is pale bad?

Answer 1

It depends I guess. But in England, where I live, pale means that you cannot afford to go to a tanning booth, or go on vacations to exotic places. It's kind of a "lower- lower-working class" mark.
Over here, a lot of dark skinned East African (Ethiopian, Somalian, Sudanese) models are popular, so are the bronzed Brazilians, and very tanned Swedes. Kate Moss is still a favorite, but she is not walking around looking like a bloody piece of chalk.
Sure, three hundred years ago, women who were unnaturally white were attractive, but this is 2006. Why are we talking about pre-industrial revolution times? Have we nothing to cling to except the past?
And who ever mentioned that pale means you won't age has never visited a dermatologist. A person with very pale skin, upon going outside, will have DNA mutations due UV light exposure, thus causing premature aging. Scientifically speaking, dark skin ages better than pale skin because it retains moisture better underneath the epidermis, holds fast to collagen, and does not get damages by the sun. That is why on average, people of African or Asian ancestry look about 15 to 20 years younger than their fair skinned counterparts.
This having been mentioned, if you do wear sunscreen, your skin will look about 5 years younger. But you should probably wear some bronzer or blush to liven yourself up.
I can't fathom why Americans are trying to pass this fish bellied look off as pretty. And mind you, it's not all Americans but only a small minority, a very small minority. Probably the same people who walk around bare foot in public bathrooms, drink Big Gulps, and fight on Jerry Springer.

And one more thing. I am not going to name names. But i can spot a fake posing as a Brit when I read these comments. Cause no one but an Anglophile would put paleness up on such a pedistal, especially when us Brits tease other fish bellies( even if they are our best mates and cousins). I admit, my friends are flattered that we are being elevated. Yet laughing at the same time. ha haha ha

Cheerio!

Hey Cadence. When did you find my webpage, it's on the BBc and what might I ask were you doing over there? And my eyes aren't "ice colored". They are just very light blue. Sorry to be a grouch but I can't take compliments too well. Please don't start a fan club. And don't paste my picture everywhere.

Answer 2

Well I agree with Kyle.

I studied abroad in London over the summer. And all of the "in" crowd either tanned or had some sort of fake tanner on. No one there looked like a ghost. But this is a big city, area I guess, so maybe Kyle was talking about the city dwellers (not people in the boonies).
And yes, I saw alot of black, Brazilian, and Swedish models on advertisements. And yes, I do think all of them were pretty.
Maybe some people want to go back in time to the petticoat days because they aren't considered beautiful by nowadays standards. I'm not a historian, but if all you had to do was be pale to be pretty, well then, anyone (as long as you were 100% western European) could be pretty. If pale was the standard of beauty then I bet albinos were the prettiest.
Too bad for us girls blessed with gorgeous pigmentation, long tropical legs, dark hair and great lips. Too bad we are gonna have to age slower because our eumelanin serves as an antioxidant. Too bad over 98% of the world is not the color of marshmallow fluff. I guess.

Answer 3

Kyle above is so wrong, it is unbelievable. Firstly I'm from Britain, I don't use tanning booths or go to hot countries, because I don't like to tan. Tanning causes premature ageing and skin cancer. If people think I'm poor because I don't have a tan, well then they can visit my 5 bedroom detached house and use my indoor pool!

Pale skin is healthy, if you don't try to tan it. If you have naturally tanned skin, this is also healthy. What is not healthy is is trying to tan pale skin and it never will be. This is what ultimately causes DNA mutations, skin cancers and sun damage. Pale skin that has very little melanin, does not tan well and usually burns. So it does need a lot more protection than darker skins, however if you protect it well, you can have healthy skin for life. Take care : )

Answer 4

I am extremely pale, and it's taken me a long time to accept it... In fact, I'm not all the way there yet... ;) Years of programming/conditioning by the media, etc. have taught people (subconsciously) to find tanned/dark skin more attractive - even though that may not be their instinctual opinion.

It's hard to buck the majority, but the only way to change collective opinion is one person at a time - and that means avoiding the urge to fit in with the tanned look.

The thing that bothers me most is my white legs - seems to be the thing people pick on the most. Legs tend to be whiter than the rest of us because they don't get as much exposure. I will use a little self-tanner or airbrush make-up on my legs from time to time.

The bonus of having to avoid the sun is that people say I look about 10 years younger than I really am! It may be hard to see it now, but you will likely be thankful later on. Cheers :)

Answer 5

Kyle needs to be hit by a bus like every other prejudice freak. Why can't people just accept others for how they were born?

No being pale doesn't mean you won't get wrinkles, however you will probably get less than those who tan. Being NATURALLY darker skinned is NOT the same as a person who tans. What will prevent premature aging is not tanning and using sunscreen (and a natural one because chemicals will age you as well) when outside.

Just accept yourself and others for how you were made. How Kyle is acting is almost like being racist. It's....'skinist'.

Take the lame dog out back with the shot gun.

Answer 6

NO! I get picked on all the time from my family because I am so pale. Everyone in my family tans. They look older than they are. I am almost 30 and hae been told that I look 21. I would rather be younger looking and pale than old and dark. P.S. My husband loves my white legs!

Answer 7

Why are people getting angry and violent over Kyle. He can say what he wants, afterall, aren't some people trying to say that pale skin is better than darker skin?
We all came here to give our opinions, and that's just it.
And why would any one make a joke about shooting a lame dog?
That is animal cruelty, and vile.

As for me, I feel that people can like whatever skin tone they want. It does not bother me. But personally, I would not want to be chalky.
And my doctor has actually told me that building up a gradual tan protects your skin from the sun. And the sun is a gift from God, it makes crops grow, illuminates the world, and is beautiful.

Why should I run around shielding myself every second like a vampire or something? Why can't I enjoy myself just because a few people can't go outside and want to ruin it for all of us who can get golden tans, and NOT look leathery when we get old. (Example, my grandma was the outdoors type, and she is pure Swedish and aged beautifully.)

Answer 8

I have been told that I am so pale that I'm opaque. I used to care when I was younger, so I did the tanning bed thing. Then I decided that I didn't want to age any faster so I stopped. And, I had new ink. Tanning beds and direct sun fade tattoos. My tattoos cost a bit of money, and I didn't want to have to pay to have them touched up. I have come to enjoy being pale. I take better care of my skin now. I.E. moisturizing, using good soap, using sun block!

Answer 9

I can answer your question. There are pretty skin tones all over the world. But I definitely like any thing in the light brown ( tan, golden brown), med brown (copper, bronze, cinnamon), and really dark chocolate family. Anyone who's read my questions knows that i got melanin shots. So no, I don't think pale is all that pretty. (But we all have our opinions and can like whatever we like.) But in my opinion, pale makes you look about 15 to 20 lbs bigger than what you are. I know this because I had to go down to 111 lbs. at 5'7 to look lean, and I am hour glass shaped. Now I look very lean at 130lbs. and visually look much smaller. Pale also makes blue veins show up, and makes make up look ridiculous when you wear red lipstick. All that being said. I think Kyle is being a little bit harsh but I feel that he is right. And Deedee, I think you are a bit dramatic. But these posters do try to make it seem like melanin is bad. But whatever gimme my answer points.
************Huh %#?
I have something else to add. What is up with these dumb women saying that they don't get asked cuz they in their culture they are considered too light or too dark. Why do these ignorant men get to set the standard on how each individual woman/ girl should look. People can like what they like, because I still prefer to have color. BUT I bet these guys in these places (in needy 3rd world countries, small towns, hicksville or whatever) are not an image of perfection themselves. Alot of men that try to enforce beauty standards don't look like bronzed hearthrob Jude Law, Craig David, Stewart Townsend, or Orlando Bloom.

Why do ugly men (not you Kyle cuz I saw your webpage by accident , can some one say Sexiness on legs! Love those ice colored eyes and tossled hair!!!! I might even start my own Kyle fan club. O.k. now I'm starting to flirt and feel embarassed.) get to pick who they wanna ask out based on skin tone alone? They need to get a hold of some Proactive, dental floss, and do some sit ups, and call it a day.

LOL.

Answer 10

If you are healthy, and pale is just genetic and lack of sun tan, then pale is great!
Think of it this way- your skin is aged by the sun.... pale means young- for a long long time.