A Tanning Addiction
- Lauren Nicole Thompson, a 22-year-old U.K. mother, was one subject in a new BBC docu-series that followed people addicted to tanning. She used to go to a tanning bed every day at the height of her addiction and even tried tanning injections that she claims left her with kidney infections.
- Tanning beds have proven to pose a great risk for developing skin cancer. Tanning injections also pose potential health risks, but this tanning method has not been studied extensively.
- Spray tans and sunless tanning lotions are a great alternative to achieving a ‘summer glow’ if you want to reduce your risk for skin cancer.
The BBC docu-series Tanorama follows Thompson, a 22-year-old mother, and others addicted to tanning to explore the fuel behind so many people in Northern Ireland looking to achieve a darker complexion. Thompson, for example, had her first introduction to tanning beds when she was a little girl sitting in the salon waiting for her mother to finish her session.
Read MoreBut her delight turned into much more she felt like she needed to tan in order to even have a night out.
"At one point, I was using the sun bed every day for like 10 minutes a day,” she said. “I would go into school and my friends would be like ‘oh my god… It becomes addictive.”
She even turned to tanning injections to help her reach a darker shade. But she claims these injections left her with kidney infections. Flash forward to today, and Thompson tries to opt for a spray tan instead. But she admitted that her addiction was at its height, she wasn’t concerned with any of the health risks.
“When you’re tan you don’t really care,” she said. “It sounds terrible but it’s true.”
Tanning Salons and Cancer Risk
Applying sunscreen, wearing hats and rocking some sunglasses are all ways to protect yourself from harmful UVA/UVB rays reaching us from the sun thousands of miles away. But when you hop into a tanning bed, you are exposing yourself to the very same rays from only 6-8 inches away. So, even if the temptation of achieving that summer "glow" seems irresistible, you should note that health experts warn against the use of tanning beds.
Lauren from Tanorama is trying to steer clear of tanning beds now, but millions of people still head to the salons every year. This is a huge health concern because just one indoor tanning session can increase the risk of melanoma by 20 percent and squamous cell carcinoma by 67 percent, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. And in a study recently published in Cancer, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, researchers suggest that banning tanning beds among minors would prevent thousands of cases of melanoma in adolescents and millions of dollars in healthcare costs.
"Studies have shown that exposure to tanning beds increases the risk of skin cancer and ocular cancer," says Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius, chief of the division of dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "It also induces changes that lead to premature aging of the skin. There is no 'safe' tanning bed."
Dr. Pavlick, a medical oncologist and a Professor of Medicine and Dermatology at NYU Perlmutter Cancer Center, echoed Dr. Cornelius' statements by explaining that tanning beds increase your chances of melanoma "exponentially."
Tanning Salons Pose a Big Risk of Melanoma
"We know there is a direct correlation with [melanoma] patients who go to indoor tanning salons," Dr. Pavlick tells SurvivorNet, who notes that the exposure "is about 6 inches from your body."
The sun is millions of miles away when you're on a beach, "so you have to think of the intensity that you're exposing your skin to when you go to a tanning salon," she says.
What are Tanning Injections?
Tanning injections generally come in the form of melanotan I or melanotan II. Both types work by replicating a hormone in your body that stimulates the production of the pigment melanin in your skin cells. This, in turn, gives your skin a darker appearance.
This lesser known tanning method can also pose serious health risks, but there is less conclusive evidence given that they are illegal in many places including the U.S. and the U.K.. However, in A Review of Common Tanning Methods published by The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, scientists noted that these injections have caused various side effects.
“They have been reported to cause side effects, such as satiety [feeling full], hypertension [high blood pressure], and penile erections. Other risks include the potential to transmit blood-borne infections, rhabdomyolysis [a breakdown that can damage the kidneys], encephalopathy [a broad term for brain disease], and renal [kidney] dysfunction.”
Healthline even suggests that “some research suggests that they may increase your risk of developing skin cancer.”
So while we don’t necessarily know the full extent of the health risks associated with tanning injections, we do know that they are illegal in the U.S. and the U.K. and unregulated. The FDA has also issued warnings about this tanning method.
Alternatives to Tanning Injections/Beds
But if achieving the perfect tan is very important to you, there are other options to try instead of the UV-blasting tanning beds or prolonged sun exposure. Temporary options like spray tans and self-tanning lotions are thought to be far better alternatives.
"Spray tans and sunless tanning lotions are safe," Dr. Cornelius says. "One should take precautions not to inhale the product when getting a spray tan. Skin allergic reactions are rare."
Spray tans are a much safer alternative to tanning beds, but Dr. Craig Elmets, professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, says that not much is known about the side effects of spray tans.
"They even have a very mild sunscreen effect," he says, adding that applying sunblock is still recommended when going outdoors. "Not a lot is known about the side effects, but there is very limited absorption and they have been available for decades without any reports of serious side effects, which is reassuring."
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