In this episode of Burnt Truths, we explore why.

Through the powerful stories of melanoma survivors Leah Adams and Dawn Stringer (Mrs. Texas International), we examine how beauty standards, tanning culture, and the illusion of invincibility continue to shape our relationship with the sun.

In this episode:

•  Why tanning beds are classified as Group 1 carcinogens 
•  The parallels between the tanning and tobacco industries 
•  Leah and Dawn's melanoma journeys 
•  How beauty standards normalize tanning 
•  Why changing tanning culture is about more than simply knowing the risks 

Because when the tan fades, what's left behind?

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• Ultraviolet Tide Podcast — Ep. 62 Growing Up Tanned: Using My Melanoma Story as a Cautionary Tale with Dawn Stringer
• NIH — The potential carcinogenic risk of tanning beds: clinical guidelines and patient safety advice
• Health Canada — Carcinogens in Tobacco Smoke
• BMJ Journals — The history of the discovery of the cigarette–lung cancer link
• Cancer Council NSW — A brief history of smoking
• American Lung Association — Overall Smoking Trends
• American Academy of Dermatology — Indoor tanning stats

Plus, hear firsthand from an ex–tanning bed user about how these habits form and how hard they can be to break. Featuring insights from Leah Adams (@theleahalexis), a melanoma survivor, skin cancer educator, and marathon runner. 

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• Refinery29 — These 2007 Beauty Trends Are Back & Better Than Before
• NIH — Lifetime History of Indoor Tanning in Young People
• IMDb — Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
• Cosmedico — Sunbed Inventor Friedrich Wolff Deceased
• Wolff System — History
• YouTube — Official Throwback Clip | Jersey Shore | MTV
• Tropical Sunsations Tanning — What is High-Pressure Tanning

In this first episode of Burnt Truths: Uncovering the Shady Side of Getting Sun-Kissed, we trace the cultural evolution of tanning, from a symbol of labor and lower status to the ultimate marker of leisure, wealth, and desirability.

Featuring insights from Nana Regueiro, author of “A Short Cultural History of the Tan Line,” we explore how beauty standards flipped and why they stuck.

This is Burnt Truths: Uncovering the shady side of getting sun-kissed.

Sources & Further Reading

• NIH —  Timeline of the Development of Skin-Lightening Active Ingredients in Japan
• ScienceDirect — Cerussite
• Refinery29 — The Sexist History Behind Our Obsession With Tanning
• Britannica — Victorian era
• L’Oréal — Garnier Ambre Solaire
• Vogue — A Short Cultural History of the Tan Line
• Refinery29 — Tanned Skin & Beauty Standards
• Science Museum — The Story of Sun Cream
• Smithsonian Channel — Sunbathing Craze
• The New York Times — Skin Deep History