Why Tanning Beds Are Hazardous To Your Health

Episode #57 / Jul 30, 2009

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The importance of yesterday’s breaking news linking tanning salons to skin cancer is not the fact that they are related, we have known that for over 25 years. The importance is that it was proven in a very scientific study published in the very prestigious medical journal, Lancet Oncology, and in the journal they stated and proved that the risk of skin cancer jumps 75% if you start using tanning beds before the age of thirty. Finally we can respond to the very powerful tanning salon lobby (a $5 billion annual business) that keeps stating that there's no proof that tanning salons cause skin cancer. Now we (the medical community and consumers) have proof.

So why are tanning salons so hazardous to your health? When you go out in the sun, your life experience gives you some sense of how much sun you're getting and how much risk you are at. But when you go to a tanning salon where they are using Ultraviolet A bulbs, you have no idea what level of dangerous rays you are getting. Let me show you what I mean.

[Dr. Schultz turns on some purple ultraviolet rays.] These bulbs are qualitatively very similar to the bulbs that are used in a tanning salon. They emit a certain amount of energy, but you can’t tell there is no heat; there is no way for you to judge how much dangerous energy is coming out. Some of these bulbs are very powerful; some of them in fifteen minutes can give you as much energy as you would get in eight hours all day outdoors. Also, as the bulbs get older, they change in energy, they decrease in energy, and so the tanning salon has no idea how much energy you are actually getting; even scarier, you have no idea: it is completely unpredictable.

The bottom line is the amount of energy that you are getting is going to determine whether or not you get skin cancer and you have no way to judge this at a tanning salon. That is why tanning beds are so hazardous to your health.

So while the only safe tan is a tan you get from a self-tanner out of a bottle, one thing is for sure: the tan you get in a tanning salon is the worst and most dangerous tan, so please do not use tanning salons.

Just yesterday, Lancet Oncology, a leading medical journal stated that, "The risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75% when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age." While the medical community has known that tanning salons cause skin cancer (the most common form of cancer), there is now finally proof. Dr. Schultz will also explain why tanning beds are so hazardous to your health.

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Sandy on August 1, 2009 at 3:48am

I have a very relevant question to follow up on this video, Dr. Schultz!

What are your opinions on Tanda skincare system or Baby Quasar, whereby the Blue LED light claims to kill the acne causing bacteria preventing future breakouts? Would it be equivalent to tanning beds meaning it would harm my skin if I use it?

What about the red LED light which has been indicated to help improve skin tone, and reduce fine lines?

Thank you so much in advance to your answers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Neal Schultz, M.D. on August 4, 2009 at 1:05am

@Sandy: Great question! My opinions on Tanda skincare system and Baby Quasar are that you should expect very limited and unpredictable improvements from them, depending on the types and degrees of problems you are using them for...whether for acne or to help improve skin tone and reduce fine lines.

LED's are definitely not equivalent to tanning beds and usually not harmful for your skin. LEDs use visible light (that's why you can see the light), not ultraviolet rays like tanning beds (less than 400 nm) and therefore are not harmful. Blue LEDs (Panda) are 414nm, in the visible light range; Reds are 633nm, again in the visible range.

It's true that blue LEDs can be helpful in killing acne bacteria but whether it will help your acne depends on the type of acne you have and the strength of the LED's and other factors as well.

In my opinion, buyer beware.

Sinead Norenius on August 6, 2009 at 9:14pm

Great Video Dr. Schultz! I am a HUGE supporter of Self-Tanners and Safe Sun Practices and I feel confident that these new findings are going to make a huge impact on the tanning bed industry. My passion has led me to create my very own self-tanner simply out of my desire to educate people on how deadly UV Tanning is! My hope is that people will finally see self-tanners as the healthy, intelligent choice and stop scrutinizing them as oompa-loompa orange!

-Self Tanning Queen
http://www.selftanningqueen.com