With students marking their calendars for spring break, many will notice an increase in bronzed faces.

“It’s more of a trend that people want to tan,” said Jenny Phu, beauty adviser for Sephora.com. “People want that beach, golden color.”

Most people who tan regularly agree tanning makes you feel good both mentally and physically.

Theresa Lynch, co-owner of Dynamic Tanning, 3224 Sycamore Road, said the good feelings felt after tanning cure the gloom most people feel during the winter months.

“When there’s not a lot of sun, they get SAD – seasonal depression,” Lynch said. “Tanning helps them feel better about themselves so that they look and feel good.”

Jennifer Meron, a senior pre-communication major and avid tanner, agrees.

“I’m tan all year long,” she said. “It makes me feel better. When I’m down it helps my mood and I actually feel hotter when I’m tan – it makes my self-esteem higher.”

Not just for the ladies

Women aren’t the only ones tanning; men do it too.

“I keep telling my employees that there’s a lot more men coming in,” Lynch said. “I see college students, business men and retired men come in.”

LA Tan employee Shane Scott agrees.

“It’s 60/40 here. Sixty percent women and 40 percent men,” Scott said. “There’s actually a lot more guys than people think. Nowadays, it’s not a big deal anymore.”

According to a recent study by Wolff System Technology, an indoor tanning supply company, men make up nearly 30 percent of all indoor tanners and account for 40 percent of revenues. This suggests men who use tanning salons do so more frequently than women, the study states.

“I definitely think it’s changing. I see more men wanting [to look good],” Lynch said. “I think men these days care more about what they look like.”

Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen

While tanning can make people look and feel good, it can be dangerous and needs to be done safely.

“Tanning is a process that you’re not going to develop in five days,” Lynch said. “You should tan in moderation and based on your skin type. We want to make sure it’s healthy and natural.”

Chicago dermatologist Dr. James Feinberg agrees to an extent.

“People should tan slowly and very carefully,” Feinberg said. “It’s not that [tanning] is good or bad, it’s both good and bad. They can all have negative consequences, whether in a booth or in the sun and a person has to be willing to accept them.”

Whether tanning outside on the beach during spring break or inside a salon, experts say tanning should be done in moderation and when outside, sunscreen should always be used.

“Sunscreen is very individual,” Feinberg said. “[Its effectiveness] depends on your skin type, hours of the day, how long you’re in the sun, does it protect against UVA ad UVB, is it waterproof and did you apply properly – all these affect the response you get from sunscreen.”

Tan in a can

For people afraid of the possible dangers associated with tanning in the sun or booth, there are several alternative options available.

“The Mystic Tan is UV free,” Lynch said. “I probably, on average, get 100-150 customers a month [for the Mystic Tan]. In some cases, those are customers who had skin cancer or are afraid of skin cancer.”

Phu recommends using creams and sprays but to be aware.

“[Sprays] can be fast, quick and dry, but it can be blotchy,” Phu said.

She also recommends to check the product’s ingredients, because without DHA – dehydroxyacetone, the main ingredient in sunless tanning lotions – you will not get a good or lasting tan.

“A lot of it is brand-labeling,” Phu said. “However, they may differ between texture and quality as well.”