Finals are here and summer is approaching.

Along with summer comes fun in the sun, but the price may be high for students seeking a glowing tan.

“Any time you’re in the sun, you’re damaging your skin,” said Craig Bumgarner, owner of Sizzlin’ Cabana, 110 Sherman Avenue.

Tanning beds, he said, are “far safer” than the sun’s rays because tanning beds provide measured doses of light.

The sun can cause extreme damage, he said, because people have no idea how much sun they are actually getting.

Luella Gustafson, owner of Electric Beach Tanning Center, 131 Welch, said the key to getting a healthy tan is to avoid being sunburned.

“Burning is damaging,” Gustafson said. “You don’t want to burn. You should use a good SPF when out in the sun.”

Gustafson said SPF 30 sunscreens are considered a “complete block.”

However, to completely block the sun’s rays, she said, one would have to apply a full eight-to-15 ounce bottle.

Cosette Scallon, staff physician at Thielen Student Health Center, said the only possible way to receive a nice tan is to take it slowly.

“You’ll regret past tans and burns when you get older,” she said.

Gustafson said most people don’t take into consideration how many applications of sunscreen they need to be completely protected and that the amount of an individual’s perspiration and the amount of time spent in the sun can affect the protection of the sunblock.

The SPF number on the bottle, Gustafson said, is based on a recommended exposure as opposed to one’s actual exposure in the sun.

“You can’t rely on that SPF to keep you from burning,” she said. “You’ve got to use your head.”

Gustafson said an individual’s hair color, skin complexion and genetic background are all factors in how vulnerable they are to burning, noting that fair-skinned individuals are at greater risk.

Bumgarner agreed.

“Blonde-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned people are more susceptible to sun damage than those who have brown hair, brown eyes and olive skin,” he said.

Scallon advises students to wear sunscreen, hats and sunglasses when out in the summer sun. “Try to avoid the sun completely at midday,” she said.

“Take it slow. You don’t want to go out there and fry your skin,” Bumgarner said.