Tanning before a high school dance has been a rite of passage since Juli Altmyer, owner of Brownbodies Tanning in Bourbonnais, was a teenager.
So the state ban prohibiting people under 18 years of age from using tanning beds is sure to disappoint teens preparing for homecomings, winter dances and proms.
Gov. Pat Quinn signed the ban into law last week. That means Jacqueline Bertrand, a 14-year-old Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School freshman, won't be able to visit tanning salons with her mother starting Jan. 1, when the law takes effect.
Bertrand won't tan by her pool because she burns and doesn't like the peeling skin. And because she prefers not to use makeup, she says she's losing a way to accentuate her natural appearance.
"Now I won't be ready for picture or dances," Bertrand said.
"For them, it's a treat. I'm sure those kids are disappointed," said Altmyer, who has owned the Bourbonnais salon with her mother for 25 years.
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