There's something to be said about a "healthy" glow from a few leisurely hours (and days) under the sun. It seems like you look and feel just a bit more fresh, youthful and alive with a little added color to your cheeks--there's a reason they call it "sun-kissed." Yet, when the winter months roll around, those golden rays mostly disappear, or at least our access to them does. And nestled in layer upon layer of coats, scarves and hats, our radiant skin slowly reverts back to that pasty white color we've somehow come to believe to be an unflattering quality. So, to keep that at bay, some flock to indoor tanning beds in spas and gyms. But that "healthy" glow we all desire isn't all that healthy, especially when we get it indoors.
Skin Cancer
One of the main problems with an indoor tan is something you've been hearing for years now--cancer. By exposing yourself to these ultraviolet rays for prolonged periods of time, even the artificial rays from the beds, you're increasing your chances of not only melanoma, but both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which are fairly invasive, recurring and can actually cause scarring or skin ulcers, not to mention death (see Resources below).
Skin Damage
Another major issue from tanning beds is the toll it takes on your skin, apart from the increased potential in your development of skin cancer. What happens when you subscribe to a life of indoor tanning is that your skin essentially begins to thin, so to speak. This then makes your epidermis less resilient to actual UV rays from the sun, diminishing your skins capacity to restore itself back to ultimate health after a burn, which is really all a tan is. While you may not be able to fundamentally see the effects right away, this inability to heal will lead to premature aging, which sort of defeats the purpose of the tan in the first place.
Eye Injury
Think about the way you hop in a tanning bed. Most of the time, the bulbs are ablaze when you actually climb in and lay down. Out in the sun, you're more apt to wear a pair of shades. In a bed, you might perch the little goggles atop your lids, but not until your in the bed. For all intents and purposes, you're exposing your eyes to very intense rays from the bulbs (more intense than the rays from the sun), which could injure your retina or burn your cornea. Plus, you can damage your eyes even when they're closed.
Adverse Reactions
A number of lotions, soaps, cosmetics and even medications can affect the way you tan, possibly increasing your chances of burning or developing some sort of rash that isn't from the heat. It is always wise to ask your doctor if there are any issues with being exposed to UV rays while on a certain prescription medication.
Incorrect Settings
Many people are never really sure how long their session should last. Though the risks have already been mentioned, people will inevitably continue to tan. If you're going to do so, make sure you know how long to be in the bed. A number of people end up being over-exposed because they're unfamiliar with the bed, the bulbs have recently been changed or they think their skin needs more "sun" than it actually does.
Tags: rays from, cell carcinoma, healthy glow, increasing your, increasing your chances