With the excitement of prom filling the hallways and swimsuit season approaching, tanning salons are a hot place for teens. It’s time to come out of hibernation from the cold weather and hit the tanning bed to be bronze and beautiful for spring. But what about all the hazards of tanning? Is the summer glow worth the cancerous risks?
Tanning machines emit dangerous ultraviolet radiation exposing tanners to as much as 12 times the annual ultraviolet radiation they would receive from regular sun exposure. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, UV radiation is a proven human carcinogen and is linked with a higher risk of all forms of skin cancer, including melanoma. Melanoma is the most common form of skin cancer among young adults 25-29 years old and that’s due to fake suntans. On average, tanners are 74% more likely to develop melanoma than non-tanners. As well as, 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma, the two most common skin cancers.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “the UV radiation causes a destructive process of photoaging, premature skin aging due to UV exposure, which produces profound structural changing in the skin including fine wrinkles, blotchiness, sagging, and a leathery texture.” The more you tan the closer you get to having your skin begin photoaging. The process can appear as early as 20 years old if you have spent a great deal of time during your teenage years in a tanning bed. In the 15 minutes you spend in a tanning bed, you could be accelerating the aging of your skin five to seven years. You may have sleek, bronze skin but underneath that tan lie lifelong effects including cancer, wrinkles, and leathery skin.
However, there are some positives about tanning. Mike Holick, a professor of dermatology and medicine physiology, states that you need 1000 international units of Vitamin D a day. Even if you drink two glasses of milk and two glasses of orange juice, you are only getting about 40% of the daily Vitamin D required. Vitamin D is known to protect against bone diseases and may protect against diseases such as multiple sclerosis, hypertension, and depression, as well as colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Holick says one of the best ways to get the 1000 international units of Vitamin D is to be moderately exposed to sunlight. A simple way to do that would be to go to a tanning salon, especially if you live in place where sunlight is scarce.
Teens are repeatedly reminded of the facts and risks of tanning yet they tend to disregard them. Some alternatives to tanning beds are self-tanning products or sunless tanning lotions. By temporarily dyeing the top layer of skin, these products are less dangerous than tanning beds. Though lotions and spray tan products will eventually fade, harm done to the skin by fake suntans remains permanent.
Next time you are laying in a tanning bed, soaking up UV radiation, remember the risks you are taking and the damage you are doing to your skin.