Are sun tanning beds safe?
On One Hand: Sun Tanning Beds Are Not SafeThe Skin Cancer Foundation claims that any tan, “whether you get it on the beach, in a bed, or through incidental exposure, is bad news, any way you acquire it.” Tans are acquired when the body absorbs ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or tanning beds. When these UV rays enter the skin, they damage the skin’s epidermal cells, greatly increasing the risk for wrinkles, sagging skin, sun damage spots and cancer. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has added tanning beds and lamps to the list of “the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation.”On the Other: Sunless Tanning Beds Are Generally SafeTanning salons commonly offer “sunless” tanning beds, which provide a sun-kissed look without the harmful UV rays. These sunless tanning beds spray a tanning product onto the body. This product reacts with the outermost layer of the skin to temporarily darken the appearance of the skin. The Mayo Clinic acknowledges that these
