Learn the Facts About UV Tanning NOW!

Mechanism of UV Tanning
UV light cannot be seen, but its effect on the human skin can.

Whether produced by the sun or a tanning bed, UV light consists of UVA and UVB rays (UVC rays are 99%+ absorbed by the stratosphere).

Premium tanning bulbs generate more UVA than UVB; (bulbs generate about 20 times more UVA than UVB -- remember, UVA light causes cancer before UVB light!).

The sun generates a near constant level of UVA throughout the day, but UVB peaks between 10AM - 2PM (Standard Time) or 9AM - 1PM (Daylight Savings Time). (UVA/UVB ratio varies between 10 and 100 during the day.)

UVA rays are longer, more dangerous, and penetrate your skin deeper than the shorter UVB rays. Older sunscreens only blocked UVB rays, but the newer sunscreens block UVA rays as well. However, to ensure UVA ray blockage totally, use a sunblock (zinc oxide, talc, titanium dioxide, etc).

Your skin tans on its outermost layer, the epidermis. About 5% of the cells in your epidermis are special cells called melanocytes; when UVA rays strike the melanocytes, they produce melanin - the pigment ultimately responsible for tanning.

The pinkish melanin travels up through the epidermis and is absorbed by the outer skin cells. When UVB rays strike the melanin the skin oxidizes, or darkens.

This darkening, or "tanning," is your skin's way of protecting itself from too much UV light --- in fact, a tan is a symptom of UV light overdose! The skin becomes darker to reduce the amount of UV light that can penetrate the skin. This is Nature's way of our bodies adapting to the environment to protect itself.

The outer skin is continually sloughing "old-dead" cells, replacing them with "new-dead" cells daily; this is why a tan "fades."

Ever wonder why a day in the sun is extremely fatiguing, even if you are just sunbathing? Just 20 minutes of sunlight reduces your Vitamin C by 50%, making you tired and sleep-deprived.

Although some UV light is necessary for skin nutrient generation, beware! Anything more than 15 minutes of sun for light complexion, 30 minutes for dark complexion, or 2 / 4 minutes of tanning bed per day is OVEREXPOSURE to UV light and greatly increases your risk of skin cancer!

Dangers of UV Tanning
For a complete understanding of how the sun and tanning beds destroy your skin, you should read the entirety of Wrinkles. However, if you are unable to read Wrinkles in its entirety at this time, PLEASE read the information below:

Our sun provides life-sustaining energy, yet it can literally kill us. Overexposure to UVA rays from the sun or tanning beds cause irreparable skin damage. This skin damage may manifest as premature aging (wrinkled, leathery skin) and/or skin cancer, which may cause premature death. To prevent overexposure, avoid the midday sunlight and tanning beds.

Skin Cancer
Overexposure to UV light may cause your melanin to turn cancerous. The cancerous melanin is known as melanoma. In melanoma, the depth of a lesion's penetration is an indicator of its severity.

When caught at an early stage, melanoma is among the most curable cancers. Early stage melanomas are still less than a millimeter thick and confined to the outer layer of skin.

However, melanomas that are diagnosed at a later stage are the deadliest of all cancers and have a 95% morbidity rate. In the later stages, the melanocytes have grown through the skin and underlying fat and traveled to sites beyond.

According to the American Cancer Society, about 10,850 people die from skin cancer every year. The majority of skin cancers are less frequently fatal, but are still serious basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.

Early Detection
For the best possible outcome, detecting skin cancer early is essential. For self-diagnosis, follow the "ABCDE" rubric to determine if an abnormal growth could be cancerous:

• A- Asymmetry of moles and skin spots occur.
• B- Borders become irregular or blurred.
• C- Color becomes uneven or unusual.
• D- Diameter of mole or spot becomes enlarged.
• E- Evolving or changing.

Prevention
Everyone knows that too much sun exposure causes wrinkled, leathery skin and can even be deadly! Don't let your short-term quest for a good-looking tan override your concern for long-term health.

• Avoid overexposure to UV light.
  
  
• Tan with a sunless tanning lotion. Sunless tanning lotion is the only safe and effective way to tan.
  
  
• Use a UVA/UVB suncreen and/or a sunblock. Apply a generous amount of sunscreen (about a palmful) and reapply after swimming, toweling dry, or perspiring. Use sunscreen even on hazy or overcast days.



• Avoid the sun between during the mid-day hours.
  
  
• Seek shade when available. If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at their strongest.
  
  
• Slip on a shirt: Cover up with protective clothing to guard as much skin as possible when you are out in the sun. Choose comfortable clothes made of tightly woven fabrics that you cannot see through when held up to a light.
  
  
• Slap on a hat: Cover your head with a wide-brimmed hat, shading your face, ears, and neck. If you choose a baseball cap, remember to protect your ears and neck with sunscreen.
  
  
• Wrap on sunglasses: Wear sunglasses with 99% to 100% UV absorption to provide optimal protection for the eyes and the surrounding skin.
  
  
• Follow these practices to protect your skin even on cloudy or overcast days. UV rays travel through clouds.
  
  
• Avoid other sources of UV light. Tanning beds and sun lamps are dangerous because they can damage your skin.