Teresa Giudice is being mom-shamed for letting her teen daughters get so tan
Teresa Giudice’s family beach photo became a skincare campaign when Facebook flinched at her daughters’ sunbathing habits.
On Monday, The Real Housewives of New Jersey star shared a photo of herself and her four daughters, Gia, 17, Gabriella, 14, Milania, 13, and Audriana, 9, wearing bikinis at the Jersey Shore. “Best job on earth…being a mom to these 4!” Teresa captioned the post. “So lucky! Hope you’re all enjoying your summer!!”
Many of the reactions were that of shock toward the girls’ suntanned bodies, particularly Gia, who wore an orange-grey-and-black bikini. “Why is she letting them get that tan?” asked one commenter. “It’s summertime and she is tan,” a fan fired back.
“Yes, but two of the five will regret being that tan from your younger years in your later years. All I can say is SUNSCREEN NOW!” wrote one concerned commenter. Another person shared, “The tans need to go, very dangerous! Hopefully, they are spray on but I have my doubts.”
Teresa has always stayed sunkissed — in 2015 when she was released from her 11.5-month prison sentence for fraud charges, a source told People that her priority was to get a spray tan. And self-tanning products are a beauty mainstay in the field of bodybuilding, which the mom has recently embraced.
However, the notion of her children tanning — either in a bed or under the sun — is controversial. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, an ongoing “tanning epidemic” in the U.S. reflects rising skin cancer rates for invasive melanoma. And people aren’t embracing safer options even when the dangers of ultraviolet radiation (UV) are well-known.
Researchers also link our fancy for bronzed bodies to a natural, happy high from the sun’s rays. “As with people who need a drink or a cigarette,” reads The Skin Cancer Foundation website, “some tanners’ feelings of elation and relief may eclipse their awareness of the threat of skin cancer and premature skin aging.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics strongly discourages the use of tanning, particularly at salons which emit greater doses of radiation than by the sun. Per its website: “In fact, studies show that beginning tanning before age 35 can increase the risk of developing melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer, by 75%. Alarmingly, the earlier a teen begins to tan indoors, the more hours of UV exposure he or she will accumulate over a lifetime, increasing the chances of developing melanoma and other skin cancers.”
The Giudice family tans may be attributed to their Italian-American genes — skin tans as a protective response to the sun’s rays and those with olive-toned skin may mistakenly believe they don’t need as much protection as fair-skinned folks, according to Italian news outlet The Local.
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
Woman shares skin cancer selfie to show young girls the dangers of tanning beds
People Who Regularly Tan Are Likely to Have Other Addictions
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