How To Tan Fair Skin

The Situation
Maybe you are extremely fair-skinned like I am. I have blond hair, blue eyes, and I'm really white. While fair skin can be pretty, I have always wanted a slightly darker skin tone. For the longest time, I assumed that I couldn't tan. I rarely went outside; mainly because I don't have time to be outside or lie out in the sun; and the climate here is rather chilly for sun-bathing. Another reason I hesitated to tan is that I have heard plenty of warnings about skin cancer.
YES, you can get skin cancer. However, I visited the skin cancer website (http://www.skincancer.org) and learned that most skin cancer is caused from too much sun exposure/tanning as a child and teen (which I had avoided) and from sunburn, not sun exposure itself. The key to "safe tanning" is to be careful on your exposure and to regularly do skin checks--every month preferably. If you notice weird changes, see your doctor.
*However, note this: You can also get lung cancer from the polluted air we breathe, and there are reports that peanut butter has cancer-causing ingredients. Cell phones cause brain damage. Who knows what your computer is doing to you?*
Assess Your Skin's Tanning Potential
Tanning may not be possible for your skin type. Fair-skinned people can tan but only very slowly. Very, very fair-skinned people, usually those with very light strawberry-blond or platinum hair and blue eyes, and especially those who burn easily, should avoid all attempts to tan. However, if you have darker blond hair and can be out in the sun for over an hour without getting badly burned, you may be able to tan.
The first step is to build a base tan by use of a tanning bed. Once you have a base tan, you will be able to tan more easily in the sun.