Everyone wants to have that sun-kissed look, but at what cost? Tanning, whether indoor or outdoor, is a risk and can significantly increase your chances of getting skin cancer. There are more skin cancer cases worldwide attributed to indoor tanning than there are lung cancer and smoking!
Many people think getting a good base tan slowly though indoor tanning is a preventative way to not get burned when in the sun. However, did you know a tan is actually the body’s response to injury from UV rays, showing that damage has been done?! And that “base tan” is actually only providing an SPF of about 3 or less! No thanks!
Here are 5 Indoor Tanning Bed Dangers to consider before hitting those UV lights:
- The #1 indoor tanning danger is it increases your risk of getting melanoma by 75%! “In the US alone, 419,254 cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning”. Don’t be a statistic!
- Tanning beds and sun lamps expose you to concentrated intense UV rays.
- Indoor tanning can provide you with an attractive “base tan”, which is providing your skin with DAMAGE even before you get into the sun. Yay!
- UV rays cause wrinkles, rashes, dark spots and sometimes even warts, immune suppression and eye damage, including cataracts. Want a way to increase aging? Use tanning beds!
- Tanning bed use can actually turn into an addiction. It makes us feel warm, attractive and has been shown to release endorphins which makes us feel good. If we get addicted, our usage will be more and our chances of getting melanoma increase greatly! Find another, safer outlet to get those endorphins going!
If you have used tanning beds in the past, make sure to get regular skin checks at your dermatologist. If you are a current tanning bed user, PLEASE STOP, it’s really not worth the tanning bed dangers! Possibly switch to a spray on tan or learn to love the natural color of your skin! You were born with it for a reason!
