Skin Cancer from the Sun / Tanning Beds


Sun Tans / Tanning Beds are Dangerous

A suntan, whether you get it on the beach, in a tanning bed, or through incidental exposure, is bad news for your skin. Suntans are caused by harmful UV–radiation (UV–A and UV–B) from the sun or tanning bed, and if you have a suntan, you've sustained skin cell DNA damage.


No matter what you may hear at tanning salons or from your friends (or you just plain want to believe otherwise), the cumulative damage caused by UV–radiation can lead to premature skin aging (wrinkles, lax skin, brown spots, and more), as well as skin cancer.


For the real facts about the dangers of sun tanning, visit: www.skincancer.org. They encourage people who want a suntan to stay out of the sun and use a sunless tanning lotion. Their motto is: "There is no such thing as a safe tan!" Being informed about how to protect yourself from unwanted sun or tanning bed exposure is the best defense against skin cancer and photoaging.


Effective July 1, 2010 a 10% surcharge is imposed on all tanning bed users and outright bans the use of a tanning bed to anyone under age 18. The US Government's intention is to discourage the use of tanning beds. Although Tropical Solutions, Inc. believes that tanning beds are harmful and cause skin cancer, we believe the US Government has no right to levy this tax. To do so would mean that the US Government should go to everyone sun bathing at the beach (or behind their house) and charge them a tax also!! We are pro–government, but pro–small, non–intrusive government!!


It is irrefutable that those who use tanning beds (UV–A and UV–B) are 74% more likely to develop melanoma skin cancer than those who have never used tanning beds. The more time you spend bed tanning, the higher the odds of developing a skin disease (including skin cancer). According to the American Cancer Society, the type of tanning machine used affects melanoma risk – some tanners were 4.44 times as likely as non–tanners to develop melanoma. Remember, the higher the bulb strength, the deeper the UV–A can penetrate, and the worse the skin cell's DNA damage.


Tanning beds can deliver 12 times more UV–A radiation than the sun. Approximately 90% of the rays emitted from tanning beds are UV–A radiation. Recent research is showing that UV–A is far more dangerous, because it penetrates the skin deeper (see picture below). UV–A is known to cause photoaging, and malignant melanoma skin cancer.


TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion - UV Radiation Penetrating the Skin



Tanning Bed Myths and Mistruths

Tanning bed salons claim tanning machines are safer than sun tanning for two reasons: 1) they use a more "controlled" ratio of UV–A to UV–B radiation; and 2) they offer more "controlled" UV-radiation exposure. However, we know now that UV–A radiation is a carcinogen (causes cancer), and studies have revealed that tanning salons frequently exceed "safe" UV–A radiation limits. Study after study has shown that sun bed tanning increases the risk of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers.


Some tanning salons boast their higher strength bulbs means less time in the tanning bed / booth, thereby reducing the risks of skin cancer. But this is not true for two reasons:

1) The higher the bulb strength, the deeper the UV–A rays penetrate your skin, and the worse the skin cell DNA damage;

2) The cumulative amount of UV–radiation energy is the same. A lower radiation over a longer time or a higher radiation over a shorter time provide the same total amount of radiation; and it is the cumulative UV–energy, as well as the bulb power, that are your enemies! As a note, higher bulb strength means a higher price and higher customer turnover, which means higher profits for them!

The sun's or tanning bed's UV–rays damage the DNA of the skin's epidermal cells, triggering enzymes that race to repair the damage. However, these enzymes do not always repair the DNA successfully, and all this unrepaired damage can lead to mutations that increase the risk of skin cancer. Also, repeated, unprotected UV–light exposure can cause photoaging – wrinkles, sagging skin, and spots associated with sun damage.



UV–Radiation Damages Skin Cells

When UV–radiation penetrates your skin, damage can be done to a single strand DNA. The rays can cause the strands to break or cause cross–linking to the wrong area of the strand (see picture below). This is now a mutation that our body tries to repair with special proteins. If more damage is caused than our body can repair, the result can be cancer. Different people have different abilities to repair UV–damage.


TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion - DNA Damaged by UV Light



When you tan from the sun or tanning bed, it is your body's attempt to protect itself from additional UV–radiation. Remember, a tan from the sun / tanning bed is generated from damaged skin cells. UV–radiation can damage the eyes as well, and can cause cataracts.


A sunburn and a suntan are equally dangerous, because both result from DNA damage to the skin cells. It is true that sunburn has been directly linked to melanoma – one blistering sunburn in your childhood or adolescence, or five sunburns total over the course of your life, more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life.


Your lifetime sun / tanning bed exposure is responsible for an increased risk of cancer (see picture below). Intense, intermittent UV–radiation from the sun or tanning bed causes squamous cell carcinoma; whereas, the cumulative lifetime exposure of UV–radiation causes basal cell carcinoma.


TanSome Sunless Tanning Lotion - Normal Skin with Cancer Cells

According to the American Cancer Society, over 1,000,000 people get skin cancer every year and 8,500 of these die. The majority of skin cancers are less frequently fatal, but are still serious basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Even if you escape skin cancer, you will not escape sunlight or tanning beds from turning your skin into leather.



The Three Basic Forms of Skin Cancer

Information within this section was gathered from www.world–health–organization.int.

Basal cell carcinomas are the most common type of skin cancer. They usually appear as a red lump or scaly area. They grow slowly, rarely spread to other parts of the body (metastasize) and can be removed surgically.


Squamous cell carcinomas are the second most common form of skin cancer. They appear as a thickened red scaly spot at body sites most often exposed to UV–radiation. As they sometimes metastasize they are more dangerous than basal cell carcinomas. However, they also tend to be slow growing and can usually be removed surgically before they become a serious risk.


Malignant melanoma is the rarest but deadliest type of skin cancer. It is one of the most common cancers among 20 to 35 year–olds.


Malignant melanoma may arise as a new mole or as change in color, shape, size or sensation of an old spot, freckle, or mole. Melanomas tend to have an irregular outline and a patchy coloring. Itching is another common symptom but is also found in normal moles. If recognized and treated early, the chances of survival are good. If untreated, the tumor can develop rapidly, and cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body.


The causes of malignant melanoma are not fully understood. Exposure during childhood is thought to be more important than exposure later in life. Tumor development may be linked to occasional exposure to short periods of intense sunlight, such as weekends or on holiday. The higher incidence of malignant melanoma in indoor workers compared to outdoor workers supports that notion. Watch out for early symptoms of malignant melanoma.


If you have a mole, freckle or spot you are concerned about, go and see a dermatologist! It may very well not be a melanoma. However, if it is a melanoma, it is crucial that it is recognized and treated early.