We all associate a tanned skin with a healthy glow. Some people opt to bake themselves in the sun, others visit an indoor tanning salon, while others prefer to fake it. So who is right, and how can we actually have a healthy tan?

Let’s review what is actually harmful to the skin. UVA rays mainly cause skin aging due to the sun damage, while UVB rays cause skin cancer. It is worth noting that there also exist UVC rays, but these are lost in the atmosphere without coming in contact with our bodies.

Tanning Beds

A study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization, has shed light on the real harm done through ultra-violet emitting tanning beds. The research, which is published in the July 2009 edition of The Lancet Oncology medical journal, found that using tanning beds could increase the risk of developing cancer by 75%, particularly if used by children and young adults.

“The risk of skin melanoma is increased by 75 percent when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age,” said the report.

However, one can conclude that the use of beds at any age boosts the risk of melanoma, which is the deadliest form of skin cancer (15%). So now tanning beds, which lately are being made to produce higher levels of UVB to mimic the sun and speed up the tanning process, are being classified in the same top-risk cancer group as cigarettes, asbestos and arsenic. Tanning beds contain light sources which emit both UVA and UVB rays. The UVA rays emitted are 2 to 3 times more powerful than the UVA rays which occur naturally from the sun.

Sun Rays

The sun can be as damaging as the tanning beds in the long run, especially if it is taken advantage of. Sun damage of the skin, also known as photo damage, can lead to either a cosmetic change in the skin’s appearance (mainly premature aging, wrinkles, pigmentation and a thick leathery skin) or can lead to more health concerns (such as skin cancers).

Any tan is damage to your skin. A tan is a reaction of the skin to sun exposure. The skin produces more melanin (brown pigment) to defend itself. Our skin type can fall in 6 different categories, according to the Fitzpatrick Scale. Skin Type 1 are those people who always burn but never tan, while Skin Type 6 is black skin. Skin Type 1 are more at risk of severe skin damage because their skin is not protecting itself against the harmful sun rays – and in fact, they tend to turn red, burn, blister and remain ‘untanned’. In fact skin cancer is more common in people who don’t tan easily, who always burn and never tan, who are fair skinned, who have red hair, blonde or light brown hair, and who have blue, green or grey eyes.

Cosmetic sun damage causes premature aging. This appears as freckles, hyper-pigmentation (brown patches), hypo-pigmentation (white spots), excessive wrinkles (especially in non-expression areas, where expression areas are usually the eyes and mouth – so it would usually be areas such as sides of face, neck and décolleté), and thick leathery skin. This is understood when one compares a baby’s skin, a 15 year old’s skin and an adult’s skin. The baby’s skin is usually flawless, the 15 year old might have a few freckles, while an adult would have more sun damage depending on the amount sun exposure in one’s life. Also in an adult, one would see a difference when comparing the skin which was repeatedly exposed to the sun, to areas where it was not or sun exposure was limited to a few months a year.

At times we don’t realize that we might be getting too much sun exposure. It’s not just going to the beach in the summer months, but most of the sun exposure we accumulate through our lives is the effect of multiple, short periods of time outside. So, even driving to and from work, hanging clothes on the roof, gardening, golfing, skiing (sun rays are reflected off the snow), sailing, playing tennis, walking to the grocery store, and people working in construction sites. Even a cloudy day can contribute to a tan – as it is the sun’s rays which are harmful, and the rays can still penetrate through the clouds.

Although, sunshine is essential for health and wellbeing, and is a vital source of Vitamin D, one has to weigh the pros and cons. It is worth noting that you can achieve your body’s Vitamin D requirements through just a 10 minute walk three times a week or a diet that includes salmon, tuna, eggs and fortified cereal.

Prevention – the best cure

To prevent the damage caused by the UV rays, one has to avoid tanning beds, avoid the sun between 11am and 3pm, wear protective clothing (including wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses) and apply sunscreen. It is important to note that for sunscreen to be effective, it has to be a broadspectrum sunscreen (meaning that it filters both UVA and UVB rays), it has to be an SPF 15 or higher, it has to be applied generously and it has to be reapplied every 2 hours (even more often if you are swimming or sweating).

If you would like to have a tan all year round, then try a bronzing lotion or self-tanning cream.

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