About Tanning Beds and Skin Cancer

The appeal of suntanning for that “healthy glow” is especially popular with the younger generation, although I see many adults frequenting them as well.

Some studies have raised questions about the link between the person’s age when they started using tanning beds and the melanoma risk.

The conclusion was that the age wasn’t as much of a factor to tanning beds and skin cancer as the accumulation of exposure to the ultraviolet radiation from the tanning devices.

So what is it about suntanning beds and skin cancer that’s any different than the ultraviolet rays directly from the sun?

Let’s first take a look at the tanning beds, because they do pose an added danger that overexposure to the sun does not.

A tanning bed can be safe, but the sad reality is that most all commercial tanning beds are not equipped to be safe.

Their main problems have to do with two different types of radiation that are generated from them.

One is X-Rays which come from both ends of the bulbs and this happens with any fluorescent bulb. These X-Rays could be shielded by wrapping a piece of lead tape around the last inch of each end of the bulb.

The second problem is EMF (Electromagnetic Field) coming from the magnetic ballasts used in most commercial tanning beds. You may have noticed the humming sound coming from tanning beds and most fluorescent lighting.

That’s the magnetic ballast.

The further away you are from the bed, the more the EMF decreases. The real danger here is that you are lying inside a tanning bed just inches away from the EMF coming from the magnetic ballast.

This problem also could be solved by replacing the magnetic ballast with a quiet and efficient electronic ballast.

First, you might want to check with the manufacturer to see if the tanning bed was engineered to install an electronic ballast. If not, the installation may be more difficult.

X-Rays and EMF are a health hazard and are a contributing factor to the link between tanning beds and skin cancer.

If you want some more incentive about the dangers of tanning beds, read Meghan's melanoma survivor story at SurvivingSkin.org

How about the bulbs used in tanning beds?

Insufficient amounts of Vitamin D are a factor of all disease, including skin cancer.

The only real benefit that could be derived from tanning beds or the UV rays from the sun is Vitamin D. The sun remains the best source.

What everyone should remember is that, it is overexposure that causes the damage and often leads to skin cancer.

Even it you find a safe tanning bed and you consistently overexpose yourself, you are in danger …and, as always, the same is true with overexposure to the suns UVA rays.

It’s all about moderation and knowing your risk for skin cancer. If you are in a higher risk category then you should not spend as much time in the ultraviolet rays as someone at low risk.

For the above reasons, tanning beds and skin cancer are very much linked.

Get your vitamin D from the sun, but don’t ever, ever burn!

Be careful in the noon day sun. That’s when the ultraviolet rays are the most intense. It would only take a very short time to BURN.

When you can’t get much sun or live in a region far from the equator then a safe tanning bed would be wise. But always limit your time. Do not overexpose your skin or BURN!

Overexposure in a safe tanning bed still puts you at risk for melanoma/skin cancer.

Proper, safe use of a safe tanning bed can boost your immune system with a year round optimum supply of Vitamin D.

The link to tanning beds and skin cancer is definitely there, but if you are smart you will not be among those who get skin cancer from tanning beds OR THE SUN.

Take it from me, I know how serious skin cancer can be.

One more thing; if you are at high risk, like me, or you never spend much time in the sun, you could be Vitamin D deficient.

It’s hard to get sufficient Vitamin D from foods so you would be doing yourself a lot of good by supplementing with Vitamin D3.

That’s what I do!

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