Fake tanners risk burn, addiction

[Editor-in-Chief]

Fake tanners risk burn, addiction



By: Jessica Woods

Posted: 4/24/07

With short dresses and strappy sandals showcased in display windows, summer fashion makes it tempting for female consumers to believe a tan will complete the look of breezy, sexy summer flair. With the large number of indoor tanning beds in the area, Youngstown State University students should question just how far they're willing to go this summer to attain their bronzed statuses.

"It just makes me feel better about myself," junior Ashley
Osborn said about her use of tanning beds. "I can get up and put anything I want on, without having to worry about self-tanning. Because with that, you're like, 'okay, should I be orange and stripy or just pale'?"

The tanning bed industry earns more than $5 billion annually, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS tries to perpetuate the idea that indoor tanning is safer because it is more "controlled" than getting sunburn.

Yet some medical professionals, like Los Angeles-based plastic surgeon and dermatologist Dr. Tran N. Nagasaki, want to disprove this theory that tanning beds are the safer option.

"Indoor tanning can actually be worse than outdoor tanning, because in some cases, 20 minutes of indoor UV exposure is equivalent to six hours in the sun," said Nagasaki.

According to the ACS, "exposure to tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75 percent."

Melanoma, the deadliest form of the three skin cancers, kills 20 people a day. The ACS reports that the other two types, Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell, are not usually lethal but just as dangerous.

On an aesthetic level, tanning is responsible for fine lines, wrinkles, crow's feet, age spots, enlarged pores, oily skin and premature aging.

"I don't go tanning because so many people I know do it, and they seriously look, like, ten years older than they actually are," said senior Cortney Rivera. "I know girls in there 20s who have to use - and I mean, have to use - wrinkle creams and stuff. Their skin really does look like leather."

It's not only girls who are experiencing the downfalls to tanning, but guys as well.

"Personally, I think it's disgusting," said senior Rachel Dross. "Guys today are like women. They get highlights, shave their bikini area and go tanning. What the hell?"

"I did it to impress this girl, one time. I got too tan," said junior Mike O'Banna. "I showed up at her house for a date, I had this white shirt on, you know, to offset it or whatever; and actually I was glowing, in a bad way. Like a light bulb."

Despite the dangers and appearance setbacks, some YSU students remain unrelenting in their love of tanning.

"Its pretty hot," said freshman Natalie Sujka. "I don't know. It really does look better. It just seems like only women should be doing it, though."

To these risk-taking summer-loving students, Nagasaki suggests choosing alternatives to keep tanners looking good, but staying safe.

"There are alternatives to being pale, just as there are alternatives to being orange," said Nagasaki. "The important thing is that these alternatives are healthy; and wear sunscreen everyday, with an SPF of at least 15."

"Its also important to have any moles checked, perhaps once a year, maybe more if you are [of fairer complexion] and have a lot of moles," Nagasaki advices. "Things you are watching out for are the ABCD's of skin cancer, which are: Asymmetry, border irregularity, color variation and diameter."

"Make no mistake: skin cancer can kill you."


Source

[stan@sunsys]

Originally Posted by Editor-in-Chief

Fake tanners risk burn, addiction

Yet some medical professionals, like Los Angeles-based plastic surgeon and dermatologist Dr. Tran N. Nagasaki, want to disprove this theory that tanning beds are the safer option.

"Indoor tanning can actually be worse than outdoor tanning, because in some cases, 20 minutes of indoor UV exposure is equivalent to six hours in the sun," said Nagasaki.
Source

Oh the ignorance. 4 MEDs is 4 MEDs. And if he's talking about UVA, screw him. Doesn't matter. "In some cases" my as*! That's just his disclaimer that means he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. He probably doesn't even know what UVA means anyway. He's just repeating what he's told by his "unbiased" AAD who make billions off of unwitting saps like the author of that article.

Take a reasonably strong Michigan summer day with a clear sky UVI of 7.0. If there are no clouds in the sky, you can get 4 MED's in about 1 hour. That's 2 hours of sunbathing after you turn over. This is indisputable fact. Can't change the science. But if you're like "Dr." Nagasaki, I guess you can make some crap up and get away with it.

Coincidentally, while looking up some info for a project I'm working on, I just dug up an old graph I did that "proves" that a full 4 MED tanning session in a tanning salon IS NOT equal to 6 hours of outdoor sun. Uhhh, unless maybe you're lying out on a cloudy day, or maybe you're heading to the beach at 3:00 pm, or something else moronic.