You sell cancer machines!

[SMI Sontegra]

You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard this over the years. I’m introduced to someone and they ask me what I do, and I tell them I sell tanning beds and they say “Those are cancer machines”. It happened just tonight, although the person at least was kind enough to pose her insult in the form of a question: "Tanning beds? Don't they cause cancer?"

I worked for Pepsi 25 years ago, which also owned Frito-Lay and Pizza Hut. Nobody I ever met back then said: “You sell colored sugar water and are killing diabetics” or “You sell fatty foods and are causing heart attacks and strokes”. So what makes a complete stranger think it is appropriate to make that comment to me on cancer machines? Is it ignorance, or brainwashing, or passive-aggressive behavior? Regardless, it makes my blood boil.

In the early days, I would respond to this stupid comment with a somewhat defensive “everything in moderation” argument.

After a few years of getting fed-up, I switched to a more sarcastic approach:
Ignorant stranger: “Oh, you sell cancer machines”!
Me: “Really? When did Hoboken Junior High start issuing medical degrees”?

Over the past couple of years, as the good news about UV and Vitamin D has become (more and more) well-documented, I’ve gone back to a more educational approach (well, maybe with a little sarcasm thrown in): “Cancer machines? Why would you say such a stupid thing? Haven’t you followed Professor Giovannucci’s work at Harvard on the importance of UV-B for Vitamin D synthesis? Don’t you know that the lack of Vitamin D is associated with multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and several types of cancer, including cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and stomach? What would you prefer, to risk getting a little spot on your ear that even a dermatologist can remove with a little squirt of liquid nitrogen, or to have your breasts removed because of breast cancer, or defecate into a baggie coming out of your abdomen because your colon was destroyed by cancer ?”

Now that’s a pretty good answer and I'm happy with it, but it's a little long-winded. So from now on, I'm going with an answer that's short, sweet, and true:

Idiot: “You sell cancer machines”?!

Me: “YES, I do! Cancer PREVENTION machines!

[SMI Sontegra]

Disclaimer for FDA: The above is not intended to be a "health or safety claim" used in the marketing of Sontegra tanning equipment. It is merely language to be used in addressing idiots I meet in the day-to-day course of events.

[mr belvedere]

Brain washing. It's been the too of choice for the "powerful" for centuries. When that didn't work, earlier regimes resorted to brute force. We've evolved beyond that now. We just "ruin" people instead of killing them..

[TonyG]

"Me: “Really? When did Hoboken Junior High start issuing medical degrees”?"
LMAO!

I get so PO'ed when someone gives me that tsk-tsk attitude. Usually a middle aged or older woman. I want to give them the 'finger' and say FU, but I try hold my tongue and be logical, but they do not want to listen. They HAVE been brainwashed!

Since I live in NJ, I think I'll start using the Hoboken High line!

[engfant]

I like this sontegra's attitude. Beds MUST work good if he's got time to dabble in the politics and mindless rantings.

[HBT6872]

Not to sound like a broken record. BUT this is why are education of Vit.D needs to start at our salons. I have had customers say this to me, just because they come in your salon does not mean they think tanning is healthy. We need to help arm them with the right information so we have little soldiers in the field (I did a war analogy)!

[solarmeter®]

Then someday you'll need one of these!



Disclaimer to FDA: Vitamin D is not a drug. Nanny nanny boo boo.

PS: If and when the new TSO gets organized I will donate a D meter to the BOD so they can shine some lamps at it.

[HBT6872]

Could you tell me in simple terms ...what the heck does the meter do?

[solarmeter®]

No...sorry - but after you read this I can answer any remaining questions:

http://www.solarmeter.com/model64.html

If it was "simple" it wouldn't be of any scientific value. It would be on drugstore checkout counters for $4.98.

[HBT6872]

Trying to help you here.

I read the explanations. So what does it mean to a salon owner ? Talking like a data head to our clients is not going to cut it. So how do we use your meter in our presentation regarding Vit.D to the CONSUMER? How does this benefit them (not Vit.D, but the use of the meter) ?

[Natureboy]

Will it tell me how much horsepower a 64 GTO makes?

[engfant]

Whole lotta buncha HP. Can I be incharge of the Vita D meter?!?!?!? I'm good with these things.

[HBT6872]

I know when we had on our website "Get an A at the party be a Magna cum Hottie", we had complaints because our customers thought it said "cum" on our website...so making things a little simpler for our consumers is a must.
I also have no clue what it does. I am not the smartest, but I would like to think I am mildly intelligent (land of the C students).. but it was a strong "C" BTW .

[solarmeter®]

Well.... as simply as I can put it: the 6.4 meter reading shows how many IU of D3 you are getting per minute for type 2 skin.

Outdoors at noon this time of year it would read about 50. In your tanning beds it would range from about 100-200, depending on how much effective UVB there is.

For 1000 IU dose it would take 10 minutes if the meter read 100 IU/min.

Higher skin types require more minutes for same IU dose. A software utility allows adjustment per skin type and other factors.

Generally people will get even more than 1000 IU per full session Te. Even if they get less than 1000 IU (skin types 4-6) in Te they would be getting more than in outdoor sun.

[HBT6872]

If we were going to look at the AP article and the recommended dose of Vit.D that you need(based on published studies)...How much would you need for the proper Vit D. dosage.

[Island Cove]

how do you messure the amount of Vitamin D from UV lights, as there isn't any vitamin D in the light, it is made within the body through uv stimulation.

[solarmeter®]

The old conservative dose rule of thumb is 400 IU per day.... like in a typical multivitamin pill. The latest studies say 1000 IU or more per day is needed to maintain ~80 nmol/L of circulating D3. Holicks book also says so. However they caution against swallowing lots of pills because too much analog D can be toxic.

Vitamin D resulting from photoconversion of 7-DHC by UVB light however has not been shown to be toxic. In fact the body begins to self-regulate levels of D after 1.5-2 MED exposure.

Isl Cove: A 1 MED dose of UVB has been shown to result in 1000 IU of D3 on 10% body exposure per in vivo tests of percent conversion of 7-DHC by many vitamin D scientists. The meter is basically reading 16.667 IU/min per MED/hr... which works out to the same conversion rate.

You guys are making me get complicated not simple!

Bottom line is the meter actually quantifies a positive effect of UV.

[HBT6872]

I copied this to the sunlamp forum...I thought this would be a good Sticky. Could someone stick it for me?

[ashleylight]

Originally Posted by SMI Sontegra

You wouldn’t believe how many times I’ve heard this over the years. I’m introduced to someone and they ask me what I do, and I tell them I sell tanning beds and they say “Those are cancer machines”. It happened just tonight, although the person at least was kind enough to pose her insult in the form of a question: "Tanning beds? Don't they cause cancer?"

I worked for Pepsi 25 years ago, which also owned Frito-Lay and Pizza Hut. Nobody I ever met back then said: “You sell colored sugar water and are killing diabetics” or “You sell fatty foods and are causing heart attacks and strokes”. So what makes a complete stranger think it is appropriate to make that comment to me on cancer machines? Is it ignorance, or brainwashing, or passive-aggressive behavior? Regardless, it makes my blood boil.

In the early days, I would respond to this stupid comment with a somewhat defensive “everything in moderation” argument.

After a few years of getting fed-up, I switched to a more sarcastic approach:
Ignorant stranger: “Oh, you sell cancer machines”!
Me: “Really? When did Hoboken Junior High start issuing medical degrees”?

Over the past couple of years, as the good news about UV and Vitamin D has become (more and more) well-documented, I’ve gone back to a more educational approach (well, maybe with a little sarcasm thrown in): “Cancer machines? Why would you say such a stupid thing? Haven’t you followed Professor Giovannucci’s work at Harvard on the importance of UV-B for Vitamin D synthesis? Don’t you know that the lack of Vitamin D is associated with multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and several types of cancer, including cancers of the colon, breast, prostate, and stomach? What would you prefer, to risk getting a little spot on your ear that even a dermatologist can remove with a little squirt of liquid nitrogen, or to have your breasts removed because of breast cancer, or defecate into a baggie coming out of your abdomen because your colon was destroyed by cancer ?”

Now that’s a pretty good answer and I'm happy with it, but it's a little long-winded. So from now on, I'm going with an answer that's short, sweet, and true:

Idiot: “You sell cancer machines”?!

Me: “YES, I do! Cancer PREVENTION machines!

Sorry but you are right, 100 years ago people weren't wearing spf and staying inside all day. Were they dropping dead of skin cancer? People just preach wat they see on tv, if the news reported that dog poop gave you white teeth people would be applying and styling all over the place. Ignorance sometimes is not bliss.

[nebtans]

Ashley, you hit the nail right on the head... and so did the original poster. they just keep spouting what they hear.. From magazines, news, parents, peers, beauty techs... etc.