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You Are Here >> Your Skin >> Tanning
Tanning
There is no such thing as a safe tan.
Since sun damage may not be immediately visible, many people don't realize the dangers of tanning.
Tanning is a sign of the skin reacting to potentially damaging UV radiation by producing additional pigmentation that provides it with some, but not nearly enough, protection against sunburn.
When your skin becomes tan, it is really a sign that your skin cells have been hurt by the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, and it can be deadly.
Today, more young people than ever are getting skin cancer, which is the most serious consequence of overexposure to the sun, and, a delayed effect that usually doesn't show up for many years.
Harmful rays from the sun, sunlamps and tanning beds, even tanning without burning, can still damage skin tissue and cause premature aging of the skin - wrinkles, or leathery skin, sagging, uneven texture and coloring, and give you unsightly skin spots, weaken your immune system, cause eye problems, skin cancer, and lip cancer. Even a few serious sunburns can increase a person's risk for skin cancer.
Tanning Indoors
Trying to get a tan is dangerous both outside and inside. DON'T USE TANNING BEDS. Indoor tanning salons use light bulbs in the beds that give off dangerous UV rays, the same rays found outside. Rays from tanning beds and sunlamps are just as dangerous - sometimes more dangerous - than the sun's rays.
Other Indoor Methods
There are other indoor methods that do not use UV rays, including spray tans you can get at a salon and tanning lotions or gels that you can buy at a drugstore or department store.
While there is no known risk for skin cancer with these products, you do have to be careful.
Spray tans, lotions, or gels use a color additive, that makes your skin look tan, called DHA that is approved - considered safe - for use on the outside of your body by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
If you use a sunless tanning product on your own, or go to a salon for a spray tan, make sure that your eyes, nose, and mouth are covered. Avoid inhaling the spray. Use sunscreen along with self-tanning and bronzing products, as these products do not offer protection from the sun's rays.
Tanning Pills
There are no safe tanning pills. Tanning pills can cause serious health problems. No tanning pills of any kind have been approved by FDA.
There are companies that market products they call "tanning pills." Some of these pills contain a color additive known as canthaxanthin, which, when ingested, can turn the skin a range of colors from orange to brown. Canthaxanthin is only approved for use as a color additive in foods and oral medications, and only in small amounts.
The summer season is obvious for sun safety with picnics, trips to the pool and beach, but winter skiers and fall hikers need to be as wary of the sun's rays as swimmers do. People who work outdoors need to take precautions as well.
Sun Protection
- When possible, avoid outdoor activities during midday, when the sun's rays are strongest. This usually means the hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. UV rays can reach you on cloudy days and during any season, no matter what the temperature is outside. They can also reach you by reflecting off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow.
- Wear protective clothing, such as a wide brimmed hat, long sleeved shirt, and long pants. If you can't wear long shirts and pants, try to stay in the shade and wear sunscreen.
- Wear wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV ray protection to protect your eyes.
- Always use a broad-spectrum sunscreen and lipscreen with at least SPF 15 or higher every day. Broad spectrum means that it will protect you from both UVA and UVB rays, the two types of rays that can hurt your skin. Follow the directions on the bottle to reapply and check the expiration date. Sunscreen without an expiration date will last no more than three years. Sunscreen will not last as long if it is stored in very hot or very cold temperatures.
- Not all makeup that has sunscreen in it offers enough protection. Wear sunscreen, too.
If you have acne, waterproof sunscreen could make your skin break out, try using regular sunscreen more often, instead.
Medicines such as the antibiotic tetracycline or birth control pills make your skin extra sensitive, so be sure to limit your time in the sun and use sunscreen.
Check For Skin Cancer
Check your skin regularly for signs of skin cancer. Look for changes in the size, shape, color or feel of birthmarks, moles and spots. If you find any changes or find sores that are not healing, see your doctor.
References:
1) U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) - September 2008 - www.fda.gov
2) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - October 2007 - www.hhs.gov