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Sunbathing
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Published: October 5, 2006
Copernicus declared the sun was the center of the universe more than 400 years ago. Since then, both ancient and modern societies have developed a fascination with the sun and its immeasurable powers.
Throughout history, skin color has been a visible definer between social classes and races, first with preferences toward paler skin (which implied upper-class ranking) and then with tanned skin (from the 1920s to the present day.)
Sunbathing initially was popular in France. Women began wearing decorative sun hats and shawls for both protection and as fashion statements as they sunbathed on beaches throughout Europe.
Bathing costumes, or swimsuits, were first designed to cover women's legs with bloomers, but progressively developed to show increasingly more skin beginning with the baring of the legs. During this time, swimming also became an acceptable sport for women. As a result, the suntan quickly emerged as the new symbol of wealth and leisure both in Europe and America.
The risks associated with sunbathing were not clearly identified until the late 1960s, when many women had already been sunbathing for decades. During this time, the dangers of sunburns and the risks of skin cancer were finally publicized and the first sunscreens were developed.
The sunbathing craze did not die out of popularity after these health reports surfaced; the risks were not enough to persuade people to change their tanning habits, especially since the effects were usually long term.
Indoor tanning took off in the 1970s and thrived off the perception tanning beds were safer than outdoor sunbathing due to their controlled UV exposure levels. By the 1990s, the popularity of tanning extended to teenagers who claimed they felt healthier, and looked better and more athletic with a tan.
As the popularity of sunbathing continued to grow, so did the number of skin cancer patients. By the late 1990s more than one million people were diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. Almost 10,000 of these cases proved fatal, and nearly 8,000 were forms of malignant melanoma.
Currently, sunbathing remains a popular pastime; the allure of beach vacation spots still makes them ideal places to visit, and the golden glow of a suntan is the preferred skin color, particularly for women. However, the effects of sun exposure are increasingly becoming a concern due to the decline in the Earth's ozone layer. As the ozone layer becomes thinner, its ability to screen out the most harmful of the UV rays becomes increasingly less effective. As a result, holes fluctuating in size have developed in various places in the ozone layer, which have increased the risk of skin cancer and sunburn for outdoor sunbathers.
Throughout history, skin color has been a visible definer between social classes and races, first with preferences toward paler skin (which implied upper-class ranking) and then with tanned skin (from the 1920s to the present day.)
Sunbathing initially was popular in France. Women began wearing decorative sun hats and shawls for both protection and as fashion statements as they sunbathed on beaches throughout Europe.
Bathing costumes, or swimsuits, were first designed to cover women's legs with bloomers, but progressively developed to show increasingly more skin beginning with the baring of the legs. During this time, swimming also became an acceptable sport for women. As a result, the suntan quickly emerged as the new symbol of wealth and leisure both in Europe and America.
The risks associated with sunbathing were not clearly identified until the late 1960s, when many women had already been sunbathing for decades. During this time, the dangers of sunburns and the risks of skin cancer were finally publicized and the first sunscreens were developed.
The sunbathing craze did not die out of popularity after these health reports surfaced; the risks were not enough to persuade people to change their tanning habits, especially since the effects were usually long term.
Indoor tanning took off in the 1970s and thrived off the perception tanning beds were safer than outdoor sunbathing due to their controlled UV exposure levels. By the 1990s, the popularity of tanning extended to teenagers who claimed they felt healthier, and looked better and more athletic with a tan.
As the popularity of sunbathing continued to grow, so did the number of skin cancer patients. By the late 1990s more than one million people were diagnosed with some form of skin cancer. Almost 10,000 of these cases proved fatal, and nearly 8,000 were forms of malignant melanoma.
Currently, sunbathing remains a popular pastime; the allure of beach vacation spots still makes them ideal places to visit, and the golden glow of a suntan is the preferred skin color, particularly for women. However, the effects of sun exposure are increasingly becoming a concern due to the decline in the Earth's ozone layer. As the ozone layer becomes thinner, its ability to screen out the most harmful of the UV rays becomes increasingly less effective. As a result, holes fluctuating in size have developed in various places in the ozone layer, which have increased the risk of skin cancer and sunburn for outdoor sunbathers.
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