Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences
First, humans (like plants) need exposure to the sun in order to live and grow. Sunlight is our primary source of Vitamin D, without which we would suffer several health problems. Light skin is a human adaptation to allow more sunlight and Vitamin D absorpion in climates with less available light. Going out into the sun and tanning provides people with needed Vitamin D – one of the reasons that light-skinned people feel and look healthier when tanned. When people from a warm, sunny climate move to more northern climates, they can become ill from the lack of sunshine they are used to – which is why our milk is now fortified with vitamins A & D.
In addition, a year-round tan provides more ultraviolet protection than pale skin, and staying tan is actually healthy – whereas staying pale and getting burned (even once or twice) can lead to skin cancer. That ‘healthy glow’ is actually much safer than not tanning at all.
Finally, there is a sociological/historical basis for tanning. In the past, pale skin was a status symbol because it indicated a life of leisure – no sweating and burning in the hot sun like a common laborer. Only rich people could afford to stay out of the sun’s burning rays, while those who had to work in fields, etc., were dark. In contemporary times, the reverse became true. Tanning became a status symbol when the workforce moved inside. Because so many people spend their days inside offices and buildings, they tend to be more pale. In contrast, people with tans were perceived as having a more leisurely life. Only people who didn’t have to work all day could lie around in the sun or take vacations to sunny getaways. Today, however, anyone can get a tan anytime.