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tanning
Is tanning once in awhile during winter good for you? A lot of tanning salons say it is because we need vitamin e. I dont mean going like every day just like once a month or something. My mom says it makes her skin look better and makes her feel better and I want to try it but i dont want to do myself a disservice in the long run. If it is good for you, how often is okay before it becomes harmful?
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Maybe give some free advice about: Health?
You're thinking of Vitamin D and not Vitamin E.
Vitamin D is something the body produces from the skin after exposure to ultraviolet B light from the sun. The rays that our skin produces vitamin D from are called UVB rays. Vitamin D regulates calcium metabolism, the immune system, insulin secretion, blood pressure, and more.
Vitamin E is something you get from foods like seeds, nuts, and green leafy vegetables.
Unfortunately, there is an old myth that tanning beds help the body to produce vitamin D just like the sun's rays do. The truth is, tanning beds don't help the body to produce vitamins like the sun does at all. Tanning salon tanning beds emit about 95% UVA rays, leaving only 5% as UVB rays that our skin can use to produce healthy vitamins. The reason for this is because more UVA rays means less of a burn to the skin and more of a golden tan.
UVA rays are linked to a few negative things, such as destroying vitamin A within the skin, damaging collagen, and the contribution to cancerous cells.
UVB rays are something our body can use positively to help us stay healthier; however, too much of a good thing can cause a few negative side-effects (such as burning). UVB ray exposure can also treat illnesses such as psoriasis, vitiligo, eczema, and other skin conditions.
UVA rays aren't really needed for health, but, rather, only for those people who feel beauty is tanned skin.
Right now, researches say that even using a tanning bed about 10 times a year can cause people to be 7 times more likely to develop malignant melanoma. The risk of melanoma was increased by 300% for those using tanning beds occasionally and by 800% for those using tanning beds more than 10 times a year. Malignant melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) report that tanning beds also cause serious eye problems including conjunctivitis, corneal infections and retinal damage.
People report feeling better after tanning for the basic reason. More people report feeling better in the winter after tanning. Unfortunately, a lot of it just has to do with them feeling nice and warm for awhile while under the heat from the lamps. People mistaken this pleasurable feeling for something more healthy, and have contributed it to the increased production of vitamin D from the light. As we just went over, there isn't enough vitamin D assisting light produced by the tanning beds to merit such a thing. Unfortunately, it's one of those things you can say: it's all in their heads.
I found this particular link that had a few interesting facts (which I will quote below):
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"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."
"First exposure to tanning beds in youth increases melanoma risk by 75 percent."
I also found this interesting tidbit:
Tanning beds are now considered to be in the highest cancer risk category by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). It was concluded that tanning beds increase the risk of deadly melanoma skin cancer by 75 percent for people who begin using them before age 30.
The American Cancer Society (ACS) states that tanning bed use "is dangerous to your health and should be avoided."
As for it being safe, that's up to you to decide now that you have the facts. An increased risk of cancer by such a huge percentage is something I wouldn't take. You also have to consider that some of those facts are based on someone using a tanning bed about 10 times a year. That's LESS than once a month. Dangerous much?
The American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer all say that tanning, even every once in awhile in the winter, is NOT safe, good, or beneficial to your body.
If you think having tanned skin is a good reason to increase your risk of cancer then that's your decision.
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