Tanning Bed Blues Mar:11

If you are considering making a date with your local tanning salon to get a ‘base tan’ for a sunny vacation, think again. In the past few years tanning beds have increasingly been under fire due to their proven link to melanoma, a lethal form of skin cancer.

In 2009, the World Health Organization deemed tanning beds to be “carcinogenic to humans” and placed them in the same category as tobacco—the highest cancer risk category. In January 2011, Greater Victoria became the first city in Canada to ban minors from using tanning beds. This is old news in the US, where about 30 states have passed legislation that limits a minor’s access to indoor tanning.

What’s the Harm?

The main issue with tanning beds is that they contain five times the amount of ultraviolet (UV) rays than natural sunlight. Too much UV radiation is the main cause of skin cancer. And since sun damage is cumulative, the earlier in life a person starts to use a tanning bed, the more damage there will be. Studies have shown that the intermittent intense exposures to UV light provided by tanning beds at an early age are more likely to result in melanoma skin cancer later in life. In fact, there is a 1:7 risk that a person under the age of 18 will end up with a form of skin cancer in Canada. 

What About the Health Benefits?

Overall the health benefits promulgated by the tanning industry are overstated. For example, the base tan myth where people think a base tan helps protect them from getting sunburned while on vacation. Ironically many end up getting a burn from the tanning bed instead. Others will go on vacation, use less sunscreen with the ‘protection’ of their base tan and still end up with a sunburn.

The final verdict: avoid using tanning beds, period.