Okay, so it’s the holidays and you’re about to jet off to lie on the beach in the sun. Towel? Check. Bikini/Trunks? Check. Tan? Check. Skin Cancer? Amy Howbrook tells us the dangers a quick sun tan top up have for our health.
A tan always gives a healthy and attractive look, but are you prepared to die for one?
Despite almost continuous warnings about the increased risk of skin cancer from tanning beds, a large percentage of people, particularly girls in their late teens and early twenties, will book an appointment at a tanning salon to get that gorgeous sun-kissed glow. The question is why? Is it simply ignorance of the possibly fatal consequences? Or are people simply too vain to care about tomorrow as long as they look good today?
While it’s true that almost anyone can suffer from skin cancer; a study in July of 2009, revealed that the risk of skin cancer rose by a shocking 75% in those people that used tanning salons before the age of 30; and according to ‘Cancer.gov’ almost 90% of all cases of skin cancer can be traced back to UV radiation exposure. Even a short session on a tanning bed will damage the skin, and increase the risk of cancer.
Imagine a piece of bread. Lightly toasted, it looks appetising, but look closer; the surface of the bread has been irreparably damaged. It has become rough and dry.
Imagine that piece of bread is your skin, the toaster is the tanning bed; the effect is still the same. Your skin will become dry any flaky but, unlike toast, skin regenerates.
The skin is completely replaced approximately every 27 days. The skin cells are divided and copied. If some cells are damaged, then this damage is also copied and as more skin is replaced, the damage spreads. It follows that the younger you are, the more times this regeneration will occur in your life – increasing the risk of any damage spreading.
Although the UV rays in the tanning booths are much stronger than the ones emitted from the sun, care should also be taken when out and about. Make sure you cover up and apply a high factor sun-cream regularly to reduce the possibility of skin cancer.
There are plenty of alternatives to tanning booths. Fake tan is a great way to look good, and most salons will do a spray tan, giving you the glow, without the skin cancer. Don’t kill yourself for a tan.
Amy Howbrook
For more information about skin cancer, or its relation to tanning booths, check out
‘The National Cancer Institute’ or other websites, such as;
http://womenshealth.about.com/cs/azhealthtopics/a/tanboothworthit.htm
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Skin/Skincancer.aspx
