Tanning Bed Safety & Cancer Issues

Lie down in a tanning bed, listen to music and get a golden tan without ever having to go outside. The problem with that scenario lies in the risk of skin cancer. Ultraviolet (UV) light is necessary to produce a tan, whether from the sun or artificial light. Those UV rays, in addition to turning the skin darker, break down cells. That damage, if sustained over time, can lead to skin cancer.

Function

• Tanning beds were designed to provide an indoor environment where a person could receive a tan at any time of the day or night or year. No more trips to the beach or pool. No more fading tans in the winter months. Tan at eight o'clock at night in January while there is snow on the ground. Tanning beds accomplish this by emitting what is known as UVA rays. Lying in the tanning bed exposes the entire body to the rays. The amount of tan depends upon the time spent in the bed and the frequency of use.

Effects

• Tanning beds produce a tan. The product works as advertised. UVA rays from the tanning bed light penetrate the skin to the lower layers of the epidermis where they cause melanocytes to produce melanin, the brown pigment that produces a tan. Melanin is the body's reaction to the UVA rays that prevents sunburn. The problem lies in the side effect of skin cancer developing as well. Because skin cancer develops slowly over time, the effects of the tanning bed will be slow to appear. It may take years, or decades, for those cells to turn to cancer.

Precautions

• To minimize the risk of developing skin cancer from using tanning beds, limit the time spent in each session; the longer you stay, the higher the risk. Cover body parts that never see the sun in normal activities; that skin is too prone to burn. Wear sunscreen, the higher the sun protection factor (SPF) number the better. Always wear eye protection. Avoid daily sessions in the tanning bed. Strive for some amount of tan, not the darkest skin. By taking these kinds of precautions, you have no guarantee of being free of skin cancer but you have lowered your chances of developing it.

Regulation

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has regulatory power over tanning beds. According to the FDA, tanning beds are considered hazardous, producing eye and skin injuries and allergic reactions. In addition, continued exposure over a period of time may lead to premature skin aging and skin cancer. In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, issued a report that concluded that people under 30 who use tanning beds increase their lifetime risk of developing melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, by 75 percent. That report has lead to legislation in various states regulating the use of tanning beds.