After months of wintry weather, many students want to restore their tans before spring break.
Most people think any form of tanning is damaging to their skin. However, what many do not know is that tanning indoors can actually be a positive thing.
An industry study at novatan.com states that 81 percent of indoor tanners are less likely to sunburn indoors or outside than non-tanners. This is because tanning salons play a lead role in educating people that moderate tanning is okay and sunburn should be avoided.
Many tanning bed industries agree that indoor tanning is much safer than receiving outdoor exposure to the sun, according to the psychology department at Vanderbilt University.
Light emitted from tanning equipment contains approximately 40 percent less UVB rays, the most harmful type of radiation, than does light from the sun. Tanning beds, therefore, have the power to control exposure time and the ratio of UVA to UVB rays for more balanced exposure.
“Tanning beds are a controlled environment,” said Poplar Tans employee George Methvin. “When you are out in the sun and your front is getting tanned, your back is not. At least with tanning beds there is balance.”
Artificial tanning is in a higher league than tanning under natural sunlight because the specific proportions of UV light are controlled and designed to maximize tanning, while minimizing burning. Since tanning beds filter out most of the burning UVB rays, the chances of getting burned are decreased. Therefore, companies can truthfully claim that tanning beds cannot be any more harmful than the sun.
“In tanning beds, you can regulate how many minutes you want to go,” an employee of Tan-N-Go said. “When people are out in the sun all day thinking they are not getting anything, they end up getting burned, causing damage to their skin. However, when people get in tanning beds, they know exactly how long to go to get the tan they want.”
“The good and bad effects balance each other out as long as you don’t go every day,” said Mandy Lancaster, a junior at The University of Memphis. “I am naturally fair-skinned, so I like to go tanning to have some color. When I go out in the sun, I get burned. But when I go to the tanning bed, I get tan.”
While there are many benefits to tanning beds, there are some disadvantages. Studies show that large doses of UVA lead to an increased risk of developing skin cancer.
Although skin cancer has long been associated with UVB radiation and sunburns, scientists say that even tanning in moderation produces the same harmful effects as a burn would. Tanning causes premature aging and wrinkles, and can also damage the immune system.
Even though there are still problems with tanning, being in a controlled environment instead of frying in the sun is better for your skin.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s 20 degrees or 70 degrees,” Methvin said. “You can get tan even when it’s pouring down or snowing outside. Tanning beds are just more convenient.”
