Many people like to use sunlamps and tanning beds to have a bronzed body all year round.
But recent research has shown that the ultraviolet (UV) radiation from these devices can bring big health risks.
This is because any tan is a sign of skin damage. It is the skin’s reaction to exposure to UV rays.
The skin recognizes UV rays as an insult and acts in self-defense by producing more melanin, which is a pigment that darkens the skin.
According to Sharon Miller, M.S.E.E., a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and international expert on UV radiation and tanning, indoor tanning can bring five serious health risks.
Skin cancer
Research has shown that exposure to UV radiation from the sun or from tanning beds could increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
The most dangerous type of skin cancer is melanoma. It is linked to severe sunburns.
Indoor tanning is strongly associated with two types of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
Premature aging
Indoor tanning can make the skin lose elasticity and wrinkle prematurely. This premature aging effect may not show up until many years after people have had a tan or sunburn.
Weak immune system
Some UV radiation may suppress functions of the body’s immune system and the skin’s natural defenses. This can make people more vulnerable to diseases, including skin cancer.
Eye damage
Exposure to UV radiation can cause irreversible damage to the eyes.
Allergy
Research has shown that some people who are especially sensitive to UV radiation may develop an itchy red rash and other adverse effects.
Although tanning devices are thought to be less dangerous than sun tanning because people can control the intensity of UV radiation and the time spent tanning, there is no scientific evidence to support these claims.
The researcher suggests that sunlamps may be more dangerous than the sun because they can be used at the same high intensity every day of the year.
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