SUNDAY, July 29, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- If you think that perfect tanning booth tan is a safe alternative to the dangerous ultraviolet rays of the sun, think again.
Contrary to the beliefs of many a "bulb" worshipper, tanning beds and booths not only aren't any safer than lying in the sun, they're more dangerous.
"Tanning beds give off ultraviolet radiation, which is the same thing the sun gives off," says Dr. James Spencer, director of dermatological surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
"With the sun's rays, you get about 90 percent UVA rays and about 10 percent UVB rays, and you get the very same doses in tanning booths," he says. "But the difference is, you're in there right next to those bulbs, so you're getting the dose of UV much faster than you would get at the beach."
In fact, just a single 15-to-30 minute salon session exposes the body to the same amount of harmful UV light as an entire day at the beach, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Those hoping to improve their appearance with a "healthy tan" -- a phrase considered an oxymoron by the medical profession -- actually risk increasing the chance of wrinkles and prematurely aging of the skin with tanning booths.
And that's just the beginning.
On a more dangerous level, exposure to sunlamps and sunbeds is associated with skin cancer in humans, including the most life-threatening form of the cancer, melanoma.
Both solar UV radiation and exposure to sunlamps and sunbeds were recently listed as a "known human carcinogen" in the National Toxicology Program's 9th Report on Carcinogens 2000.
As if that weren't bad enough, the AAD says UV radiation also can cause vision problems and immune system disorders.
Doctors say a tan is really the body's response to damage from UV exposure.
"Your body senses that it's being damaged by UV radiation, and it produces the brown pigment melanin to protect itself," Spencer explains. "So, by definition, you have to do the damage first in order to get your body to respond."
The brown pigment does serve to offer some protection for the skin. That's why people born with dark skin have more natural protection. But all people are susceptible to damage from too much exposure to UV rays.
Regulation of tanning salons varies from state to state, with some requiring that customers be informed of risks and receive proper guidance from employees. But, the regulations aren't consistent and there are still about 20 states that have no regulations.
"With such good evidence that rays from tanning booths can damage your skin and increase your chances of skin cancer, we are quite concerned about that and the fact that [salons] aren't regulated," says Dr. Roger Ceilley, past president of the AAD and a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Iowa.
Spencer says the only sure-fire way to get a safe tan is to get a fake one.
"The self-tanning lotions are perfectly safe," he says. "That's because it's not really a tan at all, but a dye. All of them use basically the same chemical that dyes your skin, and it lasts for about five days or so before coming off."
What To Do: Visit the American Cancer Society for more information on skin cancer. To find a skin-cancer screening center near you, check the American Academy of Dermatology Web site.
