The Safety of Using Tanning Salons

The safety of tanning salons remains doubtful as long as we know that even

the smallest level of exposure to UV light could prove harmful for the body system. The problem with the lamps and tanning beds used in tanning salons is the intensity of the rays that are directed at the user; the skin is actually absorbing much larger quantities of radiation than when simply sunbathing. A false impression many users have is that only UVA rays are used in tanning salons: well this is very untrue, as there are also small amounts of UVB that get irradiated and this small percentage adds up to plenty of skin cancer cases.

Studies indicate that even when sunbathing, we do get a small level of protection by the secretion of melanin; moreover, natural sun light causes a thickening process at the skin level. Such “defenses” against radiation are absent from the body reaction to the UVA rays used in tanning salons. Scientists even point out that the chances to get skin cancer are 5% higher for people who use tanning salons just once a month, and the risk increases with more frequent exposures. Here are some things you should check with tanning salons if you still decide to use their services.

Tanning salons that do not have usage instructions and goggles to protect your eyes from the radiation should be definitely avoided. Maybe they cost just $3 for a ten-minute session, but your health deserves better. In some tanning salons, a towel is used as a means to protect the eyes from the action of the ultraviolets; well this will not do. Burning is no longer the most serious side effect we should fear from ultraviolets exposure: there are more conspicuous problems to be considered, and our ignorance will surely not make them disappear. You have to protect not just skin, but the eyes and overall body structure as such.

Even though the risks of tanning salons have been widely talked about, their services are still preferred to outdoor sun tanning during the summer months. More than two million Americans pay for tanning every day particularly during winter. On the other hand, figures indicate an alarming rate of melanoma, the most devastating form of cancer that can affect the human body. Only in the United States, one million people develop some form of skin cancer, and the highest incidence has been reported in the areas with intenser ultraviolet exposure.

12 December 2008 | Beaty | Comments