Video Nurse: Are Tanning Beds Safe?

This is segment from a series of answers given during Video Nurse, which aired on June 7, 2010 at 5 pm on ustream.tv. Video Nurse talked about "Five things people do that could kill them". Rather than take the top five things, Video Nurse took five random things, from the common to the not so common, and did some research on each subject to give people a glimpse into their options.

Some of you know last year I placed a status update on my Facebook page about getting a package of tanning sessions in preparation for my photo shoot with Sarah Lyons. Immediately, several concerned friends cautioned me, stating the dangers of indoor tanning. Since then, my bigger question has been not just about overall safety, but also the way tanning beds work, and at what levels should we consider them to be "overused" and a health risk. You'll be happy to hear that I have no skin cancer, and my skin remains healthy.



Here's a few things I learned:

1. What is considered "overuse" of tanning beds? A number of medically-based articles stated that 100 hours per year is considered overuse in the UVA/UVB enhanced beds. However, your risk factors of skin cancer are based not only on use, but also your genetics. If you are pale skinned and sensitive to the sun, you have a higher risk for skin cancer. If you have more melanin in your skin, you have more protection built into your skin against the damaging rays of the sun.

2. It doesn't matter at what age you start tanning. What does matter is the number of years you've been using tanning beds or staying outdoors without protection for your skin. It's a little bit more like smoking: the more years you smoke, the more damage.

3. Tanning beds in general can't be used to increase Vitamin D absorption. The ones that could be useful are those that have adjustable settings where you can decrease the UVA rays and increase UVB rays, as it is the latter that assist Vitamin D absorption, and it's the UVA rays that cause the skin to turn brown. You could also limit the sessions to seven minutes at a time a couple of times a week during the winter months when sunlight exposure is the shortest, and this might be helpful in lifting some of the depression associated with Vitamin D deficiencies.

4. Although not mentioned in the video, there are some medications that make the skin subject to burns from sun exposure. If you are on these medications, a tanning bed is no place for you, and the risk for burns and skin cancer is increased significantly if you choose to ignore the warnings clearly labeled on these prescription medications.

At the very least, Video Nurse found answers to the unspoken question, "If tanning beds are so unsafe, why are they allowed to be in operation?" There may be some limited use for tanning beds with adjustable settings in the near future, but for the most part, tanning salons know that they aren't holding a gun to anyone's head and saying, "Get tanned or else!" There is no addictive element, and both operators and clients are counseled about the benefits and risks of indoor tanning beds. I don't believe we're going to see tanning salons banned in the U.S. any sooner than we're going to see cigarette smoking outlawed. If anything, I predict tanning bed makers are going to simply create a lower powered one for domestic use and sell them to high-end real estate owners and community clubs.

This is not to say that Video Nurse believes indoor tanning beds are completely safe. It appears that safety depends on the machinery, the amount of use, and the genetics of the user. Just don't be ignorant and believe everything the indoor tanning industry tells you. It's a conflict of interest for studies to be conduct by the insiders in the industry, as this tends to skew the outcome of the studies. Instead, look for independent studies, or go outside the industry and read medical journal articles on the subject.