Is a Year-Round Tan Healthy?
More than a million people visit 18,000 tanning salons in America each day in order to keep that year-round “kissed by the sun” glow. What many of them fail to realize is that “glow” may someday cause malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.
Is this artificial notion of health worth the risk?
Tanning salons promote their services by claiming that their beds emit UVA rays rather than the potentially more harmful UVB rays. However, a 15-20 minute session in a tanning bed equals an entire day of outdoor tanning and UVA rays can be just as damaging to the skin and to the immune system as UVB rays. In fact, the UVA rays emitted from a tanning bed lamp are three times as powerful as those from direct sunlight!
Just what are some of the more serious long-term effects of UVA exposure? They include:
- Eye damage
- Immune system changes
- Wrinkles and premature aging of the skin
- Cataracts
- Sun spots/pigmentation changes on skin
- Skin cancer
Although anyone who is exposed to UVA rays is at risk for these conditions, some are at greater risk, particularly those who have blond, light brown or red hair, those with fair skin, those who burn easily, those who have blue, green or gray eyes, and those who often burn before tanning.
Women, and especially teenage girls frequent tanning salons more often than their male counterparts, making them more vulnerable to the increased risks and damaging effects of UVA exposure.
Research suggests that exposure to the sun is essential to good health. Clearly, tanning booths and exposure to unnaturally high levels of ultraviolet light can compromise your health and later on, your appearance!
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