By Samantha Fodrowski
As spring break abruptly came to an end, many students returned to Northeastern with a golden glow. Just where had all of the students gone? Florida? Cancun? The Caribbean?
Or, maybe they just visited the tanning salon.
Visiting tanning salons is no new fad. Many people are regulars at these salons, wanting to keep their golden hue year-round.
However, now that spring break has come and gone and spring has just begun, tanning salons are seeing many more customers.
“It definitely gets busier in here as it gets warmer,” said Danielle Lentine, a Campus Tan employee. “People are wearing lighter clothes and want to look nice and tan.”
Many students who were fortunate enough to travel to the warmer climates and escape the New England cold began preparing by visiting the tanning salon. Some of these students started tanning up to a month or two before spring break so that they would not be the palest person on the beach.
“I started tanning a while before spring break,” said Danielle Anzaldi, a middler business major. “I went to Panama City and I didn’t want to have to wait to get tan.”
However, not all Northeastern students traveled. For some, the furthest they went was to the nearest tanning salon.
“I didn’t go anywhere for spring break, but I always go tanning,” said Ashley Adamczyk, a middler communications major. “It’s weird, but a tanning bed can actually be a romantic place. Maybe it’s the neon glow that burns my skin. Or the way the moonlight glistens my body after I apply tanning lotion.”
Not all students feel like they need to be bronze.
“I don’t go tanning because I don’t tan in the first place,” said Caitlin Rook, a freshman communications major. “I have a high risk of melanoma in my family.”
Oftentimes male students will go tanning as well, but you won’t find this student at your local salon.
“I don’t tan or care for girls who tan because it looks dumb if someone looks like they’re from Miami Beach in January in New England,” said Joe Sinkevich, a freshman at Amherst College. “I think it’s better to just look natural.”
Keeping tan helps some students stay sane during the drab Boston winters. Some students will go tanning when preparing for a big event such as a vacation or a formal. Others, however, may have been waiting until now to visit their local tanning salon so that they will be fully ready to welcome spring when and if it eventually arrives.
If you are looking to begin welcoming in the spring with a new tan, Campus Tan is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Campus Tan is located at 334 Massachusetts Ave. and accepts Northeastern Husky Dollars.
Cititan is located at 91 Newbury St. and can be reached at (617) 536 6113.
Newbury Tan Tanning Salon, located at 350 Newbury St., can be reached at (617) 424-8826.
While traveling to a tanning salon may be a quick fix for that fading color, remember the risk of skin cancer is very real. Salons encourage patrons to always wear protective eye goggles and recommend wearing a lotion with an SPF of at least 30. If you are on any medication, consult your doctor or pharmacist before visiting a tanning salon or even laying out in the sun.
