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WE RECOMMEND
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The TRUTH about Tanning (and tanning beds)
Why Buy Skin Cancer When You Can Get It for Free?
- More than 1.3 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the US this year.
- One person dies of melanoma every hour.
- Melanoma is the most common form of cancer in women 24-30 years old.
- The lifetime risk of developing melanoma is 1 in 42.
- Tanning bed users have a 1 in 13 risk of developing melanoma.
- People who use tanning beds more than 10 times a year are 8 times more likely to develop malignant melanoma
The Science
There are two major types of ultraviolet radiation -- UV-A and UV-B rays.
- UV-B rays are a shorter wavelength and are absorbed in the top 1mm of the skin, the epidermis, causing sunburn. (UVB = Burning). SPF measures UVB protection.
- UV-A rays are a longer wavelength and penetrate more deeply, into the dermis. There, they cause tanning, damage to connective tissue (collagen), damage to the immune system, and the deadliest skin cancer, melanoma. (UVA = Aging and tanning and cancer)
Tanning beds cause melanoma.
I had a young lady who worked for two years in a tanning parlor and got bed time as part of her compensation. She is less than 26 and will probably die of her disease. |
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Don't Bake, There's Too Much at Stake!
Many people think that tanning beds can tan their skin safely. Too bad that is completely FALSE!
The people who work in tanning salons tell you whatever the tanning booth manufacturers tell them, and manufacturers are only interested in selling tanning booths. This is what the folks in tanning salons should be telling you: There is unequivocal evidence that tanning booths – even the "safe" ones – are unsafe. Tanning booths emit concentrated ultraviolet light, which causes skin cancer, damage to connective tissue (collagen), and damage to Langerhans cells in the skin, an important component of your immune system. It also damages the lymphocytes that circulate in the blood vessels near the skin surface that are responsible for protecting against cancer, and causes cataracts in unprotected eyes. The goggles supplied in tanning salons do not always protect your eyes properly, especially if they are left off to avoid white ‘raccoon eyes’.
Why are tanning beds so bad?
 The newest tanning beds take out most of the UVB, the burning rays, and just have tanning rays (UVA). You are right next to the UVA bulbs, so you are getting radiation much faster than you would at the beach. In fact, just a single 15-to-30 minute session exposes the body to the same amount of harmful UV light as an entire day at the beach! Since you are not burning, you also get a false sense of security and stay longer, getting even more damaged.
Tanning beds make your skin wrinkled and leathery. They emit mainly UVA radiation, the rays responsible for tanning -- not to mention premature skin aging, melanoma, cataracts and immune system damage.
There is no such thing as healthy tan.
The body produces melanin, brown pigment, which makes your skin look darker, to protect itself when it senses that it is being damaged by radiation. So, by definition, you have to do the damage first in order to get your body to make a tan. A tan means your skin has already been damaged!
I want to go to the tanning bed to get a base so I don’t burn on vacation.
Sort of like smoking a few cigarettes to toughen up your lungs so you won't get lung cancer? A very dark “base" (Oprah Winfrey Skin Color) gives you an SPF of less than 3.
You will still burn without additional sunscreen.
My moisturizer and makeup have sunscreen so isn’t that enough?
Foundation and moisturizers shift so much on the skin-thanks to facial movements, sweat, and oil production- that the sunscreen particles slide into the pores and off the skin and become ineffective. After two hours, foundation needs to be reapplied or sunscreen applied over it.
Why did I burn when I used real sunscreen SPF 15 or 30?
One application of sunscreen does not protect you for the whole day; it actually lasts only two hours. 75% of people who used sunscreen and burned did so because they forgot to reapply it! They also don’t apply enough. Once ounce (a jigger) should be one application. An 8-ounce bottle should provide 8 applications. It also needs to be applied 15-20 minutes before exposure on bare skin (apply it naked) so it is fully absorbed into the skin. Sunscreen also doesn’t last forever. Throw out bottles over 2 years old. SPF also only gives information about UVB (burning) protection, not UVA protection!
If I wear a high SPF sunscreen, can I stay in the sun as long as I want?
SPF represents a sunscreen’s ability to shield against only UVB (burning) rays. It measures the length of time a product prevents skin reddening from UVB compared to how long reddening happens without protection. SPF gives NO information about protection against UVA! Most sunscreens provide protection from UVB rays, but not against UVA rays. In the USA, only those products containing Parsol 1789 (avobenzone), titanium dioxide, or zinc oxide protect against both UVB and all UVA rays. Zinc Oxide is best. Read those labels!
Will a tan from using sunless tanner protect me from burning?
No, Sunless tanners do not provide any UV protection at all. Sunless tanners have a dye called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) that binds to the upper layer of skin to produce the brown color. They are safe and the recommended way to turn dark.
The pros to tanning beds?
Frankly, there aren't any. Skip them altogether and invest in a bottle of self-tanner, use full spectrum sunscreens, wear protective clothing and sunglasses. Get a hat from www.sundayafternoons.com and avoid midday sun.
Still want to ‘lay out’ and go to tanning beds?
 Then I appreciate your contributions to my retirement fund and children's college funds by guaranteeing you'll be seeing me for skin cancers and premature wrinkling. One last thought- buy your life insurance now- it’s hard to get when you’ve got melanoma!
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