About Home Tanning Beds

Is Tanning Healthy?

There is overwhelming evidence to support that ultraviolet radiation is a cause of skin cancer. In spite of this factual information, people are flocking to indoor tanning salons to achieve that "healthy glow." And they are becoming more popular all the time. In fact, the indoor tanning business has reached $2 billion a year in the United States alone. There are approximately 28 million Americans who tan indoors at the approximately 25,000 tanning salons throughout the country. Many people are deceived by the advertising that indicates that indoor tanning is not only safe, but is, in fact, healthy. This is simply not the case, although a person may look healthy with a tan.

Tanning is actually a darkening of the skin from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Researchers have induced tanning by applying portions of DNA to animal and human skin, however the precise means of tanning is not known. There are some people who cannot tan, such as those who are very fair-skinned, who merely burn and freckle, or burn and peel. The tanning process in people who do tan is caused when the brown pigment of their skin, called melanin, is produced and spreads along the superficial part of the skin, known as the epidermis, after exposure to the UV rays. This pigment in turn minimally protects the skin from further damage to UV radiation exposure. This result, in part, is what gives people the impression that a tan is healthy, however, that is not true. In order for a tan to develop, damage to the DNA had to have been produced.

Physicians and other health care specialists have often questioned the use of indoor tanning for cosmetic reasons. In 1994, the American Medical Association (AMA) adopted a resolution which called for a ban on selling and using tanning equipment for purposes other than medical reasons. The United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) declined to issue a ban as it did not agree with the AMA's opinion. In fact the FTC went a step further and prohibited the tanning industry from marketing their products for any reason other than cosmetic purposes. Therefore, by law, the tanning industry is not allowed to make health claims. (Thus, it cannot lawfully claim that an indoor tan is healthy.) However, the tanning industry is trying to institute a change whereby it can market the "health advantages" of indoor tanning. Although their claims are quite weak in that area, whereas the risks of indoor tanning remain strong.

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All rights reserved. All service marks and trademarks are properties of their respective owners. All articles are the opinion of the author and is not to be used as medical advice. Always consult with your doctor before using a tanning bed.