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Tanning Before 30 Triples Skin Cancer Risk
Tanned golden skin is seen as beautiful and healthy, so many fair-skinned ladies and gents use indoor tanning beds to get a quick sun-kissed glow. We've all heard that UV exposure from this fake sun can lead to skin cancer, but now new research has identified tanning as even more dangerous than first thought. International cancer experts have moved tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation into the top cancer risk category, saying they are as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas.
Beauty Byte: Tanning Beds Are a Confirmed Carcinogen
If you didn't believe me about the risk of tanning beds before, please stop and read this now. Assessments by World Health Organization oncologists (cancer specialists) have concluded what we've suspected for years — that the UV light used in artificial tanning beds is indeed a carcinogen, one at the same grade of toxicity as gamma radiation and plutonium. This means that instead of saying that the radiation from a tanning bed might cause cancer, now we know that it undoubtedly will.
Are Base Tans Healthy?
It's a common belief that before heading to the beach or the tropics, you should take a trip to the tanning salon to get a base tan. Even though it seems like a good idea to prepare your skin for sun exposure by hitting the electric beach, according to the Mayo Clinic, there's no proof that a few sessions at the tanning salon will prevent an outdoor sunburn. Keep in mind that ultraviolet light, whether from the sun or a sunlamp, damages your skin.
Computer Tan Lets You Bake at Your Desk
Ever wanted to get a tan while punching numbers at your desk? Babyassface tipped me off to this website called Computer Tan. The concept is pretty strange: They claim that their technology converts the electrical impulses of your LCD monitor into ultraviolet rays that then create a tan in your skin.
Should States Ban Tanning Beds For Teens?
I hate to sound like a broken record, but tanning is so bad for you. Put aside the accelerated signs of aging, which are no trip to the beach. (Ha.) Not only does UV exposure create uneven skin tone and wrinkles, it also can cause melanoma.
Guess Who Said It?
Can you guess which woman from Dancing With the Stars said this about going tanning?
"It makes me look toned and helps me feel less naked."
Definition: Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)
Simply put, dihydroxyacetone is the active ingredient used to make self-tanners work. Discovered to have skin darkening properties in the 1920s by a German scientist, DHA is typically derived from plant sources, such as beets or sugar cane.
DHA works by interacting with the amino acids of your dead skin cells, resulting in a brownish-tan hue.
How-To: Hide a Sunglass Tan
As much as I try to protect myself from the sun's harmful rays, I sometimes end up with the telltale white streaks on my temples of the sunglass tan. And with the oversize shades trend still going strong, the area around the brows and dark circles — er, orbital area — also can begin to look a whiter shade of pale. Read on for some quick fixes — and be glad you weren't wearing shutter shades.
Reality Check: Base Tans Are Not a Good Idea
Feeling good because you've gotten your base tan for the summer? You may want to think again.
As it turns out, the notion of a base tan has no real medical value.
Indoor Tanning Is Out
I've already talked to you about how harmful it is to use a tanning bed to get a base tan before the summer (or ever for that matter), but I'm not the only one trying to get the message out. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has just launched a series of Public Service Announcements with the motto, "Indoor tanning is out."
These PSAs are trying to make people aware that just like the sun, the rays from tanning beds also cause melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
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