Are Tanning Beds Safer Than The Sun?
I have heard this argument for years!
And many people believe that it is. They think that because the UV radiation is controlled, it must be safer.
Have you been to tanning salons?
Did you think it was a safer way of obtaining some color, maybe during the winter months?
What has been your understanding of the safety of tanning beds?
I mean, you don’t get burned and it’s only in small increments of time, right?
Wrong.
- Since melanoma is caused by sunburn, the tanning industry argues that tanning beds are more of a ‘controlled’ tanning and that it actually prevents melanoma by “building up the protective pigment in the skin.”
(Read ‘How Does A Tan Contribute To Sun Damage?’)
- However, the activation of the melanocytes and the stimulation of pigment (i.e. a tan) is actually a self-defense mechanism your body uses to indicate damage has already occurred.
As James M. Spencer, MD sensibly states: “You can’t protect the skin by damaging it.”
- Some states have special safety requirements for salons (to provide protective eyewear for example or to “post a sign on the booth warning people who sunburn easily that tanning puts them at a higher risk for damage”) which most never follow.
- Studies have actually shown that tanning salons frequently exceed what is deemed ‘safe’ UV limits by the FDA by up to 95%!
The question the FDA is pondering now is: should they ban tanning salons altogether to help save millions of lives?
After all, it is now proven that “tanning not only increases the risk for melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma, but accelerates skin aging.”
To read more on this topic, click here.
What has been YOUR experience with tanning beds?
Let us know by leaving a comment.
Until next time,
The Derma Divas.
