Have you ever been told that tanning indoors is safer than tanning in the sun, or that tanning indoors to start a “base tan” will protect you when tanning outdoors?
Whether you were told these things, read them, or heard them, it’s time to put these myths to rest.
The fact of the matter is, says skincancer.org, a tan, whether you get it on the beach, in a bed, or through incidental exposure, is bad for you. Tans are caused by harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning lamps, and if you have one, you’ve sustained skin cell damage.
According to the Center For Disease Control and Prevention, using a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get a tan can cause skin cancers including melanoma. Exposure to UV radiation also can cause cataracts and cancers of the eye (ocular melanoma).
Indoor tanning and tanning outside are both dangerous. Although indoor tanning devices operate on a timer, the exposure to UV rays can vary based on the age and type of light bulb. Indoor tanning is designed to give you high levels of UV radiation in a short time. You can get a burn from tanning indoors.
A tan is the body’s response to injury from UV rays. A base tan does little to protect you from future damage to your skin caused by UV exposure. In fact, people who indoor tan are more likely to report getting sunburned.
Nonetheless, the desire for tanned skin persists, especially in teens and 20- somethings, and this appears to be reflected by soaring melanoma figures, now six times higher for young adults than they were 40 years ago.
Does this mean we should stay indoors and simply avoid the sun? Not at all. The benefits of being outside and enjoying fresh air and sunshine are also well-known, but perhaps it’s time to stop linking a tan to good health.
When you are outside, medicaldaily.com reminds us not to overexpose the skin to UV rays. Divide your time under the sun evenly to reduce sunburn, especially when UV strength is at its greatest, which, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during sunny summer days.
Contrary to the beliefs of many tanning enthusiasts, you can still tan with sunscreen, so don’t leave home without it. In fact, the sun protection factor (SPF) extends the time you can spend in the sun without suffering additional skin damage. Higher SPF numbers, therefore, provide better protection against UVB rays, though not UVA protection, says the American Cancer Society. Sunscreens that are labelled “broad-spectrum” can provide protection against both UVB and UVA rays, but a standard system for measuring UVA ray protection has yet to exist.
