Tanning Salon Dangers

  

What are tanning salons?

Tanning salons are sources of ultraviolet radiation (light). Usually, they give off a type of ultraviolet light called UVA. This type of radiation penetrates into the second layer of skin known as the dermis.

 
  

Are tanning salons safer than the sun?

Absolutely not! The sun gives off ultraviolet rays, especially UVA and UVB. The UVA rays given off in high doses from tanning salons are not safer than the sun. Using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 8 or higher protects you just as much as a tan from a tanning salon. Therefore, it is much safer to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher than to get a "base" tan from a tanning salon.

 
  

What are the dangers of using a tanning salon?

Short Term Dangers: Your eyes can be severely burned if not properly shielded during light exposure. Some medications, such as antibiotics and those for arthritis and diabetes, can make you much more sensitive to the tanning lights and cause a severe total body burn.  A tanning light can trigger some light sensitive illnesses that can be very serious (lupus erythematosus and porphyria).  Some people get white splotches on their skin from using tanning oils and beds.  Long Term Dangers:  Dark freckling, or lentigines, wrinkling, leathery skin and other signs of sun damage are seen especially from tanning salons, where the light penetrates into the deeper skin layers.  Scientists have shown a direct link between skin cancers and tanning salon use.

 
  

What are my options to tanning?

Using a tanning gel to get "color" does not increase your risk of skin cancer or wrinkling. However, remember that those tans do not give you any protection from the sun.