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Suntans are not a black and white issue
Western visitors to Shanghai might, at a first glance, think this must be the city of eternal rain. Many are befuddled by the steady stream of umbrellas that fill the streets on fine summer days.
In most of Europe, the United States and certainly Australia, women will wear as little as possible and lie for hours under the sun's rays hoping to catch a hint of color. The idea of detachable sleeves for protecting one's arms while riding a bicycle is laughable, as are the infamous visors that cover people's faces. Why do Chinese people try so hard to stay white? But foreigners should remember that this debate certainly has two sides. Taking a quick survey of my office, I realize one thing. Ideas about what is beautiful is always culturally defined. "Really? In your country people think being white is ugly and looks unhealthy?" asked one of my colleagues, a look of horror plastered across his face when I explain to him the concept of solarium tanning. He tells me in China there is a saying: "Any imperfection can be hidden if your skin is white." Quite a loaded statement, to say the least. Skin color, as a statement or expression of beauty, seems odd to me. I must admit, until I came to China I never gave the idea of the Western obsession with getting a suntan a second thought. It just seemed perfectly normal. But it seems my Chinese colleagues have the same perception about being white. When asked to defend our stance on suntanned skin, Westerners give the excuse: "It looks more healthy than being sickly white." On the downside, Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and it's the sun's harmful UV rays which are responsible. Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, is the most common cancer in Australian people aged between 15 and 44. Overall, it is the third most common cancer in women, and the fourth most common in men. Despite these statistics, Westerners continue to spend hours in solariums and sun-baking on beaches, ignoring the warnings and seemingly oblivious to the consequences. However, while protecting the skin from cancer may be a legitimate health concern, when it comes to Chinese women's obsession with staying white, it seems this is not their motivation. White is simply more beautiful. Chinese men think so and so do the women. But are the chemicals in whitening creams damaging the skin? Surely bleach is not good for anyone's skin. I wonder if the effects are equally as detrimental as the sun's UV rays and if fake tanning lotions contain toxins too. Another cause for concern is where the idea that "White is beautiful" comes from. In China, being darker may imply a low status in society, because the skin becomes darker from spending time outdoors, like farmers. In the West, ideas like this are deemed ludicrous although the hypocrisy of those who like to tan their skin but who are racist about naturally dark people such as Africans is real enough. Not that I'm saying every Westerner is racist but there is an undertone that exists. What is also interesting to note is that ordinary Chinese think as little about where and how they became so caught up in this beauty myth as Westerners do. He and a Scottish colleague became engaged in a heated exchange of ideas. "Do Western guys really prefer women with tanned skin?" he asks incredulously. "Too right they do!" replies the Scot. I laugh when he turns to me and says, almost aghast: "So, in Australia, even you are considered beautiful?" I consider my own dark skin for a moment before replying.
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