Is the tanning bed bad?

Mar 4, 2014

Nicole J.

I'm wanting to use one for prom can it cause cancer.

Mar 4, 2014

Emily W.

Think of it like this: you are stepping naked into a nuclear core. Exposing your entire body to concentrated radiation.

Much like how you wouldn't necessarily get radiation sickness immediately from stepping into a reactor, you might not get skin cancer soon using a tanning bed. But both cause exposure that damages cells.

Use a lotion or get a professional spray tan. It isn't worth risking your health for vanity.

Mar 4, 2014

Emily W.

I should add that that exposure builds, and can manifest as cancer long after you've stopped tanning.

Mar 4, 2014

Gabs D.

Yes they are good for you. Just don't burn! That's bad!! But tanning beds provide vitamin d in a controlled environment, get rid of acne, build stronger bones.

Mar 4, 2014

Emily W.

That isn't true at all Gabs. Unless you have a severe deficiency, your body absorbs enough vitamin D from the natural UV in the environment, even on cloudy days. Sitting in your house provides adequate exposure for proper absorption.

The effects of UV on acne is merely an affect of drying the skin. You should not use it as a primary method to treat acne, because you are trading a cosmetic issue for a legitimate health issue. See a dermatologist to treat acne properly.

Nothing about a tanning bed is "controlled". You are exposing your ENTIRE body to an unspecified and unblocked amount of RADIATION. The only "control" you have is how long you lie there and cook. It doesn't matter if you burn or not, you are damaging your cells (that is what a tan is--cell damage). That cell damage is what leads to cancer, wrinkles, dark spots, etc.

UV radiation does not directly affect your skeletal system. Getting adequate calcium and vitamin d from a healthy diet, which is absorbed via exposure to natural light, is enough to maintain healthy bones. Unless, like I mentioned earlier, you have a severe medical issue, in which you should be in the care of a doctor--not a salon.

Tanning beds are not good for you. Period. Telling people that they have any health benefits is a lie, and is outright dangerous.

Mar 4, 2014

Nicole J.

Thanks😊

Mar 4, 2014

Emily W.

No problem Neblina. I have had skin cancer twice from sun damage, and it SUCKS. People tend to forget that it is just as dangerous as any other cancer. I try to remind people to be safe, in the hopes that they won't have to go through what I have gone through.

Mar 4, 2014

Emily W.

Thanks Cali. :)

Mar 4, 2014

Diana I.

try airbrushing tanning!

Mar 4, 2014

Aurora S.

Emily, I agree with you although I don't think people get enough vitamin D on cloudy days. I believe that is true for fair skinned people which is why the ancient people who moved towards Europe became lighter complected due to the environment not having as much sun causing the skin to get lighter to absorb the vitamin D in that kind of whether. If you have a complexion that is more tan or deep, the melanin in the skin makes it kind of hard to absorb vitamin D from just inside as the melanin is more abundant due to the ancestors being in places with lots of sun. Women in south east Asia usually have tan skin and live in a very sunny climate and they avoid being in direct sunlight and a lot of them are deficient in vitamin D

Mar 4, 2014

Sally W.

They are EXTREMELY bad. You should never use them.

Mar 6, 2014

Caitlin M.

I agree wholeheartedly with Emily here. There is never any reason to get into a tanning bed or tan with natural sunlight either. It is so bad for your skin. Obviously because of the cancer risk but it damages the skin and ages it prematurely as well.

And as far as vitamin D there are PLENTY of ways to get vitamin d nowadays. There is no need to expose ourselves to sunlight or tanning beds to get it.

Mar 7, 2014

Aurora S.

My friend is a fisherman who gives me salmon and I eat salmon quite a lot but I went to the doctor recently and I have a vitamin D deficiency. I can't eat dairy. I'm Asian and Latina and both sides are lactose intolerant.

Mar 7, 2014

Caitlin M.

Honestly, its probably better that you don't eat dairy. I have heard a lot of stuff about dairy actually being absolutely awful for us. I definitely try to limit my intake of it. I've never really liked milk or felt the need to drink it honestly. It goes in coffee, cereal or in baked goods but that's about all for me lol. You're probably better off sticking to the fish and vitamin capsules. But if you absolutely HAD to get some from the sun I remember reading somewhere that 20 minutes in the sun is okay for that. But I'd still wear a generous amount of sunscreen.