Image Source: Getty/Emma McIntyre / Staff
It seems like the early 2000s are back in more ways than one. On Jan. 17, Kim Kardashian posted a TikTok doing her version of the ongoing “Of Course” trend. In it, Kardashian shows off her office space and a myriad of design choices she’s made, attributing them simply to the fact that she’s one of the biggest stars in the world.
The video showed off Kardashian’s minimal but extravagant taste, panning to shots of her product shrine, custom Rick Owens furniture, and every magazine cover she’s done hanging neatly on a massive wall. The Kardashians are well known for their over-the-top tastes, so for longtime fans, it’s likely that none of this came as a surprise. The record-scratch moment, however, came when she mentioned the tanning bed she also installed in the space.
For anyone who doesn’t know, tanning beds use UV light to stimulate the release of pigment in your skin called melanin. Melanin absorbs the light, in turn darkening the skin to create a “tanned” appearance. Tanning, in essence, is the body’s response to fixing an injury from UV exposure. Many people left the regular use of tanning beds back in the ’90s and early ’00s, not only due to the rise of self-tanning products that allow you to fake a glow sans sun exposure but also because it’s been made abundantly clear that the practice can lead to an increased risk of skin cancer.
A study published in 2007 in the International Journal of Cancer confirmed the association between indoor tanning and melanoma. After a meta-analysis of reports that represented a total of 7,355 cases across three continents and spanning 24 years of publication, not only does one-time use of a tanning bed increase the risk of cancer, but regular use before the age of 35 is associated with a 75 percent increased risk of developing melanoma specifically.
All of these statistics should scare you because there is no reason to still be using a tanning bed in 2024. Not to mention how counterproductive it is to use a tanning bed while shelling out money on fancy skin-care products, devices, and procedures with the goal of antiaging (like the-red light bed she also has in her office). You shouldn’t be risking your health for aesthetic purposes, so let’s continue to stick to the fake-tan agenda. See the full video below.
@kimkardashian ♬ original sound – Kim Kardashian
