A golden-brown tan might be attractive for some students on
campus, but comparable to burnt toast for others.
With the sunshine beckoning people to the beach, the sand will
once again be lined with tanners this summer. Still others will be
heading to tanning salons. But medical professionals say that by
tanning, people are putting their health at risk.
“As a doctor at UCLA for 25 years, I have seen a number of
patients with skin cancer. … I probably treat a couple thousand
cases a year at UCLA,” said Ronald Moy, an associate clinical
professor in the department of skin cancer and dermatologic surgery
at the David Geffen School of Medicine. “We didn’t
treat so many a while ago.”
Tanning from the sun or a tanning bed can be harmful because it
leads to premature wrinkling and may increase the chances of skin
cancer, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Web site.
The ultraviolet radiation present in sun rays and provided in
tanning beds consists of ultraviolet-B rays and ultraviolet-A rays.
UVB rays are associated with sunburns while the deeper-penetrating
UVA rays are thought to lead to melanoma, a cancer that can be
fatal if not detected early. Ultraviolet radiation can also damage
the DNA in skin cells as well as the immune system.
Tanning results when the body produces melanin ““ the
pigment in skin that absorbs UV light ““ as a result of UV
damage. The darker the tan, the more damaged the skin. The damages
of tanning, such as premature wrinkling and skin cancer, are not
noticeable until years after the exposure. Therefore most people
may not realize that tanning has such harmful effects, according to
the American Academy of Dermatology Web site.
“I get a number of patients, (including) college students,
who have skin cancer, and maybe it’s getting worse because
the tanning industry is getting so big,” Moy said.
Skin cancer can lead to everything from surgery scars to
death.
“Every morning I have a waiting room full of people with
skin cancer. … People can lose their life to melanoma; they can
lose their nose; they can have scars from skin cancers,” he
added. “We see skin cancers at younger and younger ages. The
incidence is going up.”
Despite the health risks, some students say they enjoy the
physical appearance of a tan.
“I tan in the beds, on the beach and I do the spray-on
tan,” said Jordan Jozwick, a second-year bioengineering
student at UC San Diego and a tanning salon employee. “I like
being tan; I like the way it looks. I do controlled tanning in the
sun with sunscreen.”
California law forbids tanning parlors to provide tanning-bed
services to people under the age of 18. Jozwick said many college
students and longtime tanners, including people in their 30s, visit
the tanning salon where she works. The majority of clients are
women, but there is a significant number of men who also use the
tanning beds.
Jozwick, along with some peers who go to tanning booths, said
the increase in melanin after being in a tanning bed will decrease
the chances of getting a severe burn from exposure to sunlight. She
said her tanning salon recommends people tan prior to going on a
vacation to protect their skin.
But many doctors do not support tanning to decrease sunburns and
want people to wear sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB
rays with a Sun Protection Factor of 15 or greater to decrease
their exposure to the sun.
In addition, dermatologists oppose tanning beds because they can
increase the chance of contracting skin cancer. The light in
tanning booths can lead to cancer such as melanoma, and has been
shown to cause premature aging. Using tanning salons in addition to
tanning in the sun accelerates aging and increases the chances of
getting skin cancer, Moy said.
Ryan Greene, a 23-year-old accountant and auditor who lives in
Westwood, said he plans to apply SPF 30 sunscreen before his trip
to the beach to protect against sunburning and does not plan on
actively tanning in the sun.
For people who want tanned-looking skin but do not want to risk
their health, spray-on tans are a better option, Moy said.
Spray-on tans pigment the skin but do not protect against UV
rays, so sunscreen should still be applied, according to the
American Academy of Dermatology Web site.
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