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Indoor Tanning & Vitamin D |
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 | What is all the fuss about Indoor Tanning?
Well... firstly if you think this practice is healthy you are totally wrong! Nothing could be further from the truth.
Your skin is designed to protect your body from invading microrganisms, help to maintain body temperature and protect your organs and tissues from damage. Why would you risk exposing this protective safety barrier to your body to damage from indoor ultra-violet radiation.
A tan is the body's first line of defense against the harmful effects of the UV rays, and nature's way of helping to decrease further damage by creating a barrier between the outside layers of the skin and the developing skin layers beneath the surface. Harmful UV rays penetrate deep into the skin layers causing changes to the cell's DNA resulting in the formation of Skin Cancers. Other less attractive signs of over exposure to UV radiation are: age spots, wrinkling, and leathery skin.
Teens and young people are most vulnerable to the effects of this risky behavior which may not become evident until years later. The phrase "Dying for a Tan" sums up the whole tanning myth that indoor tanning is both safe and healthy!
Studies show that the UV rays emitted from Tanning Beds are 50% stronger than those emitted from the sun! |
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Diagram of the Burn Model
This diagram depicts the differing levels of burn that can be sustained through exposure to UV radiation.
If you look at the Epidermis layer which contains the developing skin cells it is apparent that a first degree burn would impact this layer. Continued exposure results in a more serious second degree burn that has far reaching consequences for the skin.
UV Radiation that results in a blistering sun burn increases the risk factor for developing melanoma particularly in fair-skinned people. Children who incur at least 1-2 blistering sunburns prior to the age of eighteen are more likely to develop skin cancer.
It is extremely important to protect young skin from the harmful and painful effects of sunburn.
People sustaining second and third degree burns are generally hospitalized and will suffer permanent damage to the skin.
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| Melanin, the protective cells that provide the skin with a bronzed appearance are shown here in the basal layer of the skin. These skin cells are moved to the surface of the skin to provide a protective barrier against UV rays and deflect them from penetrating further into the deeper layers of the skin. It is thought that the UVB rays are responsible for causing the burning effect and experts believe that they are the likely culprits for triggering the development of Skin Cancers. UVA rays penetrate deepest into the skin layers and are considered the possible causes of aging and leathery skin, but it is uncertain what role they play in the development of Skin Cancer. |
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Click on the image above to read the interview.
Indoor Tanning Bad, Docs say .....
An interview with Dr. Jody Levine, and
Melissa Haynes- spokesperson for the
Indoor Tanning Association.
By Daniel J. DeNoon
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
WebMD Medical News
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