Tanning
The Dangers of Tanning
A tan, whether you get it on the beach, in a bed, or through incidental exposure, is bad news, any way you acquire it. Tans are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning lamps, and if you have one, you’ve sustained skin cell damage.
No matter what you may hear at tanning salons, the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation can lead to premature skin aging (wrinkles, lax skin, brown spots, and more), as well as skin cancer. In fact, indoor ultraviolet (UV) tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.
For the real facts about the dangers of tanning and how to get a bronzed glow without risking your health, read the tanning information below.
Featured Stories
Melanoma Soars
Among Young Adults
A new study has revealed an alarming rise in melanoma among people aged 18 to 39: over the past 40 years, rates of this potentially deadly skin cancer grew by 800 percent among young women and 400 percent among young men. Researchers examined data on the 256 young adults in Olmstead County, MN, who were diagnosed with melanoma between 1970 and 2009.
Response to the FDA’s Proposed Order to Reclassify Tanning Beds
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a proposed order that, if finalized, would reclassify ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices as moderate risk devices (class II). The proposed order also requires warning labels on the devices and in related promotional material, alerting young people to the dangers associated with their use.
A growing body of research indicates that for frequent tanners, a direct effect on mood may be motivating many people to lie in the sun or in a tanning bed. “I know I’ll probably get skin cancer from tanning, but that will be when I’m old, like in my forties.” The 1960s started the "Bronze Age" of tanning, but the tide is turning on tanning particularly with celebrities. Tanning is a fairly recent trend. Tanned skin is not, nor has it ever been, a universally accepted ideal.Learn More About Tanning
Hooked on Tanning: Why You Shouldn't Start
Apperance Trumps Health as an Anti-Tanning Argument
From Bardot to Beckham the Decline of Celebrity Tanning
The Tale of Tanning