They have burned, and they have fried. They have peeled. They have moisturized, and they have exfoliated. They have shelled out their money, and they have sacrificed their time.

They have done it all in search of the all-mighty Spring Break Tan.

Those in search of a sun-kissed hue to compliment their beach-ready bodies have visited tanning booths for the past few weeks or have lathered themselves up with concoctions of smelly, messy creams to help them fake it.

Many people associate tanning with having a healthy glow and a thinner, fitter appearance. Sun worshippers also claim tanning clears up or camouflages acne and uneven skin tones. Some just like the warm sensation or relaxation associated with lying in a booth and having some time to themselves. Others opt for indoor tanning in hope of getting a base tan that will protect them from sunburns when they hit the beach.

Of course, many of us already know that tanning, both indoor and outdoor, causes potentially deadly skin cancer, premature aging, sagging cheeks, skin discoloration, skin damage and wrinkles. Melanoma alone kills 7,800 in our country alone each year, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Falling victim to melanoma is directly related to suffering deep sunburns early in life. However, even people who go their entire lives without ever getting sunburned can develop skin damage and cancer from tanning. While light-skinned people are particularly at risk, dark-skinned people can also suffer the same effects.

Still, the AAP says more than one million Americans visit a tanning salon every day. There are more than 50,000 commercial indoor tanning salons in the United States, according to sunsplashtanning.com. Americans spend $5 billion on indoor tanning and accessories every year. So, why do millions of us subject ourselves to a host of health and cosmetic problems tomorrow in order to be a little darker today? I used to think it could be attributed to pure vanity, but now I think it has more to do with the ultra specific qualifications for "beauty" today and the self-hate for our own natural features that results.

When I was little, I watched as my grandfather went through multiple skin cancer operations on his neck and ears. Later, I watched as my grandmother had most of her cheek removed and spent years having it monitored by doctors, reconstructed through surgeries and covered by scar treatments, creams and make-up.

The scary thing is that unlike the generation of today, neither of my grandparents ever tried to tan. In fact, my grandmother, who is now 92, says that women used to avoid the sun with hats and umbrellas because light skin was prized in decades passed. Fair skin was an indication of social status because tan skin often denoted doing field labor under the sun. Apparently, tan is the new pale -- the new beauty "ideal" in American culture.

Interestingly enough, it's quite the opposite for some other cultures. Once while staying with one of my Asian friends I noticed that her shower was filled with skin lightening and bleaching products. Instead of going to extremes to change our natural pigmentation, maybe we should just embrace what we have to work with.

What makes so many people want to change something so fundamental about themselves as skin color? Why are some people bleaching to get whiter, while across the world we are burning to get darker? Particularly for those of us of with extremely fair skin, getting tan is literally fighting with everything we have against our genetics. I'm Irish, I know. While everyone else looks like they just walked out of Baywatch after spending the day at the beach, I have lobster-colored spots if I so much as let my baby toe catch two minutes of rays. Even if I could defy my roots, a blue-eyed mick with a dark brown tan probably looks funnier than a freckled lobster-woman. I have learned to pile on the SPF 200 and just accept who I am.

That being said, I'm not against tanning, if it's tanning that you like. Just make sure it's not yourself who you don't like.

So, if you chose to forego that elusive perfect tan, or you just simply can't force your body into one, come sit next to me at the beach. No one will even see you, because they will be blinded by me.