| While many people covet the golden glow of | | | | doses of UV rays. |
| suntanned skin, most people are too busy to | | | | Some people are particularly susceptible to the |
| spend long hours lying in the sun in order to | | | | damaging effects of ultraviolet rays. These people |
| accomplish this. They turn instead to paying for | | | | include fair-skinned people, people with blue, green, |
| tanning sessions at indoor tanning beds for five to | | | | or gray eyes, and people who sunburn easily. |
| 30 minutes each week, trying to accomplish their | | | | These individuals should avoid tanning beds; they |
| goal. Nevertheless, is this a good idea? | | | | are at a significantly higher risk for skin cancer, |
| One factor that has increased the popularity of | | | | aging effects, or other types of skin damage |
| tanning beds enormously over the past decades is | | | | from UV rays. |
| the argument for their safety. Professionals in the | | | | In some instances, however, people may |
| tanning industry argue that, because people tan | | | | experience great benefit from tanning beds, |
| for controlled periods, they are exposed to lower | | | | although not for cosmetic reasons. They can be |
| doses of ultraviolet, or UV rays. This, they claim, | | | | used to treat skin diseases like psoriasis or |
| allows people to tan more efficiently. | | | | eczema, which are patches of inflamed skin. |
| Do tanning beds really optimize the amount of UV | | | | Alternatively, they may be used to treat people |
| rays with which a person comes into contact? Do | | | | affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD); |
| they really offer a safer alternative to tanning | | | | persons with SAD often find that their depression |
| under natural sunlight? Unfortunately, they do not. | | | | lessens UV exposure. |
| Despite the information offered by the tanning | | | | If you have determined that tanning beds are the |
| industry, tanning beds increase a person’s risk | | | | best option for you, tan smart. Wear skin goggles |
| of developing skin cancer. | | | | to protect your eyes from a disorder known as |
| In fact, persons who tanned more than 10 times | | | | arc eye. This is a term used to describe corneal |
| in a tanning bed were at least 150 percent more | | | | burns, which can be very painful. |
| likely to develop skin cancer. These ultraviolet | | | | In addition, wear sunscreen to protect yourself |
| rays are twice as intense as those a person | | | | from sunburn. Sunburn intensifies a person’s |
| receives from natural sunlight. Because UV rays | | | | risk for skin cancer. Finally, remember: tanning |
| cause skin cancer, people are likely to develop | | | | beds are not as safe as tanning in natural sunlight. |
| skin cancer if they subject themselves to higher | | | | |