As the summer sun sets behind us and winter soon approaching, many people begin to visit tanning salons. Tanning salons are considered a quick, easy way to get a tan; but that’s not all they are capable of. The usage of tanning beds may cause dry, itchy skin, and premature aging including wrinkles; they are known to age skin more rapidly. If that isn’t scary enough, tanning beds can increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Melanoma can spread not only to the organs, but bones as well. It causes dangers to both the skin and the eyes, damaging the retina, and even burning the cornea. Tanning bed users are more likely to develop basal call carcinoma on top of squamous cell carcinoma, which stays on the skin forever.
Tanning beds pose dangers to everyone, especially teenagers. Since the teenage body is still developing, it is more susceptible to the risks of tanning. Many teens and college students are regulars at the salons, and are unaware of the hidden dangers. Researchers have found that the younger one begins tanning, the more likely they will be to develop skin cancer in the future.
There are two kinds of ultraviolet rays that both the sun and tanning beds release; ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B. Although spending a day in the sun can be harmful, spending 10 minutes in a tanning bed is worse. The skin is being exposed to these damaging rays at stronger levels.
With more than 1 million Americans visiting tanning salons daily, skin cancer is becoming more prevalent. Being tan is said to build self confidence, but in the long run, visits to the tanning salon can be detrimental to the body. Use sun protection daily with our SPF30 UVA/UVB Vitamin C Sunscreen.