Healthy Body
Tanning and Skin Cancer: A Burn is Only the Beginning
June 2016
Staff
When the days get warm and the beach and golf course beckon, the danger of skin cancer looms large, making proper skin protection essential. However, the danger doesn’t only exist outside. Indoor tanning, an unhealthy and downright dangerous practice, continues to be popular, particularly with American girls in their teens and early twenties. And it’s absolutely no secret that it also leads to skin cancer. Data published by the National Institutes of Health in 2014 estimates that tanning beds account for as many as 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the United States each year, including 6,000 cases of melanoma, the deadliest form. With an estimated (and whopping) 40% of teenage girls in this country on the indoor tanning bandwagon, this has clearly become a major health issue.
Sunburn vs. Indoor Tan
There are two types of skin cancers: those that cause melanoma and those that don’t. While melanomas are considered the deadliest kind, both types are dangerous. There is a clear link between sunburn and increased risk of skin cancer, and there is new data suggesting an even higher risk linked to indoor tanning. So, while it would be unreasonable to stay inside and out of the sun for the entire summer, the only reasonable option when it comes to indoor tanning salons is to avoid them like the plague. There is no such thing as a “healthy” tan. Most dermatologists will tell you that a tan is nothing more than a sign of skin damage, and tanning salons that advertise otherwise are horribly - and dangerously - misguiding its customers. If you need “color” because you’re feeling pale, stick to a spray tan.
The Case for vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for the body’s natural absorption of calcium (which is essential for bone health and may reduce the risk of other health problems), but a high percentage of people are deficient of the vitamin because it is not found naturally in many foods. While the body can make vitamin D from ultraviolet (UV) light, it is difficult to quantify how much you can get that way, and dermatologists generally advise against risking exposure to these harmful rays. It is much more accurate, and safe, to get what you need from food and supplements. The Institute of Health recommends the following: 600 IU per day for adults up to age 69; and 800 IU per day for adults over age 70 yrs. Since 1930, virtually all cow’s milk in the U.S. has been fortified with vitamin D by 100 IU per cup, and many food manufacturers are fortifying other foods such as yogurt and cereal (generally foods that contain calcium). So read labels and be smart. Don’t be fooled by claims that tanning beds help the body in any way whatsoever.
Genetics and Skin Cancer
Many factors, including genetics, enter into a person’s risk of developing skin cancer. But a common misconception is that certain complexions are not at risk. No one is immune, and indoor tanning salons do nothing but compound the risk. In 2009, a panel of experts found that the use of tanning beds before the age of 30 was associated with a 75% increase in the risk of melanoma. A 2012 study found a 15% increase in the risk of certain skin cancers with every four sessions in a tanning bed before age 35. More than 40 states now have some sort of restriction on the use of tanning salons by minors according to AIM at Melanoma, an advocacy and research group based in California (which became the first state to adopt a ban on minors in 2011).
The FDA requires warning labels on tanning beds as a reminder of its dangers, but don’t not even get that close. Sunbathing or going to a tanning salon are just plain BAD ideas. If you want a little sunshine, put on sunblock and a hat, then head outside for some fun and healthy activities.
When the days get warm and the beach and golf course beckon, the danger of skin cancer looms large, making proper skin protection essential. However, the danger doesn’t only exist outside. Indoor tanning, an unhealthy and downright dangerous practice, continues to be popular, particularly with American girls in their teens and early twenties. And it’s absolutely no secret that it also leads to skin cancer. Data published by the National Institutes of Health in 2014 estimates that tanning beds account for as many as 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the United States each year, including 6,000 cases of melanoma, the deadliest form. With an estimated (and whopping) 40% of teenage girls in this country on the indoor tanning bandwagon, this has clearly become a major health issue.
Sunburn vs. Indoor Tan
There are two types of skin cancers: those that cause melanoma and those that don’t. While melanomas are considered the deadliest kind, both types are dangerous. There is a clear link between sunburn and increased risk of skin cancer, and there is new data suggesting an even higher risk linked to indoor tanning. So, while it would be unreasonable to stay inside and out of the sun for the entire summer, the only reasonable option when it comes to indoor tanning salons is to avoid them like the plague. There is no such thing as a “healthy” tan. Most dermatologists will tell you that a tan is nothing more than a sign of skin damage, and tanning salons that advertise otherwise are horribly - and dangerously - misguiding its customers. If you need “color” because you’re feeling pale, stick to a spray tan.
The Case for vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for the body’s natural absorption of calcium (which is essential for bone health and may reduce the risk of other health problems), but a high percentage of people are deficient of the vitamin because it is not found naturally in many foods. While the body can make vitamin D from ultraviolet (UV) light, it is difficult to quantify how much you can get that way, and dermatologists generally advise against risking exposure to these harmful rays. It is much more accurate, and safe, to get what you need from food and supplements. The Institute of Health recommends the following: 600 IU per day for adults up to age 69; and 800 IU per day for adults over age 70 yrs. Since 1930, virtually all cow’s milk in the U.S. has been fortified with vitamin D by 100 IU per cup, and many food manufacturers are fortifying other foods such as yogurt and cereal (generally foods that contain calcium). So read labels and be smart. Don’t be fooled by claims that tanning beds help the body in any way whatsoever.
Genetics and Skin Cancer
Many factors, including genetics, enter into a person’s risk of developing skin cancer. But a common misconception is that certain complexions are not at risk. No one is immune, and indoor tanning salons do nothing but compound the risk. In 2009, a panel of experts found that the use of tanning beds before the age of 30 was associated with a 75% increase in the risk of melanoma. A 2012 study found a 15% increase in the risk of certain skin cancers with every four sessions in a tanning bed before age 35. More than 40 states now have some sort of restriction on the use of tanning salons by minors according to AIM at Melanoma, an advocacy and research group based in California (which became the first state to adopt a ban on minors in 2011).
The FDA requires warning labels on tanning beds as a reminder of its dangers, but don’t not even get that close. Sunbathing or going to a tanning salon are just plain BAD ideas. If you want a little sunshine, put on sunblock and a hat, then head outside for some fun and healthy activities.
