Why do you whites like to get suntan?

Question

I am Pakistani origin and I have naturally tanned skin, I do not understand why people would want tanned skin, its so dangerous and can cause skin cancer and it makes you age terrible. It is not a racist question, it is a correct observation, my friends tell me they want my skin tone which I find hilarious since in my culture pale skin is considered gorgeous

Answer 1

The fact is...brown skin is more attractive.

Answer 2

I don't, I think it looks weird when people go overboard on the tanning, it just doesn't look natural for a bleach blond to have super-tanned skin. You do have a beautiful skin tone, but it's natural so it looks great. You would be hard-pressed to find someone paler then me, I have very fair blue-ish under-toned skin and I can't tan, I burn. But if you want a real answer, what Rachel_S said is the reason "we" like tans now.

Answer 3

that's a good question. I've noticed a lot of that, especially in Hollywood. Some of these women are so overly tanned that they come out looking ORANGE ( like the Oompa Loompas from the original Willy Wonka). And the ones who do avoid the sun use tanning beds or spray-tans or the instant tan stuff in the bottle (Fake and Bake :p). I'm a White woman and i don't get it either. Never did. I like having just a little bit of a tan--that you get just from going outside on a sunny day--so i don't look like a Vampire or blind people :p,or anything, but that's all i need, so i don't understand why other White women feel they need more.

Answer 4

I am fair skinned naturally, but to me a tanned skin tone is healthier looking. I do wish I had a more naturally tan looking color because I just think it looks better on me. I used to go tanning but I have stopped because it is really just a waste of money and not good for the skin. So I will have to accept my paleness!

Answer 5

I used too but not anymore the sun ages your skin and with soo many cases of skin cancer it's just not worth it!! White people look healthier with a tan. My Pakistani friends told me about not liking dark skin because people would think your a labourer who has to work outside and doesn't come from a wealthy family!! There are different feeling about this subject it just depends on your culture and where your from!!

Answer 6

Even black people get a suntan. People just look better with a tan. Maybe u should get some tips from MJ on how to lighten your skin since your culture think pale is gorgeous.

Answer 7

I think it is because it is so common that people tan naturally here. The only time tan people look pale is when they are sickly so after a while people began to associate tan with healthy. Plus, being darker hides flaws and makes you look thinner, and it can define features more clearly, so that's another reason.

I'm very pale and my entire life people have asked me things like, "Why are you so pale?, Why don't you get a tan?" or "Are you sick?" and then there is, "Are you okay? You look pale."

I'd say 1 out of every 10 people say my skin is beautiful and that it looks like porcelain, and I should be proud of it.

People come in all different colors and shades for a reason.

Answer 8

It is (or originally was) a social status thing.

Back in the day when the the U.S. was a largely agrarian society, having a suntan meant that you worked outside in the sun with your hands, while having pale white skin meant that you were of the leisure class who could afford to let others do the manual labor outdoors while you lounged around in the house or in the shade.

Then when the U.S. shifted to an mostly urban manufacturing and service economy, most people spent most of their work days indoors, in an office, shop, or factory. Then having a sun tan became a status symbol to prove that you were of the leisure class who could afford to lay out on the beach or by the pool, or play tennis or golf, go boating, etc, while others slaved away in offices or factories.

Answer 9

We don't all want to be tanned and to end up leathery, orange, or get skin cancer. I'm naturally pale-skinned, with freckles, and I stay out of the sun. If I wanted to look a bit tanned, I'd use a fake tanning lotion

Answer 10

People think a tan looks healthy, since being pale is correlated with looking "sickly". When the reality is a tan is damaged skin cells. It is silly our Nation is so obsessed with being tan when skin cancer is so rampant. Hopefully, what is in "style" in regard to skin color will change soon!

Answer 11

I know what you mean, I've noticed a similar general opinion in Thai people when I've been in their country.
The reason behind it is the same reason as is behind yours, it is because of our cultural upbringings; we believe it makes us look better and therefore we feel better about ourselves if we are tanned. Furthermore it's a matter of understanding; most white people won't understand your opinion in the same way you don't understand theirs. Which unfortunately means it can also be yet another example of the hypocritical nature of some white people in that how, often, people will openly hate others who have something they want and don't have. I find it sadly ironic.