TheSoko.com - To Tan Or Not To Tan?

To Tan Or Not To Tan?

By Nicole Stevenson

[Health & Your Life]

Are salon claims that tanning is healthy true? Nicole Stevenson exposes the truth behind the tan.

Ah, summer. The weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and you’re ready to get that healthy glow. With the shedding of heavy winter layers comes a lot more exposed, pasty skin and chances are your first plan of action is to get rid of the blinding white and go from transparent to toasty, golden brown. Whether you’re planning to get a good base going for an upcoming vacation or just keeping up with the Joneses, you may be tempted to head to your local tanning salon. They promise the colour of your choice in a relaxing environment and added health benefits, but how much do you really know about tanning?

Technicalities Of Tanning

When your skin is exposed to sunlight (real or artificial), the UVA and UVB rays penetrate your skin. UVA rays go much deeper than UVB, which only burn the epidermis, the top layers of the skin. It’s UVB you can blame for that nasty, stinging, heat-radiating burn you bring home from the beach. While these burns may increase your risk for developing skin cancer further down the road, it’s UVA rays that are responsible for real damage. They are also responsible for the much sought-after golden hue, so it’s no surprise that “healthy glow” isn’t healthy after all. The UVA rays trigger the production of melanin, which is the brown pigment we recognize as a tan. As your body’s natural defence against burning and skin cancer, melanin is actually a sign of trouble.

Fact Or Fiction?

Tanning salons are extremely popular, extremely lucrative businesses. Tan is in, tan is sexy. No one wants a bright white beach body. So it’s no surprise that tanning salons are taking advantage of booming business and advertising the health benefits of sunning. The Indoor Tanning Association claims that the link between UV rays and cancer is not entirely clear and that health officials are using scare tactics to caution the public against using tanning beds.

They also promote the vitamin D boost that comes from sunlight, natural or otherwise. Vitamin D is essential to good health and can boost your immune system and your mood. But what the tanning promoters fail to reveal is that sunlight is not the only form of vitamin D. If you don’t get enough incidental sunlight (walking to the store, walking the dog, having a drink on the patio, etc.) to get your vitamin D fix, food is the obvious go-to. Milk, eggs and fish all contain the vitamin and if you don’t have enough of these foods in your diet, supplements are readily available at your pharmacy or health food store. Though tanning advocates are correct in promoting vitamin D intake, UV rays, which are scientifically proven to increase the risk of skin cancer and lowered immunity, are in fact the worst source available.

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