# Do You Find Tans Attractive **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241 "2011-05-26T02:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/1 "2011-05-26T02:36:09Z")
In general, do you find people who have tans look more attractive than those without. For the life of me, I don’t see how tans make people look better. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/2 "2011-05-26T02:51:14Z")
In general, yes. There are people who it doesn’t flatter, but most white people look a little healthier and more vibrant if tan. I love it when my girlfriend gets deeply tanned in the summer; she’s very olive-skinned anyway and it suits her. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/3 "2011-05-26T02:54:54Z")
Kind of along with **appleciders** , if the tan is consistent with the person’s natural skintone. A super dark tan on a ordinarily pale blonde looks weird. Doubly so with the raccoon mask from sunglasses/eye protectors. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/4 "2011-05-26T02:55:05Z")
I like natural, moderate tans (as opposed to fake orange tans). ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/5 "2011-05-26T02:56:29Z")
Depends on the tan. If it is acquired naturally, from working or spending time outdoors: sure. Google Images/surfer Malia Jones or model Marisa Miller for examples. If the tan is sprayed on or earned via hours in a tanning bed, kind of a turn-off. Especially unappealing is the Winter Tan™. Google Images/ Paris Hilton tan I think the difference is in the amount of cosmetics, hair products, artificial nails, and jewelry added. Excessive embellishment + artificial tan screams high maintenance to me. The natural tan accompanied by natural hair and little if any make-up looks as though the person is active and healthy. However, I’ve been in a tanning bed a couple times, and man… it feels really good. Especially in winter. If I weren’t concerned with skin cancer, and the expense and time involved in traveling to and lying in a tanning bed on a daily or weekly basis, it would be hard to stay out of a salon. There is a reason studies show that tanning can be addictive. ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/6 "2011-05-26T02:57:25Z")
Yes, I find darker skin more attractive and think most light-skinned people look better with some sun. However most fake tans or people who really bake themselves look awful (especially if their tan clashes with their natural coloring). My boyfriend hates tans (tan lines in particular). He likes pale skin. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/7 "2011-05-26T02:59:31Z")
BTW do fairly dark-skinned people (ie such as blacks) ever tan themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/8 "2011-05-26T02:59:37Z")
When I see a strong tan, all I immediately think is ‘melanoma’… And the fake, orange ones just look ridiculous. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/9 "2011-05-26T03:00:51Z")
I think I look better with a tan. Otherwise I am really fair and often un-even with redness. I think most of the guys I’ve dated have been pasty and I could care less how tan or not tan they are. I definitely don’t like an orange tan or an un-natural looking tan. I think plenty of people look great tan, tho. ---
**Author:** ![YaraMateo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/58f4c7/32.png) [@YaraMateo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YaraMateo)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/10 "2011-05-26T03:00:52Z")
No, I don’t like tans. I like men who are pale. Besides, tanlines annoy me. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/11 "2011-05-26T03:02:27Z")
As a pasty white Englishman I tend to prefer pasty white females. But usually other factors vastly outweigh the colour of a person’s skin in determining whether I am attracted to them. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/12 "2011-05-26T03:05:09Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > BTW do fairly dark-skinned people (ie such as blacks) ever tan themselves? I’ve known relatively light-skinned black people who can indeed sunburn, especially on parts of the body that do not normally get much sun, like a new hair part. Certainly these people do get darker if they spend more time in the sun. However, I don’t believe that they intentionally tanned themselves, if that’s what you’re asking. ---
**Author:** ![No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ea5d25/32.png) [@No\_umlaut\_for\_U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_umlaut_for_U)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/13 "2011-05-26T03:14:48Z")
People with dark hair look a little better to me with a little tan: blonds and redheads look silly. People recovering from skin cancer surgery do not look good at all. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/14 "2011-05-26T03:32:04Z")
Moderation is they key. There’s nothing scarier than Oompa-Loompa colored people. ETA: That is, people the color of Oompa-Loompas, not colored midgets. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/15 "2011-05-26T03:32:58Z")
I think people with a natural tan look very healthy and active. I find that look attractive, but I don’t necessarily think they are more attractive than someone without a tan. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/16 "2011-05-26T03:39:42Z")
Tans look okay on some men and a very small percentage of women…but even then, it’s rare that it makes anyone look _better_. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/17 "2011-05-26T10:11:52Z")
Depends on the person. Some people look great pale, others look better tanned. Hair colour factors into that a lot, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 10:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/18 "2011-05-26T10:21:33Z")
I do not find tans attractive. I would go so far as to say I find tans on most people unattractive. I’m just a proud supporter of Team Pasty-White. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/19 "2011-05-26T10:22:53Z")
From an aesthetic viewpoint I honestly don’t care either way. From a health standpoint, I dislike deep tans because of the health risks. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241/20 "2011-05-26T10:51:23Z")
Depends on the person, really. Has a lot to do with skintone and hair color. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-you-find-tans-attractive/583241.md?page=2)