Enjoy Optimum Health

It seems that it was only in the middle of the last century that having a tan became desirable. Up until this point, people did not see tanned skin as a positive look but more than likely an indication that the person worked outdoors and was exposed to too much sunlight.

During the 1950’s, people became more prosperous. They had more time for leisure activities as opposed to working. These type of activities involved spending time at the beach or other outdoor activities. they also had time and money to spend on exotic vacations to warmer climates.

It was not long before having an all over tan was a sign of an affluent lifestyle. It represented the living of a healthy and vital life and was highly desirable. Pretty soon, getting a suntan became an activity in itself. People would spend many hours in the Sun ‘working on their tan’.

People wanted to look suntanned all year round regardless of the time of year. Others wanted to look tanned before they went on vacation. With these attitudes prevalent, the development of the sunbed began.

Since this time, sunbeds and tanning salons have proved to be extremely popular. Strangely enough they are even more popular than a regular suntan in regions where there is plenty of Sun (I guess there is no sand or wind to deal with).

But the question that most people that use sunbeds have and then prefer to put to the back of their minds is do sunbeds cause cancer ?

The answer is very clear. Any tanning of the skin using ultraviolet (UV) radiation will eventually cause skin cancer. The amount or frequency of exposure may vary from individual to individual, based on things like their skin type or a family history of skin cancer, but eventually it will cause the development of skin cancer.

Many people that use sunbeds may be at pains to point out that the radiation that a sunbed uses is different to the radiation from the Sun. UVB radiation is responsible for burning the skin in the Sun. It has a different frequency to the radiation used in sunbeds. A sunbed uses UVA radiation, that was thought to not be as harmful to the skin. For instance, it does not cause the skin to burn. However, recent research suggests that this is not the case and any UV radiation is harmful to the skin.

The important point to take from this is that any form of tanning is bad for the skin. It will eventually lead to skin cancer at some point and is more likely if you are genetically predisposed to developing skin cancer. You should limit your exposure to UV radiation in all circumstances. That is why most people are advised to take precautions in the sun, like wearing sunscreen, a hat and protective clothing.

Lying on a sunbed once a week is like going in the sun with none of this protection. Under the circumstances, it seems like a potentially high price to pay to have a ‘healthy’ tan.

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