Tanning Bed Lamps – The Advantages And The Dangers

It’s no surprise – we’ve all heard the dangers of the sun and sun tanning. And it seems that tanning bed lamps are no better. In fact it seems we only hear about the dark side of tanning. Perhaps it’s time to hear both the advantages and the dangers of tanning lamps.

You mention the word tanning, the room suddenly turns silent and the eyes… it’s like you’ve crossed to the dark side. The serious sun worshipper needs to start to rethink their game because just as the sun is dangerous tanning beds have hazards too.

In the United States alone there are more than 30,000 tanning salons and each day more than a million people show up for their regular tanning session. Salons promote their tanning beds as emitting UVA rays which for years have been thought to be safer that UVB rays.

However recent studies are showing this not to be the case. The UVA light that you receive at the salon is likely to be as much as 4 times higher than the UVA light you are exposed to from the sun. And recent studies are indicating there is a very strong link between UVA light and malignant melanoma the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

Now that said tanning bed lamps have shown some benefits too! They provide the body with vitamin D during the months when it might be difficult to get from the sun naturally, but more than that they have shown to help people suffering from SAD a form of depression that strikes in winter, so can they be all that bad?

Most professionals will tell you “Yes,” with the exception of us under medical supervision for SAD. The medical community tells us that prolonged radiation exposure can lead to cancer, the immune system becoming dysfunctional, cataracts, and photosensitivity to name a few. Of course this applies to both tanning naturally and artificially.

Twenty minutes in a tanning bed is equivalent to spending the entire day at the beach so logic would indicate that your risks may actually be higher in a tanning bed.

The biggest concern to medical professionals is the increasing rates of melanoma that are appearing. Melanoma is a deadly skin cancer and this year alone in the United States, there will be over 1 million new cases.

Despite the risks, tanning booths are as popular as ever and perhaps that’s okay as long as you tan smart and follow the federal guidelines which are:
1. Sunlamp devices must limit the amount of radiation emitted
2. Eye goggles must be provided for ultraviolet protection
3. Tanning salons must provide education of its use
4. Tanning salons must warn about the risk of ultraviolet light exposure
5. Sunlamp devices must include a timer limiting the amount of radiation given
6. Sunlamp devices must include a label stating the proper amount of radiation

Tanning bed lamps may have some dangers but they also have some advantages so as with anything common sense and moderation will help keep you healthy and safe.

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