Burn! Potential Dangers of too Much Tanning

By Angela Pender

Staff Writer

As the summer approaches, people are desperately craving to have not only the perfect beach body, but also that beautiful  bronze look that glimmers in the sunlight. But did you know that having too much fun in the sun can be harmful and dangerous? We all know and love that eye catching bronze look, but we don’t really think about all the side effects that could happen.

For instance, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “tanning in a tanning bed increases your risk of cancer. Tanning beds have been associated with squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma, which are skin cancers, as well as ocular melanoma, which is an eye cancer”. Failure to wear goggles increases your risk of eye cancer . Not all tanning is bad, in fact, there are both pros and cons to the beauty of tanning.

A tanning salon also offers more convenience for people other than traditional tanning because you are not limited to only daylight hours and this allows you to get a tan year round.

Tanning beds can be a little overpriced, but using good old mother nature is always free. The sun is a great source of vitamin D. You can get the recommended amount of vitamin D by eating the right foods or simply spending 15 minutes a day in direct sunlight to obtain that golden look.

The downside about too much sunlight is that overexposure to the sun can speed up the aging process of skin cells and can lead the skin to look older and have more wrinkles.

Sunless tanning would be the safest option because there is absolute no exposure to harmful UV rays that causing skin cancer.

Spray tanning is also very affordable and is the most convenient way to tan.

You can visit a salon and have a professional tan your body to perfection, or you can use smaller products in the comfort of your own home. Although it may be the safest, there are also some cons in sunless tanning such as harmful ingredients that are in the bottle.

Not all spray tans are created equally which is why it is important to make sure you understand all the ingredients and only use a product if you can see all the ingredients. You want to know exactly what you are putting on your skin just in case you aren’t allergic to anything and could irritate the skin.

Hopefully, this summer you watch the sun and avoid getting sunburn.

While it is fine to “ show-off” your skin’s outside beauty, it is important take care of the inside out. Therefore, Use sunscreen whenever possible, cover your skin as much as possible and enjoy the beautiful beach weather.   

Email Angela at:

apender1@live.esu.edu