Tanning beds hot perk at apartments. Trend excites students, worries dermatologists.

[Editor-in-Chief]

BRONZING BETWEEN CLASSES

Tanning beds hot perk at apartments

Trend excites students, worries dermatologists

PEGGY LIM

(Raleigh) News & Observer


RALEIGH --

Between college classes, Rebekah Hales, 20, can squeeze in trips to Maui or Waikiki.


Those are the names of the two tanning rooms at University Suites, an apartment complex near N.C. State University.
Alongside pools, foosball and fitness centers, tanning beds are becoming a hot amenity in apartments that cater to students. The trend worries dermatologists, who warn that increased exposure to ultraviolet rays for young people can increase their risk of skin cancer.

Students such as Hales aren't too concerned yet. The Meredith College junior loves sporting a tan, especially for strapless dresses she wears to spring and fall formals. Last month Hales moved into University Suites, where tanning beds come free with rent.
"Now, I can go anytime I want to," said Hales, pink after a session lathered in Mojo Bronzing Sauce. Every few days, wearing little besides protective goggles, Hales hops into a clamshell bed lined with light bulbs.

North Carolina has about 9,000 tanning beds or booths listed with the state Radiation Protection Section, which regulates their use. They show up in salons and odd places from backyard sheds to gas stations and coin laundries.

University Suites, off Tryon Road near NCSU's Centennial Campus, installed tanning beds in 2003. They were an immediate hit with students, said Barbara Oaks, regional manager.

Other apartment managers soon were asking Oaks for advice about tanning beds. About six complexes near NCSU now have at least one or two, and Wolf Creek Apartments off Western Boulevard has five. Apartments near UNC Chapel Hill also began offering indoor tanning in the last two years.

This is happening despite warnings from many dermatologists and results of international studies that show that any tanning -- indoors or outdoors -- can lead to melanoma, the most dangerous form of common skin cancers. Exposure to tanning beds before age 35 can boost risk of melanoma by 75 percent, according to a study published in March by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

Tanning beds emit concentrated doses of UVA radiation. Although UVA rarely causes sunburn, studies have shown it still inflicts deep skin damage. That damage shows up later in life as wrinkles at best, and possibly skin cancer at worst.

Tanning industry groups counter that tanning beds can have health benefits, such as aiding the body in producing vitamin D.

University Suites employees say they caution residents about the risks. They plaster their tanning rooms with posters, reminding tanners of the state law to wear protective goggles. And they advise students on tanning schedules for their skin types.

Source

[Editor-in-Chief]

Tanning beds latest apartment amenity

Associated Press - June 13, 2007 6:55 AM ET

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - Tanning beds seem to be the latest feature at apartments that cater to college students.

That trend is worrying dermatologists, who say increased exposure to ultraviolet light for young people can increase their risk of skin cancer.

Twenty-year-old Rebekah Hales likes to squeeze in time in 1 of 2 tanning rooms at University Suites, an apartment complex in Raleigh.

The Meredith College junior says she likes saving the $20 to $30 a month for membership in a tanning salon. The tanning beds are free for residents at University Suites.

About six complexes near North Carolina State University now have tanning beds. Apartments near the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill have also added tanning beds in the past couple of years.

[ArubaTanTX]

The apartments directly across the street from me have 1 bed and 3 new complexes w/in a mile of me are also putting in a tanning bed.

I am fully compliant w/ all state regs, I am going to make sure they are too.

Anyone else have to deal with this?