Special to The Island News

Summer is fast approaching, and this past weekend’s beautiful weather proves it. Warmer weather, shorter skirts and the dreaded bathing suit are demanded by the heat. The pressure is on to quickly attain the beautiful tan skin that the strong summer sun brings with it, despite the dangers of skin cancer and wrinkles.<!--more-->

Fair-skinned folks like myself have been warned for years by dermatologists about the damaging rays of the sun, and now the slight wrinkling of the skin around my eyes and the freckling on my chest proves them right.

The pressures of society keep me going back year after year, despite the dangers and inevitable aging, to worship the sun.  The bronze glow of youthfulness is a powerful pull for someone approaching middle age.

Years of struggling to find an alternative to “baking” have cost me hundreds of dollars on countless brands of tanning lotions that yield “dirty” looking hands and feet, orange skin, and streaks.  How embarrassing.  I’m trying to be healthy and cautious, but I end up just looking silly.

Last week, I decided to give air brush tanning one more try.  I stood in a small tent while Ericka from Indigo Salon hand sprayed my entire body. I was instantly bronzed from head to toe, and it only took 15 minutes.  There was no orange tint, no streaking and no dirty hands or feet, just even, natural looking color that made me feel 10 years younger and 10 pounds skinnier! It costs only $25 and last for almost 10 days.

When you see me around town this summer without my natural pasty look, you will know my secret.

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