Tanning Myths Debunked

Tanning Myths Revealed

The top 5 tanning myths are:

1.) Indoor tanning beds are 100 times stronger than sunlight.

This is probably the most often used statement by those against the controlled output of UV emitted by indoor tanning beds. The intensity of the sun is dependent on the time of day, time of year, pollutants, cloud cover, altitude, proximity to the equator, and reflective surfaces like sun, sand, and snow. There is no standard emission of sunlight. The output of the sun at 9am in Boston in January certainly differs from the output on a sunny Jamaican beach in July.

2.) Pregnant women should avoid indoor tanning beds because of microwaves.

Indoor tanning beds do not emit microwaves. They typically emit a combination of UVA and UVB wavelengths that can only penetrate through the top layers of the skin to produce a cosmetic tan. They do not have sufficient strength to penetrate futher. Pregnant women should avoid sunbeds as well as jacuzzi's, whirlpools, saunas and other similar sources of heat.

3.) I heard that a young girl died from burning her liver after tanning 7 times before her wedding.

This urban legend has been around for years and would certainly have made the mainstream news media if true. Again, the UV emitted from a tanning bed doesn't have sufficient energy to penetrate past the subcutaneous layer of the skin.

4.) Indoor tanning is the cause of the increasingly higher rates of skin cancer in young women.

Skin cancer screenings are probably the easiest to complete, the least invasive and least expensive of all cancer screenings. But that's a good thing. If skin cancer is detected early, it has a really high cure rate. Early detection is the key. Through medical technology, doctors are now able to detect and cure many forms of skin cancer, but that also leads to the fact that they are finding it more often which leads some the conclusion that it's increasing. Is it increasing or are we finding more? Ask any dermatologist if they are seeing more patients now than 10 years ago. In addition, remember that SPF's were not widely available or used prior to the 80's which also may contribute to these higher rates.

5.) Teens have a high rate of melanoma because so many tan indoors.

According to the American Cancer Society's SEER report which tracks cancer incidence and fatality rates in the US, between 2002-2006 (most recent available) 80% of those diagnosed with skin cancer were age 45 years or older and 0.9 % are under age 20. Predominately more men than women obtain skin cancer, though according to the American Academy of Dermatogy, indoor tanners are overwhelmingly female (70%). And perhaps more strikingly, these rates do not include basal or squamous cell carcinomas as no statistical data is kept for these according to the American Cancer Society. All rates of these two skin cancers are estimated.

For more factual information on indoor tanning, visit www.suntanningedu.com