A popular indoor activity, performed by one in three Americans, has been linked to thousands of cases of cancer. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center warn that you may be addicted without realizing it.
The dangerous activity, according to some medical experts, is use of a tanning booth. It exposes you to two types of ultraviolet (UV) light – UVA and UVB. Both types of UV light can cause skin aging and potential damage, but only UVB can stimulate the skin to produce vitamin D.
Unfortunately, tanning booths, on average, expose you to 12 times more UVA radiation than the more helpful UVB. Getting a moderate amount of natural sunlight to promote vitamin D production in your body is much more helpful than baking on a tanning bed.
But if you tan, you may be hooked without knowing it. The Texas study shows that folks who frequently use a tanning booth may experience changes in their brain chemistry that make it hard to stop.
“Using tanning beds has rewarding effects in the brain so people may feel compelled to persist in the behavior even though it’s bad for them,” says researcher Bryon Adinoff. “The implication is, ‘If it’s rewarding, then could it also be addictive?’ It’s an important question in the field.”
Other studies show that if you’ve frequently used a tanning booth throughout your life, you may increase your risk of skin cancer by a factor of eight.
That’s why it’s better to get a moderate amount of sun than pay to use artificial UV light.
But that doesn’t mean the sunlight doesn’t have its own risks.
For myself, I love bright sunshine and my idea of a good time is a noontime, shirtless jog in 80+ degree weather while sweating in the Alabama sun. I’ve never used a tanning bed and have never felt its appeal – I have access to the healthiest sunlamp. The one that’s sitting in the sky overhead and that I get to use for free.
That being said, I also believe that when something’s good for you, you can get too much of a good thing – and that certainly includes the sun. I avoid sunburns and cover up before the sun can damage my skin. I don’t trust sunscreens. I believe that if you’ve been out in the sun long enough to be worried about what the sun is doing to your skin, it’s time get out of the sun. Don’t just slather on sunscreen.
I also agree with the Environmental Working Group (EWG) when it comes to sun safety. As they point out:
- No one has ever proved that sunscreens prevent skin cancer.
- Just because a sunscreen claims to have a high SPF (sun protection factor) doesn’t mean it is safe to wear it and get unlimited sun exposure.
- The synthetic derivative of vitamin A that is an ingredient in many sunscreens may increase your skin cancer risk.
- Sunscreens can contain questionable chemicals that disrupt the hormones in your skin.
- If you never get unprotected sun exposure, you almost certainly need vitamin D supplements.
The EWG’s guide to the best sunscreens is here.
So, this summer, enjoy the sun and make some vitamin D. But be careful of overexposure.
