Information on UV Tanning

In the United Kingdom 8% of the population use sun beds (this over three million people!) 38% of those people use sun beds to get a pre holiday tan and just over half of them want a tan to look healthier.

What are tanning beds/ sun beds?

Sun beds are designed to mimic the suns effect on or bodies to create a 'sun tan'. Sun beds or tanning booths work by emitting UV light, this is done by florescent tubes filled with inert gases, a phosphorous coating and traces of mercury. The electricity that runs the beds ignites the tubes causing the mercury atoms to lode their stability. The only way in which they can return to a stable sate is to release energy in the form of UV radiation. By changing the coating on the tubes the desired amount of UV light can be allowed through.

From the diagram below we can see that skin is composed of two layers. It is the outer layer or the epidermis which is affected by tanning and where the tanning process occurs.

layers_of_skin

UVB lights stimulates the melanocytes (special cells which account for around 5% of the epidermis) to produce a pigment called melanin. This pigment moves through the epidermis whilst being absorbed by the surround skin cells. The UVA light then oxidizes the melanin which makes the skin darker (although this is takes time and is not instantaneous a number of short sessions are needed).

People with different skin type's tan differently because of the amount of particular enzymes are in the skin, for example people with red hair tend to produce more of the yellow/red enzyme phaemelnin which is why they find it difficult to tan.

It is thought that having a tan from a sun bed will protect you against being burnt whist on holiday- this is not true, a tan will only given you protection of SPF 4 and sun screen must always be worn to reduce the risk of sun burn.

Are sun beds dangerous?

There has been (and continues to be) a great deal of research into sun bed safety and how it effects your health. With everything there is limits and we should be careful of how much time we expose ourselves to natural sunlight and UV light.

Skin Cancer

What is skin cancer? - simply put, it is a disease of our body's cells. Cells in our body are responsible for helping our body tissue to grow and regenerate. Exposure to UV light can cause some of these cells to mutate, this causes the production of "activated oxygen molecules" which can damage cells and finally pilot the way to "localized immunosuppressant" which disrupts the body's anti-cancer defences.

The most prevalent type of skin cancer is Basal Cell Carcinoma ( about 75% ) , which is slow-growing and does not often spread to other parts of the body. Next up is Squamous Cell Carcinoma (about 20% .) This type grows more quickly and the possibility of spreading is more acute.

skin_cancer

A Malignant Melanoma

Sun Burn

The effect of sun burn on the skin has been linked with skin cancer and parents should ensure that children are not sun burned as links with early sun burn has been made with skin cancer in adults.

Sun burn is also very painful and unpleasant. Sun screen should always be worn and protective clothing e.g. hats or shirts. It is also important to reapply sun screen regularly especially after swimming and to limit time spent in the sun during the hottest part of the day (11-3)

boy_and_sun_cream

Premature Aging

his is another danger of sun beds. The skin begins to loose the elasticity due to the UV light damaging the structure of the skin drying it out. This is how wrinkles, emphasized frown lines and other signs of premature ageing develop. Although this does take a longer time it happens faster than you may think and by late thirties or early forties the signs can be very visible.

There have also been links made with the development of cataracts and UV radiation.

Minimising the Risks

If you decide you do want to go to a tanning salon then make sure you go to one that is well managed. When you arrive you should be asked to fill in a form giving details of your medical history, questions such as:

How many times per year do you visit tanning salons?
Do you have freckles or moles on your body?
Have you ever had skin cancer before?
Has any member of your family had skin cancer?
Do you burn easily?

To mention just a few! The staff should be helpful and advise you on number of sessions per year. There are many well managed salons in the country that should be aware of the associated health risks and warn you accordingly. They should not let under 16's to use the sun beds. They should also provide you with protective goggles to protect your eyes. The Health and Safety Executive guidelines on tanning indicate that there should be a maximum of 20 sessions per year.

When tanning is carried out carefully the health risks can be minimised. Many tanning salons are a member of the sun bed association which offer training on safe tanning. They do not accept salons which do not adhere to guidelines or legislation.

To contact them visit www.sunbedassociation.org.uk for more information.