Several years ago, I wrote a piece about various “Tanning Myths” of the day. The media and those who attempt to restrict our industry still circulate and publicize many of these old myths, but let’s take an updated look.
The health/beauty industry typically likes to list “Tanning Bed Myths Exposed” or similar stories to give the anti-tanning groups a platform to provide their own version of “truths.” The first Monday in May is now known as “Melanoma Monday,” when the Skin Cancer Society urges everyone to perform a self exam for skin cancer. This also begins the health magazine attack on UV exposure. Often, what they offer is an incomplete or non-factual review of our industry. You should understand that the main goal is really to deter people, especially younger people, from tanning indoors – as is clearly depicted in this statement: “As part of its Healthy People objective to improve the health of all Americans, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has set a goal to reduce the proportion of high school students who use artificial sources of UV light for tanning to 14% by the year 2020.” When you combine that with the Tan Tax, it’s certain that the intent is to restrict and/or ban our freedom to tan indoors.
Let’s take a look at some of the other myths that seem to perpetuate through the media each year.
From the Centers for Disease Control: The CDC’s communication campaign publicizes the dangers of indoor tanning and busts these common myths. Did you know:
Myth: A tan acts as the body’s natural protection against sunburn.
Truth: A tan is the body’s response to injury from UV rays, showing that damage has been done. It does little to protect you from future UV exposure. A base tan is not a safe tan.
Our reply: The question here is whether or not a tan acts as photoprotection. It does. Although similar to an SPF 2-3, it offers moderate protection against sunburn. Clearly, exposing someone who has absolutely no tan at all to natural sunlight can result in sunburn, and someone with at least some base tan has a better opportunity to avoid sunburn. However, the best practice for salons is to recommend the proper use of SPF when in natural sun, whether you have a base tan or not. In addition, when promoting or marketing indoor tanning, the FDA forbids claims about the relative safety. The anti-tanning groups typically will tout “a base tan is not a safe tan.” We don’t endorse promoting any “safety” aspects of indoor tanning and the FDA forbids salon operators from doing it.
Myth: Indoor tanning is safe because you can control your level of exposure to UV rays.
Center for Disease Control: Indoor tanning exposes you to intense UV rays, increasing your risk of melanoma – the second most common cancer in women between 20 and 29 years old. Controlled tanning is not safe tanning.
Our reply: Sun is Life Training & Certification promotes the aspect of controlled exposures to UV with indoor tanning vs. the uncontrolled properties of exposure to natural sunlight. Again, we do not use phrases such as “safe,” “safer,” “safety” etc. regarding indoor tanning. However, properly using a sunbed allows controlled exposures to UV delivered according to skin type and a timer. This is undeniable.
CDC also states: “Skin cancer is the most common of all cancer types, and the number of cases has been climbing over the past decade. The best way to protect yourself from skin cancer is to limit your exposure to UV rays, whether they come from the sun or from man-made sources such as indoor tanning beds.”
Our reply: We semi-agree. Skin cancer screenings are among the least invasive of all cancer screenings. Many are offered free throughout North America. Clearly as more people submit to these screenings, more forms of skin cancer can be detected early, which is a good thing. Keep in mind though, whenever you see comments on an increase of the cases of skin cancer, they usually include estimates on basal and squamous cell carcinoma, but neither of these is included in the CDC’s cancer statistics called the SEER Report; only melanoma is included with these numbers. Stats on BSS and SCC are estimates and official records are not kept by CDC as they are treated by a wide variety of physicians. Sun is Life agrees with UV exposure in moderation.
Now, let’s take a look at some of the comments from The Berkeley Wellness letter:
A base tan prevents sunburns. Not so.
The UV spectrum emitted from most sunlamps darkens skin due to oxidation and redistribution of pre-existing melanin. It has a minimal effect on the amount of melanin. The resulting tan is mostly cosmetic, not protective.
Our reply: We covered this earlier in this article, but in the 2001 edition of The Biological Effects of Sunlight edited by renowned photobiologist Michael F. Holick, “a tan affords sun protection factor of 2-3 against erythema (sunburn).” The fact of the matter is that a tan produces photoprotection, albeit only a small amount.
Tanning beds help seasonal affective disorder. It’s true that bright (visible) light can have therapeutic effects on this mood disorder, but there’s no definitive evidence that UV (invisible) rays have the same benefit.
Our reply: SAD sufferers seem to reach a peak of symptoms during the low-light months of December-February. Studies suggest that a bright (non-UV) source must be directed to the eyes and retina to have positive effect on SAD. Interestingly, those who are blind may suffer from SAD throughout the year due to this. To the point, sunbeds may not have a clinical effect on SAD, but very few if any tanners come out of a properly administered sunbed session feeling worse! Most of us enjoy the warmth and seclusion of that session and feel it relieves stress, as well. That being said, health claims cannot and should not be made regarding indoor tanning.
Sun is Life Training & Certification promotes the cosmetic benefits of indoor tanning, not health claims: it’s time to get in touch with reality.
Stay tuned … there are more tanning myths to explore!
