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The Truth About Tanning

Posted on February 02, 2018

Did you know that tanning is no longer “in”? After reading the following facts about indoor tanning, we hope you will agree.

Tanning greatly increases your risk of skin cancers, including melanoma which can be deadly. Using tanning beds before age 30 increases your risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent. Occasional use of tanning beds triples your risks. The more sessions and hours spent tanning also further increases the risks of developing melanoma and other types of skin cancer.

Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old. Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer death in women 25-30 years old and the second leading cause of cancer death in women 30-35 years old. In fact, it is so dangerous that, to date, fifteen US states and the District of Columbia have banned indoor tanning for all minors. At least 42 states and the District of Columbia regulate the use of tanning facilities by minors.

Tanning causes premature skin aging. Tanning bed use, or exposure to ultraviolet light, causes premature skin aging such as wrinkles, fine lines, and brown spots.

Can a “base tan” prevent you from getting sunburned? Studies have shown that when your skin tans, it is a manifestation of DNA damage to skin cells. We hear from patients all the time that they “only” get “base tan” to make their sunny vacations safer for their skin. This is completely false. Studies have shown that “base tan” does not protect against sunburn or sun damage, and is only equivalent to Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of about 3. Compare that with the currently advised SPF for sunscreens of 30 or above.

Tanning beds are designed to cause less burning (i.e. sunburn-type reaction) than sunlight, but tanning bed lights are even more cancer-inducing than sunlight. The majority of tanning bulbs emit Ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, which is significantly more cancer-inducing than Ultraviolet B (UVB). However, the former causes less burning than the latter, which may make tanning bed users feel a false sense of security.

Would you like a safe source of Vitamin D? The answer is supplementation, not tanning beds. Sadly, some in the indoor tanning industry has been touting tanning bed use as the way to obtain Vitamin D. Vitamin D is produced in our bodies using UVB, while most tanning bulbs emit UVA radiation. Instead, all of the needed Vitamin D can be fulfilled safely from a healthy diet or Vitamin D supplementation.

Tanning is addictive. Studies have shown that tanning bed use induces endorphins, which are the “feel good” natural chemicals in our brains. This is why tanning is addictive, comparable to alcohol or tobacco use. Some melanoma survivors who already know the dangers of tanning still cannot help but continue this destructive habit, due to its addictive property. If you have used tanning beds, it is strongly advised to stop doing so. Since a history of tanning bed use significantly increases one’s risk of skin cancers and precancers, it would be prudent to have regular (at least yearly) full body skin examinations for early detection and treatment.