In the 21st century looking good has become very important. Some are going so far as to fake a tan. For Iowans, it is a challenge to get a real tan. Some use lotions and sprays , but others turn to the tanning bed. You hear their commercials all the time on the radio. From Electric Beach to the Sizzling Cabana, Ames has it’s fair share of bakeries. These tanning salons are continuing to grow increasingly more popular. The way these beds work is they bombard your body with ultraviolet rays that pierce your skin cells and create a tan. However, these beds aren’t all fun and games. They didn’t earn the nickname "cancer centers" for no reason. The World Health Organization does not recommend the use of these UV beds because of their adverse effects on human health. In spite of this, you never really know about something until you give it a try do you? So I decided that I should take it upon myself to give sunless tanning a try to just get a feel of what it is really like. I doubted that I would get tan after one try, but that is not the point. So I stopped in there with my fellow cohort, Ben Mackey. We were at Mayhem Comics and Games, so we decided to stop by Sizzling Cabana, which is right next door. Walking into the salon, I could smell the beauty and pretentiousness. We hesitantly walked up to the counter to ask for assistance. No one was there, so we spent some time standing and admiring the store. There was certainly some interesting decorations. They made the store out to look like a hip, trendy, Californian salon. It was certainly hot enough to be in the West Coast, but that was where the similarities ended. You could really tell that all the customers there were trying way too hard to not look midwestern. All the tanning booths were decorated with some sort of oriental theme. The music did not at all match the theme though. Some how the All-American Rejects managed to be playing when I walked in, which ruined the experience from the start. When we were finally assisted by someone, she was anything but friendly. We discovered that fake-tanning costs a ridiculous amount of cash. That is when we asked ourselves is this worth it? A lot of girls really need to ask themselves that question. Not only does it cost about ten dollars a tan, but there are even higher costs one must pay. This cancer aspect is something I just can not get over. Is looking good worth risking your life? Sure you might not get cancer tomorrow or the next day, but it is coming. If the World Health Organization paints this out to be a risk, then it probably is. Don’t let the need for outer beauty cloud what is really important in this world. The gift of life.