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THE DANGERS OF UV EXPOSURE |
A tan, whether you get it on the beach, in a tanning bed, or through prolonged or incidental exposure to the sun, is bad news – any way you acquire it. Tans are caused by your skin trying to protect itself from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation and if you have one, you’ve sustained at least some level of skin cell damage.
Even though UV is necessary for our bodies to produce Vitamin D, which helps strengthen our bones and safeguard against certain disease, no matter what you may hear at tanning salons, the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation can lead to premature skin aging (wrinkles, loose or sagging skin, brown spots, and more). As well as skin cancer.
In fact, in July 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization, added ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitting tanning devices — tanning beds and lamps — to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. A list that includes hazardous substances such as plutonium and radium as well as radiation from the sun.
The IARC report cited research showing that tanning is especially hazardous to young people; those who use sun beds before age 30 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent. The authors also pointed to studies showing a link between UV radiation from indoor tanning devices and melanomas of the skin and eyes. Melanoma will kill an estimated 8,650 people in the US this year alone. And melanoma isn’t the only problem: people who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. Squamous cell carcinoma kills an estimated 2,500 Americans a year.
So should you wrap yourself in a blanket and never leave the house – of course not, but if you can limit your expose to having fun in the sun with sunscreen on why wouldn’t you. This is why we founded Suvara, so that we could provide a safe and healthy alternative to people who like to be tan.
For more facts about the dangers of tanning and how to get a bronzed glow without risking your health, please visit The Skin Cancer Foundation’s web site www.skincancer.org.
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