Area sun-worshippers, desperately seeking a golden glow, have been keeping local tanning salons busy trying to cater to their need for the perfect tan.

Female tanners especially feel that attaining the sun-kissed look, though artificially, enhances their appearance and makes them feel more attractive, some students say.

Linda Huss (freshman-communications) purchased a membership at a nearby salon and tans often.

"When it's summer, people wear less and expose more skin, so it just makes sense to be tan, given the weather," she said.

"Since my complexion is naturally pale, having a tan adds some color to my skin and makes me look healthier."

Dr. Ann Shallcross, a physician at University Health Services, said that since many minor blemishes become less noticeable with a tan, people enjoy its camouflaging effects.

As far as how psychology relates to the need to tan despite the risks, Max Levine (graduate-psychology) compared it to other "health-impairing habits" like smoking and drinking.

Levine said problems of slow accumulation, like tanning, yield no immediate negative consequences, such as skin cancer.

Because the short-term results are pleasing, then the individual is more likely to think they are immune to certain behaviors, he said.

The slang term "tan-orexia" might have been coined due to the fact that like with the disease anorexia, perception of true body image can be distorted, Levine said.

Although others notice the tan, the tanner feels the need to get even darker, he said.

Jess Seren (junior-human development and family studies), an employee at Tan Matters, 2603 E. College Ave., said business heightens during warm seasons because it's reminiscent of sunny, tropical locations.

Students want to look darker when they're wearing less clothing in the summer months, she said.

"Plus, all the models you see in magazines aren't exactly pale," she added.

However, Kyle Leone (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said sometimes "fake-baking" can be a turnoff.

"Girls don't look that much better with a tan, especially if it's not natural," he said.

Though it might seem that mostly women clientele keep profits high in the tanning industry, almost equal numbers of men have been spotted frequenting tanning salons.

"Probably half of our customers are men, but they usually don't like to admit it," Seren said.

Although customers are made aware of the dangers associated with tanning, many nonetheless choose to keep their bodies bronzed.

Seren said all Tan Matters employees are instructed to inform tanners of the right way to use the tanning beds and to warn them of the risks of getting burned.

Still, Shallcross offers a warning to indoor or outdoor sunbathers.

"Tanning beds expose you to the same ultraviolet light waves that sun exposure does -- this is what causes the changes that initiate the development of skin cancers," she said.