Tanning Beds Cancer Statistics You Need To Know About

When the scientific world warned us about the dangers of the sun and tanning we quickly flocked to the salon to get our tan through the safety of the tanning beds. Or so we thought but statistics have proven differently. Tanning beds cancer statistics you need to know about!

And there is no lack of statistics available that show the relationship between tanning booths and skin cancer. There is an old myth that there are no worries about skin cancer as long as you make sure not to get a sun burn. Sadly that’s just not true! You need to get the right facts so you can make informed decisions about your health.

The statistics that are coming forward are alarming! If you aren’t taking precautions it is definitely time you do to help keep you healthy.

Almost all scientists and health professionals will agree that UVB radiation is unhealthy and that it can be fatal in large doses because it causes cancer. So years ago the tanning industry was quick to provide an alternative for the sun lover – the tanning bed which had no or minimal UVB exposure so it provided a safe alternative to the sun. So we thought.

Recent studies have shown that this wasn’t a good assumption. UVB rays are certainly dangerous. They cause burns, wrinkles, premature aging, and some forms of skin cancer. However recent studies are now showing UVB rays are not the only enemy and that UVA rays are actually the more dangerous of the two.

UVA rays are the rays found in tanning beds so suddenly tanning beds aren’t the safe alternative we once thought they were. Studies have shown that tanning beds give off 2x more UV radiation than the sun does. The tanning bed rays are long wave UVA rays rather than short wave UVB rays that the sun produces.

UVA rays don’t cause burns like the UVB rays do. But what they do is penetrate deep into the deeper layers of the skin where they cause permanent damage and they are the cause of the most deadly form of skin cancer – melanoma.

Tanning bed popularity continues to grow every year and as their use grows so do the skin cancer rates. In fact the past five years have seen the use of the tanning booths explode. The medical profession is quite worried about how bad the end results are going to be but they won’t know for another ten years.

In fact the problem is so serious that many states have now passed legislation that makes it illegal for anyone under the age of 18 to use a tanning bed. Whether this helps reduce the long term effects of skin cancer within our young people remains to be seen.

The bottom line is there is no safe way to get a tan. UVB and UVA rays are both dangerous. UVB rays leave their mark on the skin more obvious in the form of burns and tans but UVA could be considered the silent killer as it works itself deep within without our knowledge. Melanoma survival rates are low because of the quick spreading of this cancer to organs.

Now that you have tanning beds cancer statistics it’s time you decide what the price is you are willing to pay for that tan? Be smart and tan safe limiting your exposure!