On an average day, more than 1 million Americans tan in tanning salons. Of the customers, 70 percent are Caucasian girls and women, age 16 to 49. These numbers continue to rise each year, despite research that shows the risks of indoor tanning, including premature aging such as age spots and wrinkles, and even worse, the danger of skin cancer.
The American Academy of Dermatology is speaking out on the dangers, specifically targeting teenagers with the facts about indoor tanning. [FYI: Outdoor tanning from the sun isn’t a better or safer alternative.]
These are the facts:
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There are 2 types of ultraviolet (UV) radiation: UVA and UVB. UVA has been recognized as a deeper penetrating radiation that causes more damage while UVB has long been associated with burn. Both types damage the skin by tanning and burning the skin. Most salons use bulbs in their tanning beds that emit a significant amount of UVA and UVB radiation. Additionally, research has found that tanning lamps emit UV rays that can be up to 15 times stronger than the sun. There is no “safe” UV light. Research has shown that UV light is the primary preventable cause of skin cancer. Avoiding excessive exposure to the sun and other forms of UV radiation is the solution.
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According to a 2002 survey published in the Archives of Dermatology, 47% of students at a Midwestern university had used indoor tanning beds in 2001. Of those surveyed, 90% also admitted to knowing that tanning is a health risk, yet they continued to use tanning beds frequently.
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Indoor tanning can be habit-forming. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that some frequent tanners, those who tan 8 to 15 times a month, developed withdrawal-like symptoms after discontinuing tanning. The study authors suggest that ultraviolet (UV) exposure may have an addictive quality in frequent tanners. The study also determined the tanners found the presence of UV to be desirable and associated it with positive sensations of relaxation.
- Estimates are there will be more than 100,000 new cases of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, diagnosed in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared UV radiation from the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sun lamps, as a known cause of cancer.
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