Understanding The Dangers Of Tanning Beds

When it comes to getting a tan in a tanning bed, thereis much controversy. For starters, people across thecountry have been building golden tans for several decades.While a tanned body is attractive, the problem is thatthere are also many tanning bed dangers, some that peopleknow of and some that are hidden. Today, tanning salons accountfor a $5 billion a year industry that just keeps on growing.

If you were to look at commercials, magazine advertisements,and many high society people, you see toned and tanned bodies.However, all of this is merely portraying a false sense ofhealth and beauty. In truth, tanning beds can be very dangerous,causing burns, suppression of immune systems, damage to thecornea, cosmetic and drug-induced photosensitivity, and a higherrisk of developing melanoma cancer.

Because there are no laws governing the use of tanning beds,people are free to use them as long and as often as they like.Keep in mind that the majority of tanning salons do haverestrictions about usage but these are rules set up by the salon,not the government. Sadly, we see teenagers having restrictionson them for smoking cigarettes, which cause cancer, yet thetanning bed that has also been proven to increase the risk ofcancer has no such structure.

The bottom line is that every person interested in developinga tan via indoor tanning needs to have a full understanding oftanning bed dangers so they can make educated and safe choices.For example, most tanning beds release very high and dangerouslevels of ultraviolet radiation, which has been shown throughmassive testing to cause premature aging while increasing therisk of skin cancer.

Additionally, using indoor tanning on a short-term basis commonlycauses itchy, dry skin while long-term use causes wrinkled andsagging skin. Making things more difficult is the fact thatmany people also take tanning accelerants as a way of speedingup the tanning process. However, these accelerants containtyrosine derivatives and amino acid tyrosine, both which areineffective and have the possibility of being dangerous.Even so, manufacturers push these products while the Food andDrug Administration has not approved them.

Without doubt, tanning beds have become an extremely popularoption for maintaining a tan throughout the year. Just rememberthat in exchange for the golden glow, the body is negativelyaffected. In fact, because tanning beds emit from 50% to 100% the amount of UV rays than from natural sunlight, you would besafer lying out on the beach for a few hours. If you want totan, be wise about the amount of time spent and the frequencyof using indoor tanning beds.

Guido W. Stiehle provides general tanning tips and valuable information about the safe use of tanning beds at http://www.tanninginfocenter.com.