Using a tanning bed to turn your skin a sun-kissed bronze color has become a common way of life among many Americans. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than one million people visit tanning salons every day. This staggering number doesn’t even include the additional people who use tanning beds at home. If you’re one of these users, or if you’re considering using a tanning bed to turn your skin dark, then you need to know the pros and cons of using a tanning bed.
All tanning beds basically work the same way. The most common type of tanning bed resembles a clamshell. Basically, the user opens the lid and lies down on a piece of clear Plexiglas®. Inside the lid and under the Plexiglas® are tubes that produce extremely bright light. The light emits either ultraviolet rays (UVB) or longwave (UVA) rays. The rays, in turn, cause the skin to turn a shade or more darker.
Unfortunately, you can count the “pros” of using a tanning bed on one hand:
1. Fit and Healthy Feelings
The majority of the people who use a tanning bed like the way that having tanned skin makes them feel. It gives them self-confidence because they look fit and healthy.
2. Relaxed Moods
Using tanning beds reportedly gives people better, relaxed moods.
3. Production of Melanin
When the skin is exposed to ultraviolet rays and begins to tan, the body produces a pigment known as “Melanin.” Melanin helps protect the skin from becoming burned from over-exposure to ultraviolet rays.
4. Production of Vitamin D
Our bodies produce Vitamin D when we are exposed to natural or artificial sunlight. This vitamin is valuable in helping to keep our bones, teeth and joints strong.
The “cons” of using a tanning bed far outweigh the pros:
1. Tanned Skin = Damaged Skin
Ironically, the same tanned-skin look that many people prize to look fit isn’t healthy. In reality, tanned skin is damaged skin. It’s turned darker because the body has produced Melanin in an effort to protect itself from the ultraviolet rays.
2. Skin Problems
The ultraviolet rays that make tanning bed work have also been shown to cause premature wrinkling and skin rashes. Using a tanning bed can also cause dry, rough skin. Hives is also a known side-effect of using a tanning bed.
And, overexposure to the ultraviolet rays that a tanning bed emits can lead to serious skin burns.
3. A Proven Cause of Skin Cancer
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) consider tanning beds to be “probable health hazards.” It’s estimated that more than one million people are diagnosed with Melanoma (skin cancer) annually. What is one of the worse culprits? Tanning beds.
All three organizations give tanning bed use a “thumbs down” rating. If you want tanned skin, it’s recommended that you buy a bottle of sun-less tanning oil instead.
4. Eye Damage
Using a tanning bed without protecting your eyes properly can easily cause burns to the corneas, retinal damage and cataracts.
