health benefits, things like red light therapy and spray tans. Now, I know, in the 2010s, that was something that was really trendy.
Speaker 2:I personally don't like spray tans because I think it's too much work Like I've never been to a salon that does a spray tan, but trying to manually put one on at home. You have to be exfoliated. You put this lotion on. I tried so many different ones and it's just it was too much work. You got to wonder if it's going to get on your sheets and I was like I don't care about being tanned that much, but some people I get it's important to them, um, so they use these products, which I think it's great. You know, it's a healthier alternative. It just takes a little bit more work. Um, upfront, I've also had my experience with tanning beds, where I've gotten burnt. It smells so good. But I went through my trend of that as well in high school, mainly to get tanned for like prom, and I regret that I did it. I don't really see any benefit.
Speaker 2:Like, there was the rumors going around that you can build up a base layer if you tan in a tanning bed before going on vacation so you won't burn. Um, you know there's all all this stuff, but I also think it kind of gets taken to an extreme too, because then we have this other extreme that's saying uv is the enemy. You know, avoid the sun. And they want you to wear sunscreen, like every day, even when it's not cloudy. That's something a lot of influencers preach wear your sunscreen every day. You know, I wear it every day and for me, I think it's finding a balance in the middle, as always, right?
Speaker 2:Um, if you're more sensitive skin, yes, maybe you should be more mindful. But if we block um the sun's rays too much, we're gonna inhibit our absorption of vitamin d and some vitamin d like. They say about 10 to 15 minutes of sunlight is healthy for us. But if you're gonna be outside an amusement park all day and the UV index is nine, yes, please wear sunscreen. But if you're going for like a walk or you're just gonna be outside for a little bit, walking to your car from the store or something you know, you don't need to apply sunscreen. Okay, At least I don't think so. You know everybody to each their own, but I think there are some health benefits in small doses. Too much of anything is obviously bad.
Speaker 2:Now, something alarming, though, is that it says doctors are already seeing the results in real time of this UV exposure. Dr Rogers removed skin cancer, which can look like a mole, an abnormal patch of skin or a growth bump or sore, from someone under 40 every week to her. The surveys findings show there's a lot more education that needs to happen. They said gen z received d grade or lower for correct responses on UV safety knowledge and half of older adults got a B or above. So, and 28% of Gen Z respondents told this survey company that getting a tan was more important to them than protecting themselves against skin cancer. That's really interesting.
Speaker 2:I really want to know, like, where this stemmed from. I wonder if it's like an influencer thing. Um, if there's any celebrities that are like really tan and they're just trying to, or maybe they're watching like media from the thousands, like does any, I'll tell you. If anybody wants to get scared, just go back and watch um Final Destination 3, the tanning bed scene, and you don't have to worry about wanting to tan ever again. That will scar you. Um. Final destination series has has scarred many of us for for many different real life situations, but, uh, that one it was very stereotypical.
Speaker 2:You have the girls in the track suit like the juicy couture track suits, which are also back in fashion, the low rise pants and they look tan and they kind of have that y2k. Look about them and they love tanning and they look tan and they kind of have that Y2K. Look about them and they love tanning and they went in and they did the traditional thing and maybe that's what it is. It's more so like you have that nostalgia for something. It would almost be like our generations looking back at smoking like in the 50s. You know we're like, oh, it looks so cool. And you know even different things from the 50s that looked cool in theory but if you were there, like it was, it wasn't all roses, it was like a rose tinted glass as you were looking through for those things. And I feel like that's probably what's going on here as well.
Speaker 2:Another thing I've seen which I don't know individually person to person, like one of my friends tans for their psoriasis and they are doctor monitored but they say that they tan because it's actually better for them, for their skin. So there are certain instances where in small doses it could help their skin and you know their doctor just monitors their moles closely and you know if there's any changes they'll try to catch it early, which I think there's been a lot of development in that in recent years. But if you're just blindly going in to be tan and you don't know the risks and you're not looking for moles or changes, that could be scary and apparently there's a lot of misinformation going around and that's something else Because you do have to be cautious. Truly, unless you're an expert, everything's an opinion piece. Even this podcast is an opinion piece. You know, everybody and their mother creates a podcast, a youtube, social media, and they spew their information and they present it like they're an expert. Nobody really fact checks or thinks that much into it. They kind of just take it for face value because it's like, oh, it's like we've been trained. If we see somebody on TV or in media, they must know what they're talking about, right? Because I mean, with TV and things, there used to be a higher barrier to entry, even radio, like you had to go through certain hoops to do stuff. Now you can just pick up your phone, you know, and you could really make things look very professional and you can just be an everyday person, right? So you know some of the things.
Speaker 2:Here is that Kristen Cavallari's segment on a now deleted podcast episode. She talks about why you don't need to wear sunscreen. I've seen this. I've seen the extreme health people that say, like, sunscreen is toxic, sunscreen is bad for you and, like I said, I'm not saying to not wear sunscreen. When I made that statement, I was literally saying that, like you know, don't go on one end of the spectrum or the other If you've had skin cancer or you're at high risk and you really feel the need to cover up all the time. Yes, that is your choice, whatever you feel comfortable with. But for the average person, like you know, don't feel bad to get some light sun exposure. That could be good, but obviously wear sunscreen in situations where you need it. These people are saying to not wear sunscreen altogether because it's terrible for you and the sun is great and you're not going to get skin cancer, which that's a whole other extreme. And then Tom Brady says that drinking more water protects him from the sun. That's crazy. I'm pretty sure drinking water would just hydrate your skin, so maybe you wouldn't get as much peeling or feel as dry. That's probably the only thing I could think of.
Speaker 2:Or maybe watch influencer Nara Smith make her own sunscreen. I believe Nara Smith is, uh, that girl who, like, is one of those uh, stay at home moms I forget the trend for it. There's a name for um, those girls and, like. I don't know if I've talked about her before, but I watched a YouTube video about these types of stay-at-home wives. You know, they kind of go back to the traditional 1950s stay-at-home mom and they do everything from scratch. Nothing wrong with them playing a role, because that's what they're doing. They're kind of playing this character. It's when people get misinformed or feel bad about themselves because Nara has the ingredients to make her own sunscreen at home and they think that when they have three kids and they're working two jobs, they need to mimic that. And they're like less than because they can't live up to what she's doing, like it's her job, everything's staged, everything's planned out. Um, even if she does it in real life, there's still like a production process for these things, right?
Speaker 2:Or gwynethwyneth Paltrow? Oh boy, she has some very extreme health views. In her Vogue Beauty Secrets review, she advises applying sun protection to only certain parts of your face. I don't understand what that's all about. Like, does she want like a rosy nose with freckles or something which is sun damage? I don't know. But yeah, I agree, I apply sunscreen to my ears and stuff too, because I noticed I got like a freckle there and I was like, oh yeah, like that's probably a good idea to apply sunscreen to that and, of course, wearing a hat, because you can get moles on your scalp.
Speaker 2:I don't know if they have. I think they have like hair sunscreen, but I don't really know how it works. But I know I can tell you, anytime I'm going to the beach, anytime I'm going hiking or going out for a long day where I know I'm going to be in the sun, I literally have 100 SPF. That's just how I roll, you know, am I perfect with applying my sunscreen? No, but I do wear, especially if I'm like going to the beach or an amusement park or something where I'm standing outside all day.
Speaker 2:Okay, and this one, probably being the most influential, kim Kardashian, stated that I'm Kim Kardashian. Of course I have a tanning bed. So, again, someone like her, um, you know, oh, my god, she's tanning. I want to be like her. Now here's an interesting part of the article, going back to, uh, how I was saying, how some of my friends would tell me, like, oh, my doctor said it's okay to use a tanning bed because of psoriasis or, you know, oh, it'll help me with my vitamin D. So the reality is more complicated than many social media influencers know.
Speaker 2:Some forms of light therapy can help treat psoriasis, but doctors use special devices that are more targeted, meaning they use safer wavelengths like red light. I have been in a red light booth before and I know people who have used it and it does help. With certain instances they even have a cream that you can wear in the bed to help with its effects. Uv tools that docs, you still come with the risk of cancer down the line, which is why many patients opt for other forms of treatment first, like biological drugs and topicals. A person with psoriasis should never take it upon themselves to self-treat as a tanning salon, where the beds don't even use the right wavelength. Yeah, and that's something like recreation use versus medical use, right, which is narrow band UVB for their condition? Narrow band UVB for their condition. Tanning beds also won't give you the same vitamin D boost that a few hours in the sun will, because they emit only a small amount of UVB rays, which is the type of ultraviolet radiation responsible for vitamin D synthesis. So you know you're only mainly getting UVAs in a tanning bed. If you're looking for a dose of vitamin D, don't start at the salon. Instead, invest in some supplements and find diet tweaks that can up your dose.
Speaker 2:Okay, and at the end of the day, when it comes down to tanning you just it's not worth it. There's just so many other options. It's there's a culture created around it. It is like smoking, like there's no benefit to smoking. People just would use it to look cool. It's through advertising, it became a habit and I feel like that is the instance with tanning. There's a culture around it, even if you look at, like Jersey Shore, the Jersey Shore show, you know they were all about the tanning and JWoww came out with her lotion. I said I used it and you know Kim K and Paris Hilton and all these people were in on that trend and it became, like I said, a cultural thing. But the great news is there's plenty of healthy alternatives, like you can wear your sunscreen if you really want to be tan. There's fake bakes out there. Whether it's a lotion, a cream, a spray tan, you can still get tan without worrying about exposure from UVA, uvb rays. So just be smart about it.
Speaker 2:I wanted to kind of just chat about this Because I thought that was an interesting topic, that tanning beds are coming around. Maybe a lot of the information that we know about it it's getting buried through trends and stuff. So I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this. Feel free to shoot me a message. Below it's my fan mail. There is a link in the description for that. You can shoot me a message and I will respond back to it. But thank you for tuning in, guys, and I'll see you in the next one. Bye.
