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Tanning Facts – Bottle, Bed or Sun (Part 2)

It’s hard not to associate summer with sunshine and tanning. We all covet that “healthy glow,” but what measures are we willing to take to get it? To make things easier for the tan-lovers out there, your Knoxville Dermatology team put together the facts about bottle, bed and sun tanning. In this entry, we’ll talk about tanning beds.

Bed:

Don’t be fooled by the tanning bed industry. They’ve fed us all lines about “healthy rays” and getting a “base tan” to keep from burning. But the truth is, tanning is just not a part of living a healthy life – whether it’s by bed or by sun.

Further research has shown us the dangers of tanning beds. Last year, the International Agency for Research on Cancer shifted indoor tanning beds to the highest cancer risk category – “carcinogenic to humans.” They cause users to become more vulnerable to melanoma; your risk increases 75% if used only once before the age of 35. Tanning is equivalent to a sunburn in terms of the effect on your skin, so despite developing a “base tan” or easing into it, you are still causing DNA damage to your skin.

Other consequences of indoor tanning are premature aging and wrinkles. Immune system suppression and eye damage are side effects that have also been linked to indoor tanning.

Now we don’t want to mislead you. We are not saying you should avoid the sun and UV rays at all costs. We’re simply saying you should understand the risks and monitor your sun and UV ray exposure. If you have any questions about tanning beds or UV rays, feel free to call us at 865-690-9467 or check out our blog for more information on tanning beds, UVA and UVB rays, SPF and more.

The Effects of Tanning Beds

Thanks to years of research we are more aware of the damages tanning and UV rays have on our skin. But even with this research and the advancements we’ve made in skin protection, skin cancer is still the most common form of cancer in the U.S., affecting more than 3.5 million people annually. While we monitor our exposure outside, tanning beds are just as damaging to your skin as laying out by the pool, if not more.

Tanning beds often exceed “safe” UV limits, despite what the salon claims. For example, did you know a tanning lamp can emit 10 to 15 times the amount of UVA radiation produced by the sun? A tan induces the same type of damages to your skin as a sunburn. It causes DNA damage to the skin and increases your risk of developing melanoma even just after one burn. In fact, indoor UV tanners are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.

In the U.S. alone, 419,254 cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning – 6,199 are melanoma cases. These numbers are shocking because melanoma is one of the most preventable forms of cancer. Self-tanners are a much safer option to getting that “healthy glow”. Let’s keep these facts at the top of mind as we enter Melanoma Awareness Month next month.

If you have any questions about tanning beds or about changes in your skin, please call us today at 865-690-9467. Skin health is an important part of total body wellness. Schedule an appointment with one of our board certified physicians to get your skin the care it needs so it can reach its fullest, healthiest potential.