Tan Lines Important? Don't Be Burned by Idea
May 08, 2008 Nearly 2.3 million American teenagers visit tanning salons every year, and with summer right around the corner, the temptation to tan becomes even greater. But with the increasing rates of skin cancer, recent research has found that the use of sunbeds during a person's teens and 20s is linked to an increase in melanoma risk, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, conducted a thorough review of all available worldwide data -- 19 international studies -- and found a strong association between tanning-bed use and melanoma risk. Across age groups, males and females who have ever used tanning beds have a 15 percent higher risk of developing melanoma.
More alarming still, based on seven worldwide studies, people who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75 percent.
In addition, this study found that the risk of squamous cell carcinoma is significantly increased in teens after their first use of tanning beds.
SCC is the second most common form of skin cancer and accounts for 2,500 deaths a year. Of the three major skin cancers, it's the one most clearly linked to cumulative lifetime ultraviolet exposure. In fact, a 2002 study from Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that people who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop SCC than those who don't.
If the threat of melanoma isn't enough to scare young people away from tanning booths, they should know that 90 percent of visible skin changes commonly attributed to aging are really caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Ultraviolet radiation accelerates the signs of aging, including wrinkles, leathering and fine lines. Yet many young women continue to contribute to the $5 billion tanning industry.
Promoters of sunbeds tout the benefits of tanning as a source for Vitamin D. While it is widely known that Vitamin D can have many health benefits, it's also known that U.V. radiation is a human carcinogen and does cause skin cancer.
Vitamin D can easily be obtained from oily fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines) and cod-liver oil, as well as from fortified orange juice and milk (both with 100 I.U. per 8 ounce), yogurts and some cereals. Finally, supplements are readily obtained and inexpensive.
The assumption that a tan offers protection against sunburn is false. A tan generated by ultraviolet light offers, at best, a very low level of protection against sunburn. You first have to damage your skin to get a tan, which obviously defeats the whole "protective" purpose of tanning.
In fact, a tan is a biological signal by the skin that DNA damage has already occurred.
In addition to the obvious health risks associated with tanning beds, tanning as a lifestyle is over. Fashion and beauty insiders agree that today, it's all about natural beauty, so slather on the sunscreen and take care.
For more information, visit: www.skincancer.org.
