Having tanned skin has not always been popular. Today it may represent health and vitality or an outdoor lifestyle. As recently as the 1940’s it represented working outdoors in manual labor or poorly paid work.
As prosperity became more tangible to people in the middle of the last century, having a lifestyle became more of a reality. The idea of leisure time was invented. People would dedicate time to going to the beach and spending time outdoors for relaxation. They had money to spend on vacations, often traveling to sunnier climates.
It was not long before having an all over tan was a sign of an affluent lifestyle. It represented the living of a healthy and vital life and was highly desirable. Pretty soon, getting a suntan became an activity in itself. People would spend many hours in the Sun ‘working on their tan’.
The idea of having a year round sun tan soon became popular. Also, people wanted to get a tan before they started their annual vacation. With demand for these needs to be met, the idea of the sunbed evolved.
Since this time, sunbeds and tanning salons have proved to be extremely popular. Strangely enough they are even more popular than a regular suntan in regions where there is plenty of Sun (I guess there is no sand or wind to deal with).
But the question that most people that use sunbeds have and then prefer to put to the back of their minds is do sunbeds cause cancer ?
It is actually very straightforward. Current research suggests that any form of exposure to ultra violet (UV) radiation will eventually lead to skin cancer. It makes no difference whether this UV radiation is from the sun or another source. Indeed, the only variation in this will be based on a persons skin type or other genetic factor like a family history of skin cancer.
Many sunbed owners or tanning salon proprietors may point out that most sunbeds use UVA radiation to tan the skin. Whereas the UV rays that can cause sunburn are UVB radiation. Whilst it is true that sunbeds will use UVA radiation, research suggests that UVA radiation is just as likely to cause skin cancer as UVB radiation even if the skin is not burned.
The important point to take from this is that any form of tanning is bad for the skin. It will eventually lead to skin cancer at some point and is more likely if you are genetically predisposed to developing skin cancer. You should limit your exposure to UV radiation in all circumstances. That is why most people are advised to take precautions in the sun, like wearing sunscreen, a hat and protective clothing.
Lying on a sunbed once a week is like going in the sun with none of this protection. Under the circumstances, it seems like a potentially high price to pay to have a ‘healthy’ tan.