If you suffer from the winter blahs, you may be dealing with a disorder that is referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. SAD is a special type of depression that is effected by the seasons, with those with the disorder suffering from the greatest amount of depression during the winter months. For most sufferers, symptoms begin to develop in the later fall or in the early winter and the symptoms begin to subside when summer roles around.

Experts are not 100% certain about what causes SAD, though they mostly believe it is related to the amount of daylight a person is exposed to during the day. Since daylight is shorter during the winter, SAD sufferers begin to feel depression during this time of the year. Regardless of the cause, experts estimate that approximately 500,000 people in the United States suffer from SAD and that another 10-20% of the population experiences mild forms of SAD as well. In addition, the disorder is more common in women than it is in men and it usually doesn't start to affect people until they are over the age of 20. People living in northern regions of the United States are also more likely to develop SAD than those living in other parts of the country.

The good news is that you can actually help get over your winter depression while also acquiring a great tan. This is because research has demonstrated that tanning can help alleviate the symptoms of SAD. Another option is to engage in light therapy, which exposes your body to light without tanning your skin. If you do not wish to get a tan, this is a better option for you. If you do wish to get a tan, on the other hand, visiting a tanning bed helps you take care of your depression while also looking great.

Some people warn against using tanning beds to help beat the winter blues because of the potential harm associated with exposure to ultraviolet rays. If you tan responsibly, however, you will not need to worry about harming your skin as you tan.

It is important to note that you will need to be committed to tanning throughout the entire winter season if you choose to use this method to help you battle your depression. If you stop tanning before there is enough sunlight in the day, your symptoms will return. Another option is to combine tanning with light therapy. That way, you can get a great tan without risk of overexposing your skin to ultraviolet rays and it will certainly be a win-win situation!