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What Are the Dangers of Using Tanning Beds?

There are many dangers associated with the use of tanning beds. The dangers range from the superficial--premature aging and wrinkles--to life-threatening cancer. Tanning beds have shown to be even more dangerous than "natural" tanning outdoors, since the UVA and UVB rays are more concentrated.

  1. Premature Aging

    • Tanning breaks down the skin elasticity leading to sagging, wrinkles and sunspots. While the gradual breakdown of skin is inevitable over time, tanning increases the deterioration. Many teenagers begin tanning with the idea that wrinkles and lines are far off. But research shows that that people who begin tanning as teens will have the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles around the eyes and face by their mid-20s.

    Sunburn

    • While a sunburn seems like a minor inconvenience, FDA studies have shown that even one serious sunburn increases the risk for skin cancer. Studies have shown links between the number of sunburns a person has and developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer.

    Melanoma

    • Research has shown that a tan occurs when cells in the skin produce a stimulant to darken skin color as a protective measure. The stimulant that creates a tan is the same stimulant that can lead to the production of cancerous cells. Cancer occurs when normal cells undergo a transformation and multiply without normal controls. Most often skin cancer will first present itself as a mole, a small darkened spot on the skin. While tanning outdoors can lead to cancer also, tanning beds often accelerate the process since people tan year-round and get an increased amount of UVA and UVB rays.

    Signs of Skin Cancer

    • One of the first signs of skin cancer is a new mole or growth of an existing mole. Almost every person has moles, but most moles are not cancerous. Moles should be smooth to the touch, uniform in color and circular or oval in shape. Moles that have irregular edges or change color or texture may be precancerous and should be immediately checked by a dermatologist. Most moles are precancerous and can be easily removed before the cancer spreads. If left unchecked, the precancerous mole may grow into a more dangerous and harder-to-treat form of cancer. Precancerous moles are significant signs of skin damage down to the cellular level and should be taken very seriously

    Eye Damage

    • Tanning without proper eye protection can cause yellowing of the whites of the eyes and even corneal damage leading to sight loss. Studies have shown that increased radiation from tanning causes cataracts. While cataracts can be removed surgically, they do damage the vision and can lead to further problems.

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