The Influence Of Tanning Beds

Many people strive to have beautiful, flawless, and tanned skin. In order to get that desired even bronzed glow year round, many people partake in the use of tanning beds, and tanning salons in communities throughout the country. Over the years, indoor tanning use has increasingly become more and more popular among adolescents and young adults. Tanning beds are equipped with special lightbulbs that emit ultraviolet, or UV, rays. These UV rays much like exposure to the sun, can harm the various layers of the skin. In a recent observation, it has been discovered that tanning beds cause what can be potentially severe health problems. Indoor tanning is dangerous because of the increased risk of multiple health problems, not the least of which is

melanoma, by almost 65 percent although some people notice clearer and darker skin after just one use. Despite some beliefs that indoor tanning improves skin radiance, tanning beds are dangerous especially for adolescents and young adults because of the various correlations to multiple health problems like, premature aging, tanning beds are now classified as a high-risk medical device.
One thing many people strive for is possessing skin that looks flawless, as if it is from a baby. Doctors have created a medical process that can achieve this goal, but once the skin is damaged, it hardly ever goes back to its original healthy state. On the other hand, premature aging of the skin is something no one wants. Dermatologist Aurdrey Kunin says, premature skin aging “is the noticeable loss of a glowing complexion, paired with dark circles, fine lines or dry, less elastic skin”. One of the many negative side effects of indoor tanning is premature skin aging. Although premature skin aging can result from other elements, indoor tanning is a much greater risk than any alternatives. This increase in risk is due to the fact that tanning beds contain special lights that emit UV rays, which create an increased health risk. The UV rays in a tanning bed “causes the skin to lose elasticity and wrinkle prematurely” (FDA 2). Just by receiving a normal sunburn from being outside, the damage caused by the burn to your skin has been done and there is no way to reverse it. Some people, on the other hand, believe that a tanning bed is less harmful than the actual sun, which is incorrect. Both the sun and tanning beds have UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are stronger than UVB rays, but they are both strong enough to penetrate the skin and essentially attack the deepest layers of flesh. When these rays enter the skin, the human body creates melanin. Melanin is what gives skin its color. When the UV rays reach the dermis, it stimulates melanosomes to act as an ‘umbrella’ to protect the flesh from further damage thus causing the outer most layer of skin, the epidermis, to turn brown. Once the skin has somewhat darkened, wrinkles are created and even rashes and dark spots can occur. No, you cannot just ignore the sun and stay inside all day, but there is a difference between walking outside and laying in a tanning bed. Most people use a tanning bed with the least amount of clothes on to avoid any tan lines. Tanning in a bed is more dangerous than walking outside because in a tanning bed, you have exposed much more of your showing skin, which is usually more than normal, to the harmful UV lights. Walking outside on a sunny day does not expose your skin to the same degree of UV rays as a tanning bed. Many people have not yet come to the realization that using a tanning bed has no health benefits. Quite the contrary using a tanning bed presents far greater health risks.
Our society has painted an unrealistic image of beauty that many, especially younger people in the late teens and early twenties, use as a guide for their own self-image.

Perfect hair, perfect skin, perfect body, perfect teeth, and even perfect health are all characteristics that are portrayed in our culture, as what you need to be, in order to be attractive. The popular magazines and TV programs show celebrities that are presented to the public as having all these physical qualities. Young adults and adolescents are influenced greatly by pop culture and everything that is “in-style” or popular. Having a golden tan, is a highly valued physical attribute, is not easy to obtain unless you live in a warm southern climate. For everyone else, tanning beds seem to be a great alternative if you want nice smooth even bronzed glowing skin, and do not live in an area where it is warm all year round. They are not good, quite the contrary. Since the average tanning bed user is unaware of the dangers, they run the risk of skin cancer, eye cancer, eye injuries, or muscle and bone injuries, simply because they do not know, or refuse to believe the inherent risks associated with using a tanning bed. One of the main health problems tanning beds can cause is skin cancer. My grandmother was recently diagnosed with skin cancer. She said her skin cancer resulted from excessive exposure to UV rays when she was younger. She now has to live with dark spots, wrinkles and some scars where the skin

cancer had to be removed. Many tanning bed users are not aware of the risks that can result from the use, and sometimes overuse of indoor tanning salons. Adolescents and young adults are more concerned with their image and not worried about any potential health problems. Tanning bed users need to be aware of all the health problems he or she can acquire from indoor tanning. In an article published by the American Cancer Society, author Stacy Simon quoted, “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people who begin tanning during adolescence or early childhood have a higher risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer”. Many people are clueless about the fact that indoor tanning can cause serious medical issues like melanoma. It is scary to think that these unsuspecting tanning bed users are potentially allowing themselves to be exposed to the very harmful UV rays that can lead to the deadliest type of skin cancer just by laying or standing in a tanning bed for a maximum amount of twenty minutes. Tanning salons need to do a better job of warning customers that the use of tanning beds come with very significant risks.
It is in human nature to react to something painful or something that can cause harm to us; so why would someone use a certain product almost daily that can cause permanent damage to his or her body?

Simply because they are not aware of the risks of very serious damage these devices have the potential to cause. Tanning beds are considered by the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration) as a certain type of medical device that is used for cosmetic purposes. Prior to 2014, tanning beds were labeled as a class I medical device by the FDA. This means they are a low risk device and have the least regulatory controls. Fast forward a couple years and all of a sudden, states are starting to pass laws to ban adolescents from using any form of indoor tanning. Out of nowhere, tanning bed companies are being pressured with new rules and regulations regarding the proper use of a tanning bed and the protection their users should take before utilizing the tanning bed. Since the risks of indoor tanning have been identified by the FDA, they have determined that tanning beds should be ranked in class II because they “are higher risk devices than class I devices and generally must meet additional regulatory requirements to provide a reasonable assurance of the device’s safety and effectiveness”. Some of the requirements include wearing protective eye goggles while using the bed, using some kind of sunscreen prior to use and limiting the use of a tanning bed to three days a week. Some tanning

salons do not follow these regulations. “About 71 percent said they would allow a teen to tan all seven days the first week, and many promoted frequent tanning with ‘unlimited tanning’ discount prices” (FDA 3). I have purchased a tanning package and I used to use a tanning bed for twenty minutes every day for a whole month. I was never informed or made aware of the risks nor precautions I needed to take in order to protect myself, by the staff of the salon. In some states, however, tanning bed users may be “permitted to administer to themselves any amount of UV exposure they want, and they will often keep up the UV exposure until they ‘get some color’ in their skin, at which point they have already burned themselves” (Schmidt 6). Many people do not know that ‘getting some color’ is when the skin has already been damaged. When the skin takes on a darker color that is the skins way of trying to block the harmful UV rays and protect itself from any damage.
Yes, tanning beds are helpful when it comes to wanting a lovely year round tan; and yes, some people swear by tanning beds and how amazing they are with making their skin appear more healthy and appealing, than someone with no tan at all. People that use indoor tanning beds are walking billboards, who advertise their beautiful smooth looking skin on behalf of the salon they use, but the effects of indoor tanning are not just on the surface of their skin. By “using indoor tanning beds before age 35, individuals can significantly increase their risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 59 percent, and the risk increases with each use” (AAD 2). Many tanning bed users do not realize how much they are harming their body just by laying in a glowing bed for a maximum of twenty minutes every day. It is baffling to think that there are less lung cancer cases due to smoking than there are skin cancer cases due to indoor tanning due to the lack of awareness.
Some tanning bed users look down upon using anything but a tanning bed. One much healthier alternative to indoor tanning is a spray tan. Although spray tans do not last as long as a tanning bed tan lasts, they have not as yet, been proven to be as dangerous to the human body, as a tan obtained from an indoor tanning bed. Many tanning bed users do not understand that “A tan is the skin’s reaction when exposed to UV rays, recognizing exposure to the rays as an ‘insult’ the skin acts in self-defense by producing more melanin, a pigment that darkens the skin” (Miller 1). A spray tan is a form of sunless tanning and it is completely harmless to the body. There are no dangerous ultraviolet rays involved. The chemical Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is the main ingredient in a spray tan. DHA mixes with your skins chemistry to create a bronzed tan look. The only downside to a spray tan is that it fades in about a week but that beats contracting cancer within a week. One might argue that the use of tanning lotion in a tanning bed is better than just getting a spray tan. Tanning lotion does not contain SPF (skin protection factor) to protect your skin from burning. Instead your tan continues to develop for hours later after the use of tanning lotion while indoor tanning.
Many studies have concluded that “the risk of developing melanoma increases when use of tanning beds starts at a younger age, and adolescents and young adults are the most frequent users of indoor tanning” (Geller, Pan 7). The most recent rules and regulations provided by the FDA are expected to lower the risks of indoor tanning. Given the many harmful side effects from indoor tanning, regulations banning adolescents from tanning beds will help those potential tanning bed users, prevent premature aging and multiple health problems in the future.