Sunbeds work by simply encouraging your skin to protect itself by going brown just as the sun outside does. Indoor tanning triggers a totally natural bodily process, your skin tans itself, the sunbed does not give you a tan. Remember that a sunbed tan is not a fake tan. It is our view in Tanzone that the only way to tan with consistent levels of UVB is on a sunbed in a safe controlled environment. All UV exposure should be taken in moderation, whether its sitting in the park or using a sunbed. Like most things in life moderation is the key but don't take our word for it read the expert's opinions and statistics below.


Sunbathing outside may damage and age your skin more than sunbeds due to the length of time your skin is exposed.

Sunbeds contain on average 97% UVA and 3% UVB. Natural sunlight contains 99% UVA and 1% UVB. Only UVB triggers Vitamin D production making sunbeds three times more effective for Vitamin D production.

UVA light causes skin ageing. Sunbeds contain less UVA than natural sunlight. Far less time is spent getting a tan in a sunbed than outdoors also reducing the effects of skin ageing when using sunbeds.

Sun tanning outdoors as you get closer to the equator or at altitude is three times more dangerous than in more northerly regions like Ireland, therefore increasing your risk of skin cancer at the equator by a factor of three. These are lethal doses of radiation particularly for Irish skin types. For example the UVB levels in the Canary Islands can be up to twice as much as here in Ireland, this is because the Sun's rays hit the equator full on and are weaker in more northerly regions.

The World Health Organisation via it's advisory body the IARC (International Agency for Cancer Research) has recently placed sunbeds in the same risk category as alcoholic drinks & natural sunlight amongst others (Group 1 carcinogens). Previously sunbeds were classified as safer than sunbathing outdoors. The only cancer that the IARC could prove to be caused by sunbeds was an extremely rare eyelid cancer caused by not wearing protective goggles. Apart from this eyelid cancer no cancer has ever been proved to have been caused by sunbed usage. It was on this basis that sunbeds were reclassified from Category 2a to Category 1 by the W.H.O.

The Irish cancer society conducted a survey in 2010 and found that sunbed usage in Ireland is down from 9% of the adult population in 2003 to 4% in 2010, yet skin cancer incidences are increasing.

99 people died from skin cancer in Ireland in 2008 - equivalent to 1 person out of every 44,000 or 0.002% of the population. 12,000 people died from smoking related illnesses in 2008 - equivalent to 1 person out of every 366. There were 756 cases of malignant melanoma in Ireland in 2009. 55% of these cases were in adults aged 60 to 80 years old, supporting our view that the increase in skin cancer levels are due to the boom in package holidays since the 1970's and not from the misuse of sunbeds.
(Source - Dept. of Health & Children)

The department of health estimates that 5% of the adult population of Ireland use sunbeds regularly. Skin cancer rates have increased by 92% in the last decade. The amount of Sun holiday trips has doubled over the same period according to the Irish Association of Travel Agents.

60% of the two most common forms of skin cancer occur on 10% of the surface area of the body, namely the face, neck and arms and is therefore most likely caused by natural sunlight exposure like walking to the car, going to the shops etc.

CAN SPF CREAMS CAUSE SKIN CANCER?

The use of sunscreen is known to prevent the direct DNA damage that causes sunburn and the two most common forms of skin cancer, basal-cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. However, if sunscreen penetrates into the skin, it promotes indirect DNA damage, which causes the most lethal form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma. This form of skin cancer causes 75% of all skin cancer-related deaths. Increased risk of malignant melanoma in sunscreen users has been the subject of many epidemiological studies.

(Source Hanson KM, Gratton E, Bardeen CJ 2006 ''Sunscreen enhancement of UV-induced reactive oxygen species in the skin'' - University of California).

THE VITAMIN D TIMEBOMB


More and more research is emerging every year about the dangers of Vitamin D deficiency. UV exposure is by far the fastest and most direct way of getting your Vitamin D. UV light is essential for your well being. Vitamin D received from food, fortified or not, is small when compared to how much the body makes when exposed to UV light for just 10 minutes. It is estimated that tens of thousands of premature deaths occur annually from a range of cancers due to Vitamin D deficiency. Click this link - MSNBC - for a report on Vitamin D deficiency from NBC television.

17/01/10 Dr. Tim Oliver Professor of Oncology Bart's Hospital London ''a recent study of European melanoma rates found that in Sweden - where sunbed use is strictly regulated and tanning salons are supervised, preventing children from using them and protecting adults from over-exposure - there was less melanoma in sunbed users than in non-users''

''Of course, in this country, sun can be hard to come by, especially during the winter. It's during these times that many of us may benefit from the UV lamps used in sunbeds. Because the whole body is usually exposed, a single five to ten-minute session should be sufficient.''

Edward Giovannucci, professor of medicine and nutrition at Harvard states that according to his research, people who have sufficient vitamin D due to UV exposure, and other intake, may prevent 30 deaths for each one caused by skin cancer. His research also suggests that diet accounts very little for vitamin D3 necessary for curbing cancer. Michael Holick, Boston professor of dermatology, claimed that moderate exposure to sunlight probably reduces risk to many forms of cancer, diabetes, seasonal affective disorder, and other diseases.

The medical journal of Australia - 'As civilization enabled humans to work indoors and wear more clothes when outdoors, these cultural changes reduced natural production of vitamin D and caused deficiency diseases'.

The American College of Cardiology - '50% of the adult population in the U.S.A. do not receive enough Vitamin D leading to a much greater risk of heart disease in later life'.

The Mayo clinic - 'UV Light provides your body with a vital source of vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential in protecting your body against Breast cancer, Colon cancer, Prostate cancer, Osteoporosis, High blood pressure, Hypertension, Heart Disease, SAD, PMS, Multiple Sclerosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid arthritis, Psoriasis, Memory loss, Tuberculosis and Periodontal disease. According to the American Heart Association Vitamin D not only prevents but reverses Coronary diseases'.

Dr Michael Holick professor of medicine, physiology and biophysics at the Boston University School of Medicine recommends a daily amount of 1,000 IU is necessary to maintain a healthy level. It is very difficult to eat enough Vitamin D rich foods on a daily basis to achieve these levels. Most multi-vitamin supplements only provide 400IU of Vitamin D. Unprotected UV exposure to 25% of 1 MED, 2-3 times a week is recommended by Dr Holick to ensure sufficient Vitamin D levels. Depending on skin type, this is the equivalent of about 5 minutes of unprotected UV exposure 2-3 times a week.


RELABELLING OF LESIONS & COLLAGEN

Dr. Sam Shuster is Emeritus Professor of Dermatology at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and Honorary Consultant to the Department of Dermatology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital. Below are some quotes from his paper on skin cancer and UV exposure. To read the full article just click the following link - TANNING TRUTH

'' I have no doubt that the re-labelling of benign lesions as malignant is a major, if not the main cause of the increased incidence of reported malignant melanoma ''.

'' The rejuvenation of ageing skin is a money-spinner. Ageing of the skin is not due to UV and it cannot be overcome by the products of the cosmetic industry ''.

'' The fundamental defect of skin ageing is loss of collagen, the skin's main constituent, which is why ageing skin thins. The loss is one per cent a year throughout adult life and is equal in men and women. The reason female skin appears to age faster than male is that women have less skin collagen. This unfair difference is equivalent to 15 years of ageing! The loss of collagen with age is genetic; it has absolutely nothing to do with UV irradiation and occurs equally in skin that has spent its life covered or exposed. And, contrary to the advertising blurb for anti-ageing creams - which simply irritate the skin producing inflammation that swells the skin and conceals the wrinkles - nothing is known that reverses this loss of collagen ''.


COULD INDOOR TANNING BE A SURROGATE FOR WHAT NATURE INTENDED?

Vitamin D production is one of the benefits that has been associated with human exposure to ultraviolet-B (UVB) emitted in sunlight and by an estimated 90 percent of commercial indoor tanning equipment. While the North American indoor tanning industry conducts indoor tanning as a cosmetic service, an undeniable physiological side effect of this service is that indoor tanning clients manufacture sufficient levels of vitamin D as a result of indoor tanning sessions. 1.Vitamin D is a hormone produced naturally when skin is exposed to UVB in sunlight or indoor tanning units. Scientists through thousands of studies now recommend vitamin D blood levels of 40-60 ng/ml. Only those who get regular UV exposure have those levels naturally:

Indoor Tanners...........................42-49 ng/ml...........................Sufficient
Non-Tanners................................23-25 ng/ml...........................Deficient
Dermatologists...........................13-14 ng/ml...........................Severe Deficiency


2.Vitamin D sufficiency is linked to a reduction in 105 diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, multiple sclerosis and most forms of cancer. It is believed that vitamin D deficiency contributes to nearly 400,000 premature deaths and adds a $100 billion burden to our health care system.
3.77 percent of Americans are considered vitamin D deficient according to government data and overzealous sun avoidance is the only plausible explanation for the 50 percent increase in that figure in the past 15 years.
The indoor tanning industry believes that, for those individuals who can develop tans, the cosmetic and vitamin D-related benefits of non-burning exposure to ultraviolet light in appropriate moderation outweigh the easily manageable risks associated with overexposure and sunburn. Many doctors agree: "I believe the health benefits of exposure to UVA and UVB rays greatly outweigh the disadvantages, even if that means using a sunbed during winter months." -British Oncologist Dr. Tim Oliver

MORE EXPERT VIEWS

The Dutch Health Council - ''On no account can it be guaranteed that the use of solariums is accompanied by a higher risk of skin cancer. The supporting scientific documents provide no basis for this''. In the statement the scientists belonging to the high-ranking panel also explain the positive effects of sufficiently supplying the human body with vitamin D, which, stimulated by UV radiation, is produced over 90 percent in the skin. The Dutch Health Council is The Netherlands' most important scientific panel in the domain of health. Its studies, statements, and recommendations often form the basis for legislative proposals.

Dr. Frank De Gruijl from the department of Dermatology at the Leiden university medical centre in The Netherlands says ''It is extremely difficult, if not impossible to separate the risks and Melanoma incidences resulting from outdoor sunbathing and sunbed use''.

''The tan produced by a tanning bed is just as deep as a tan produced in the sun. This is because tanning beds have similar levels of UV than the sun on a typical summer day. Exposure times are shorter than the average session spent in the sun to achieve the same amount of tan due to the proximity to the UV source. Overexposure actually destroys melanin, getting a sunburn will result in LESS tanning. The popular wisdom that one "needs to burn to tan" or that a sunburn will turn into a tan is simply wrong, and increases the chances of skin cancer later in life. This makes tanning indoors a better option for people with fair skin types, as they can visit a local salon several times to develop a tan slowly without burning instead of trying to attain the same results at the beach or backyard in one day. It is important to note that if an individual has a skin type that cannot develop a tan outdoors, they will not be able to indoors either''. - Encyclopedia Britannica.

(All data on this page has been obtained from the following sources : The Department of Health, the Mayo Clinic, the World Health Organisation, the Food & Drug Administration of America, the Irish association of travel agents, The Leiden University Medical Centre, The Medical Journal of Australia, the American Heart Association and the Encyclopedia Britannica ).

Please email david@tanzone.ie if you have any queries on the above.