For decades, beautifully tanned skin was considered a sign of good health. People spent hours outdoors in the summer without every applying a single drop of sunscreen. Winter destinations were often tropical where people could soak up the rays on the beach, and then go back to their winter homes with golden skin and sun-streaked hair. Tanning beds became more and more popular, and users of tanning beds became younger and younger.
What Are The Risks Of UV Tanning?
In the past few years, there has been a push by the FDA to actually ban tanning beds at this point. Tanning beds are responsible for serious health risks. The FDA says not to use a tanning bed at all–not even once. Use of tanning beds pretty much guarantees you will get skin cancer.
It is hard to get young people to understand the risks associated with tanning beds and skin cancer. Many have the mentality of “it won’t happen to me”. The fact is, melanoma is the most common form of cancer for patients between the ages of 25-29, and the second most common form of cancer in people ages 15-25. 90% of the people who are diagnosed with melanoma are diagnosed because of exposure to ultra-violet radiation–tanning beds and the sun.
Skin cancer can be sneaky in patients. It can develop and grow with only subtle symptoms initially. Because of the subtlety of the symptoms, many people don’t know they have melanoma or other types of skin cancer until the disease has progressed. With early discovery and diagnosis of skin cancer, survival rates are extremely high. Once the disease has progressed, however, the prognosis can be rather grim.
While some ultra-violet exposure (less than ten minutes a day) is good for you and boosts your immune system, too much exposure to ultra-violet radiation is responsible not only for skin cancer, but premature aging, burns, age spots, and eye damage. All of these things are 100% preventable, and you can add years to your life and take decades off your appearance by being careful about your exposure to UV rays.
Tanning actually damages your skin. The golden color your skin achieves when it is exposed to ultra violet radiation is actually a result of damage to your skin on a cellular level. Over time, this damage becomes irreversible. The results of this damage are a loss of elasticity and some permanent discoloration–thus wrinkles and age spots.
UV radiation also cause eye damage. Ultra violet radiation is absorbed through your pupils and can damage your retinas. This can lead to eye pain as as result of a burn, or even blindness depending on how severe the burn is. The blindness can be temporary, but in most cases is permanent.
How to Get a Great Fake Tan Without The Risk of Skin Cancer?
There are many alternatives to ultra violet tanning. Self tanning lotions are getting much more natural-looking. A person can apply the lotion herself at home and gradually get a deeper, sun-kissed looking glow without the damage of radiation. For those who don’t like the results of applying self-tanners at home, there is something called the “mystic tan”. It is essentially self-tanner applied in a fine mist which gives more even coverage and long-lasting results. Mystic tanning is becoming increasingly popular among Hollywood celebrities because it allows them to look like they have just returned from the beach, while holding onto their youthful looks as long as possible.
One of the best things a person can do to protect themselves from skin cancer and the dangers of Ultra Violet radiation is to apply sunscreen daily, and re-applying it often if they are outdoors or after swimming or sweating. This will greatly reduce the risk of skin cancer, as well as help people hold on to their youthful appearance as long as possible
