Tanning- Is it True, What They Say?

As many parts of the country, including the campus of Penn State, transition in to fall, I am beginning to see more boots and sweaters and fewer shorts and flip flops. The trees are changing color and we are beginning to feel the first nippy touches of the winter to come. The other day I noticed my own sun-bleached hair becoming brown. But more importantly, I noticed how absolutely pale I looked. Summer tans only linger if they are not completely gone. Now is when many people break out the self-tanning lotion or run to get a spray tan. Some even turn to tanning booths. But aren’t those dangerous? I am one of many who prefers being tan but I have always been warned against tanning booths. Is there really any truth behind these warnings? How are tanning booths harmful and how much actual harm do they inflict? images-1

The most common concern is that bed tanning can lead to melanoma, which, according to Medline Plus, “is the most serious type of skin cancer”. Dr. Jeffrey Gershenwald says in an article of The New York Times that a majority of melanoma cases are due to exposure to UV. UV waves, or ultra violet waves, are given off by the sun and are known to increase risk of damage to DNA or other cells. These waves are given off by tanning beds. Gershenwald claims that “there’s no longer a question of whether UV is important”, meaning it is definitely harmful. One recent controlled case-study, published by Oxford University Press, tested this idea on a variety of participants. They tested the effects of indoor tanning on those who had never been sunburned before, those who had tanned in an indoor bed before without burning, and those who had never tanned in a bed. Despite the different UV exposure levels, it was proven that each group’s risk of melanoma was increased. Another study, conducted by DeAnn Lazovich, came up with the same results. Lazovich used 1,167 participants with melanoma and 1,101 without. The patients without melanoma were the control side of the experiment. Her results showed that 63% of the melanoma patients and 51% of the healthy participants had tanned in a tanning bed before. This data also strongly supports the alternative hypothesis that bed tanning causes melanoma. This case is one of those situations where the cause-and-effect are found without a mechanism. As the American Cancer Society states, although risk-increasing factors of melanoma have been discovered, “it’s not yet clear exactly how these factors cause melanoma”.   However, I think we may be able to say it is proven as far as science can prove anything that UV light given off by tanning beds increases the risk of melanoma. B5jHG43IgAAcfZQ

 

3 thoughts on “Tanning- Is it True, What They Say?

  1. Shannon Elizabeth Kress

    I naturally have a more olive colored skin tone, so I have never been to the tanning beds, but I am so many friends who go. My best friend’s mother worked for a dermatologist for years, and she hated that her daughter would sometimes go. For me, if it is a choice between being pale and increasing my chance of having skin cancer, I would choose being pale every time. I know that we talk about assessing the risks, and for me personally, with the skin cancer that has already affected my family, its not a risk I am willing to take personally. I guess that everyone has to assess the risk for themselves.

  2. Emanuel Gabriel Mitchell

    I’m glad you posted this blog. My question to you is: will knowing this data prevent you from visiting tanning booths or will you take the risk of increasing your chances of skin cancer. Also, one article points out that tanning can cause premature aging of the skin. Ultraviolet exposure over an extended period time can result in photo aging or wrinkles/leathery look. I hope this is enough information to slow down the increasing rate of people who tan just so they can fit society’s perception of beauty.

  3. Bailee Nicole Koncar

    Hi Katie!
    I found your post to be super interesting. I of course notice how pale I become in the winter months too. Already, I’ve completely lost my tan from summer. I’m so tempted to go tanning especially after noticing other people are already going. I went for the first time during prom season this past year. My parents were super skeptical because of what they’d heard about tanning beds increasing one’s chance of cancer. I wasn’t sure how true this was or if there were other negative effects too. This will definitely make me rethink going tanning next time.

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