Are Tanning Beds Bad for Diabetes?

Tanning beds are not smart choices for people with diabetes, as diabetics are in greater danger of suffering severe burns and even developing skin cancer than a non-diabetic tanning booth user. Play it safe and avoid tanning beds if you have diabetes.

Increased Burn Danger

• Many diabetics have some degree of nerve damage, which can make it difficult or impossible to feel if your skin is burning until serious damage has already been done. Not being able to accurately tell if a tanning bed is dangerously hot is a serious risk for someone with diabetes.

Increased Cancer Risk

• Tanning beds put everyone at an increased risk for skin cancer, and having diabetes puts you at an increased risk for developing cancer. Combining diabetes with tanning beds means an even higher cancer risk.

Sunburn Stresses

• Sunburns indicate skin damage, which means your body needs to devote resources to healing--and that's fewer resources available to fight disease and infection. Since a diabetic's immune system is already compromised, risking a sunburn in a tanning bed puts you at higher risk for not being able to fight off a serious illness or infection.

Insulin and Heat

• Extreme heat, like that experienced in a tanning bed, can cause insulin to break down and work less effectively. This can cause high blood sugars in someone with diabetes, making him feel sick and rundown and, if experienced regularly, leading to serious complications.

Dangers of Dehydration

• Tanning beds can make you dehydrated, and dehydration means a diabetic's body doesn't break down food or process insulin as well.