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Tanning beds & cancer
o
It is generally agreed that ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the most prominent and universal
cancer-causing agent in our environment today. The US
Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National
Toxicology Program Report on Carcinogens (cancer-causing agents) states
that UV solar radiation or the Sun, and use of sun lamps and tanning beds are "known to be a
human carcinogen." Therefore, precautions should be considered
when exposure to the Sun or tanning beds is expected.
o Some scientists
have suggested recently
that there may be an association between UVA radiation (the type of
radiation that makes up most of the radiation in tanning beds) and
malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.
However, they do
not have any
statistical data
to back their
claim.
o
There is persuasive evidence that each of the three main types of skin
cancer, basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and
melanoma, is caused by sun exposure. But they
have not
connected these
same statistics
to tanning beds
as of yet.
World Health Organization
statement
o
Because of several alleged adverse effects on human health, the
World Health Organization does not recommend the
use of indoor tanning beds for cosmetic reasons. For example, using a sun
bed without goggles may lead to a condition known as
arc
eye. Therefore, do not use tanning beds
without eyewear, which no salon in the US allows!
The sun versus tanning beds
o
The tan produced by a tanning bed is not as deep as a natural tan produced
in the sun. This is because tanning beds have higher overall levels of
UV than the sun may have on a typical day, so the exposure times are shorter than
the average session spent in the sun to achieve the same amount of tan.
This can cause someone with a dark indoor tan to go outside and get a
bad sunburn quickly because the deeper levels of their skin have not
been exposed previously, and have no natural protection above what white
skin would have.
o It is strongly recommended that a person
does NOT tan
indoors and outdoors on the same day, due to the likely chance that they
will get overexposed. Because overexposure actually destroys melanin,
getting a sunburn will result in LESS tanning. The popular wisdom that
you "need to burn to tan" or that a sunburn will turn into a tan is
simply wrong, and greatly increases your chances for skin cancer later
in life.
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