Sunbeds: Why Are Some People Addicted To Sunbeds?

What people do at one point in time to look good is not necessarily going to be the same as what they at another point in time. This is not to say that everything will change, but it would also be inaccurate to say that this is an area of life where change doesn’t take place.

There are some things that someone can do to make themselves look good that will have been around for many years and then there will be other things that won’t have been around for very long. For example, mascara is used by women use to enhance their facial appearance and this is said to have been something that was taking place during the times of ancient Egypt.

The Foundations

In this case, it could be said that the kind of makeup that is around today is simply an effect of what was taking place in the past. There is far more choice available now than there was in these ancient times, but what happened during these times laid the foundations for what was to come.

However, although makeup is generally used in today’s world to change someone’s appearance; this was not only reason it was used in the past. In ancient Egypt, it was said to be used by people to keep evil spirits at bay and to protect their soul.

Anti-Aging

When a culture idolises youth, there is going to be incredible pressure on people to defy the aging process. And while makeup can be used to allow someone to look younger than they really are, they can also resort to other measures.

They can apply certain creams that have been designed to keep their wrinkles at bay and to make their skin look firmer, and/or they can take things further and use surgical procedures. Another thing they can is to look at their diet and to see what they are putting into their body.

Having a Tan

If one had a suntan in the past, it would show that they worked outside and took part in manual labour, and this would be a sign of low social status. Yet as time has gone by, it is no longer seen in the same way.

Nowadays, if someone has a tan it is seen in a positive light, and this is partly because it is no longer necessary for someone to work outside in order to have one. This is something that can occur through using a sunbed and more recently, through using a product to attain a fake tan.

Associations

When someone has a tan, they can look younger, slimmer and as though they are more alive. This all plays a part in them coming to the conclusion that they are more attractive with one, and feedback they receive from others can support this outlook.

And because of these benefits, it is easy to see why someone would end up in a position where they feel they need to have a tan in order to look good. It is then not going to be enough for them to have tan from time to time; they will need to have one all the time.

Contrast

While having a tan can improve someone’s appearance, it can also make it harder for them to accept how they usually look. Through having a tan, one will create a gap between how they looked before and how they look after, and this can cause someone to believe that how they looked before is not good enough.  

The ideal will be for someone to appreciate how they look with a tan and to appreciate how they look without a tan. When they accept themselves as they are, they are unlikely to have the need to have a tan in order to feel good about themselves.

Hooked

So if someone doesn’t accept themselves as they are, they can have a greater need to have a tan, and this is because they will be completely dependent on how other people respond to them. It is then going to be normal for them to end up being addicted to using sunbeds, and it won’t matter what the consequences will be further down the line.

This is not to say that someone who has a strong sense of themselves won’t feel good through using a sunbed and through having a tan; what it means is that they are not going to overlook their own health in order to attain positive feedback from others. They will be able to take a step back from how they feel and think about what they are doing.

A Deeper Look

To want to receive positive feedback from others is normal; however, this is a need that can be out of balance. As a child, one would have constantly needed positive feedback from others in order to feel good and to survive, but as an adult this is no longer necessary.

Yet, just because someone can look like an adult it doesn’t mean they feel like one, and this can mean they are still emotionally dependent on others. One is then not going to have an individuated sense of self, and how they feel about themselves will be defined by how other people respond to them.

Conclusion

If someone finds that they only feel good when other people give them positive feedback, this could be a sign that they need to develop a sense of self. And as they do this, it will be possible for them to maintain their value, and while the need to receive positive feedback from others won’t disappear, it won’t define their life.

This will then allow them to get in touch with their real needs and not to be caught up in their dependency needs that were not met during their childhood years. For this to happen, it will be important for one to be affirmed for who they are and for their unmet childhood needs to be mourned, and this can take place with the assistance of a therapist and/or a support group.

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Oliver JR Cooper
http://www.oliverjrcooper.co.uk/