As unbelieveable as it may seem, the tanning bed industry has begun a national campaign trying to persuade the American public that getting a tan or visiting a tanning bed is actually safe and that dermatologists are simply trying to scare people into thinking that tanning causes skin cancer. They are even going so far as to place full page ads into national newspapers and run television commercials!

The truth is that every day, an estimated 1 million Americans seek out tanning salons nationwide unaware that a mere 20 minutes spent in their favorite booth is equivalent to spending an entire day at the beach. And despite the popular notion that tanning beds offer a "safe" alternative to getting a tan, nothing could be further from the truth.

While everyone seems to know the dangers related to outdoor tanning, few seem to realize that exposure to a sunlamp or use of a tanning bed or booth is now listed as a "known human carcinogen". This declaration was made in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Public Health's Report, "National Toxicology Program's Ninth Report On Carcinogens 2000".

Worldwide studies ranging from Baylor University in Texas to Italy and Sweden have repeatedly shown that the vast majority of teenagers surveyed were unaware of the potential dangers associated with the use of tanning beds. And while a significant number of those teens had already experienced significant damage to their skin, at least those under the age of 16 were more willing to modify their behavior when educated about these risks. A year ago I would have naively thought that tanning bed use was on the decline. But last spring while touring the SouthEast it seems that most women I spoke with were going to tanning beds.

Truth In Advertising?

Claims made by tanning salons that tanning beds are safe would seem to have been convincing as evidenced by the large number of loyal followers. But these purveyors have been proven wrong.

Why aren't tanning beds safe? Primarily, exposure to ultraviolet light alters cellular DNA and other skin proteins that drastically increase one's risk of developing skin cancer. In Sweden, researchers found that young people under the age of 30 were more likely to develop melanoma (a potentially fatal form of skin cancer) at a rate of 7 times that of the rest of the population.

Also, it is well documented that the earlier in life one experiences UV skin damage, the more likely melanoma will develop. Most tanning bed users tend to be under the age of 30 which makes them highly vulnerable. The last 3 melanoma patients I have had were all young women in their early 20's with fair complexions and avid tanning bed users. Fortunately for them it appears all 3 melanomas were discovered early.

All Rays Are Not Created Equal

Sure, the tanning parlor may claim their tanning beds are safe, free of those "burning" UVB rays. But what are these rays and how do they affect the skin?

There are 2 forms of damaging ultraviolet wavelengths of light transmitted by the sun. UVB (the burning rays) are relatively short. These tend to cause more superficial epidermal burns and sun damage. UVB exposure contributes to the formation of blotchy skin discoloration.

Then there are the UVA rays. These rays are much longer and can penetrate down into the dermis. These rays can cause damage to cellular DNA, collagen and elastin fibers (think wrinkles!), dermal blood vessels and other deeply situated structures.

While the early forms of tanning bed lights used UVB bulbs, the concern that customers would get burned by these short wavelengths caused the manufacturers to switch to the UVA bulbs; more damaging but far more subtle. So while it's true you may be less vulnerable to receiving a bad burn in the booth, your skin receives far worse UV damage. And it has been proven that at least 5% of the rays given off by UVA bulbs are in fact UVB anyway.

Now you'd think that just like cigarettes, there would be a warning label associated with a known carcinogen and a significant degree of monitoring. However, a study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (JAAD) published in January of 2001 profiled an investigation of tanning salons located in San Diego. Amazingly enough, none of them complied with all 13 required regulations and recommendations. Failure to obtain parental consent was quite low, just 43%. The conclusion: mandatory comprehensive training of facility operators and establishment of enforceable penalties was needed to help protect the consumer.

Perhaps enforcement is made more difficult by the split responsibilities of the FDA and FTC. The FTC goes after false claims as to the effectiveness or safety of tanning beds. And while the FDA is on record as discouraging the use of tanning beds, they are strictly responsible for supervising label claims on the machines themselves. This dichotomy makes it twice as difficult to monitor what goes on within the tanning industry.

Before And After

Have you ever seen a poster in a tanning salon that showed a pale perky 18 year old girl on one side (before) and a weathered wrinkled 65 year old woman on the other? Of course not, but that's exactly how a sun worshipper's appearance can age. And let's not forget another scenario...a lengthy scar from the excision of a skin cancer. So before you're seduced by the sun-kissed goddess looking at you from the that sales brochure, think ahead to what other "after" consequences you may have to look forward to.

The Ugly Side Of Tanning

Here are some of the risks one takes by getting as tan as they can.

• Skin Cancer You're looking at a 4-7 fold increase in skin cancer, including malignant melanoma, from frequenting tanning beds.
• Wrinkles My sister is the blonde version of me and was quite the sun worshipper while we were growing up. She might not like me saying it, but I think she now looks far older than I do. Why hasten the onset of wrinkles by working on your tan?
• Decreased Immunity Ultraviolet light, particularly UVA, diminishes the ability of the T cell to function appropriately. That's one of the reasons medical UVA is used in the treatment of such severe skin diseases as T cell lymphoma and generalized psoriasis. But do you really want to decrease your body's ability to fight infection or early forming cancer? It may seem strange but skin cancer is caused by 2 events caused by UVA light. The cellular DNA damage and the reduced immune system ability to destroy these early cancer cells.
• Leathery Skin Texture If you want your skin to be weathered, lined and leathery later in life, the tanning bed is the way to go. There's a reason our great grandmothers tried to avoid the sun, wore their bonnets and took milk baths. They were trying to keep their skin soft and youthful.
• Formation of Superficial Blood Vessels Years of sun damage are often the reason baby boomers notice those fine "broken" blood vessels (really telangiectasias). Many may blame rosacea but the truth is that sun damage is a far more likely culprit.
• Skin Discoloration You may be on hormones, you may be pregnant, but you're not going to develop melasma and freckles without the main component: sunlight. Increase the intensity and voile, you've got blotchy skin.

Before You Hit The Beach

What of your concerns, you say, about the need to get a "base" tan before heading to the tropics this winter? What's spring break without the ritual of hitting the tanning parlor? Well, the truth is, you're likely doing more damage in the tanning bed since you probably apply sunscreen at the beach. And UV exposure in a tanning bed can make the skin even more vulnerable to outdoor sunburns following use of a tanning bed. So, there really is no such thing as helping protect your skin by getting a base tan.

Get A Healthy Tan The Old Fashioned Way…Out Of A Bottle!

Self tanners continue to be the mainstay of achieving that bronzed look safely. No longer the foul smelling, orange staining concoctions of our youth, self tanners have matured along with the rest of us. Now you can feel like you're experiencing the hedonism of the tropics with a self tanners like Rodial Brazilian Tan - DARK, GlowFusion Micro-Nutrient Face & Body Natural Protein Tan - Medium, Peter Thomas Roth Natural Looking Self-Tanner or Cellex-C Bio-Tan Sunless Tanning Gel.

Self tanners contain the active agent dihydroxyacetone. This ingredient works via a chemical reaction with the most superficial cells of the epidermis inducing a color change. DHA has been determined to be a safe ingredient by the FDA. Self tanners typically last between 3-4 days. Reapplication of a self tanner every few days will maintain your bronzed appearance. Not safe, however, are tanning pills. These contain canthaxanthin an ingredient implicated in causing hives and drug induced hepatitis. These pills are not approved for sale in the United States.

Women looking for some additional color can add a bronzer such as Fusion Beauty GlowFusion Micro-Tech Intuitive Active Bronzer or T. LeClerc Pressed Powder Bronzer - Terre de Sienne (Limited Edition) to their make-up routine.

Tan if you must, but get it out of a bottle. Wear your sunscreen, start your skin rejuvenation before all the sun damage shows. You'll be amazed how great you look.

I urge everyone not to let the propoganda spread by an industry out to make a buck influence your healthy habits. Tell everyone you know the truth about the risks and dangers of tanning beds and help us put a dent into skin cancer statistics.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this important information. I hope you have found this article informative.

Audrey Kunin, M.D.

(Any topic discussed in this article is not intended as medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please check with your doctor.)

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