Studies: Tanning can be addicting

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Studies: Tanning can be addicting

Local salon owner says moderation key

By: Shanee Warden, Contributor

Posted: 4/16/07

Summer is approaching. And with the rising temperatures, San Diego State students are preparing themselves and their bodies for the approaching beach weather.

Students are not only working out at the gym, but they're also looking to get that perfect summer tan.

Before they hit the beach, some students are turning to an alternative source of sunlight for a golden touch. There is often a sea of bodies baking on the sand in Pacific Beach; there are also many who are tanning in a salon.

Jason Vazquez, an SDSU alumnus and the owner of Aztec Tan, said that about 60 percent of his clientele are SDSU students. Aztec Tan customers have options, including tanning beds, lotions and the spray-on Mystic Tan.

Vazquez said the busiest time for customers to come in is usually from January to June.

Nursing sophomore Vanessa Covarrubias said she's aware that "the ultraviolet rays are really bad," but she wears sunglasses and suntan lotion to protect herself.

"People are really into the way they look," said Covarrubias, who tans in salons during the winter. "They don't take the risks seriously until something happens."

She said she knows why salons are enticing.

"People love to tan because it's relaxing and some people have skin conditions that the tanning helps them with," Vazquez said. "It's addictive because it really does make you feel better."

According to www.medicalnewstoday.com, new studies show that tanning may be addictive. The Web site also says the addiction is similar to drugs and alcohol in that frequent tanners refuse to change their behavior, although they are aware that it comes with an increased risk in developing skin cancer from overexposure to the sun.

According to the Center for Devices and Radiological Health, there are two types of UV radiation that could be dangerous to one's health: Ultraviolet A (long wavelength or blacklight) and Ultraviolet B (medium wavelength).

Overexposure to UV radiation, whether it's from sun or from tanning beds, may cause skin cancer. It can have damaging effects on the immune system and may cause premature aging.

Vazquez said that moderation is key in tanning and that's why he feels tanning salons are safer.

"People lay out in the sun for a long time, but here we help you moderate, only a few minutes a day," Vazquez said. "The law says you can only tan once a day."

California law requires that tanning salons post a warning that tanning beds emit UV radiation. Aztec Tan requires customers to sign a form that makes them aware of the risks.

Joni Mayer is a behavioral sciences professor in the Graduate School of Public Health at SDSU. She is doing research on ways to encourage people to prevent skin cancer.

"There is no real definite answer to how much sun is safe," Mayer said.

Mayer said that not only are sunburns hazardous to the skin, but tanning is, too. Whenever the skin gets darker and tans, it indicates that the skin has been damaged.

Mayer said that so far, spray-on tans and lotions appear to be safe alternatives to tanning.

While there is a popular belief that lighter skin is the only skin at risk in the sun, darker-colored skin can get burned; tanned and darker skinned-people could develop skin cancer, she said.

Mayer said that although black and hispanic people have a lower risk of developing skin cancer, when they are diagnosed, they are usually diagnosed at a later stage, making it more fatal in these patients.

Theatre arts junior Ashley Peretta said she doesn't go tanning because of the stories she's heard.

"It is a trend, a fad," Peretta said. "Most people are not aware of the risks or they do not feel they apply to them."

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