Summer 2010
Volume 13 Number 2
Pale is the New Tan: Tanning Bed Danger and Minors
We love our summers here in Minnesota.
Warm days and nights. Trips to the cabin. That glorious sun which hides during our long cold winters. It's the perfect time to be outside and most of us are pretty savvy about exposure to the sun.
We wear our sunscreen and hats and try to avoid those "peak times" during the day when we the sun is most likely to cause a burn. We know that sun exposure can cause premature aging, sun spots and even sun cancer.
A study published in Pediatrics in 2002 which surveyed more than 10, 000 children between the ages of 12 and 18 showed only 34.4 percent of children reported using sunscreen of SPF 15 or greater in the previous year. In that same group, almost 10 percent reported using a tanning bed. And this is just a small fraction of the children, teens and young adults exposed to UV radiation every year.
But what about those tanning beds? They're safe, right? Wrong. By now, you've probably heard all of the reports about skin cancer and damage from the sun. But these reports pale in comparison to the dangers of tanning beds. These are often viewed as a "safer" way to get a tan.
Well, there are a number of studies published in the last few years that link exposure to the UVA and UVB rays in tanning beds to cancer. In fact, one study from the University of Minnesota showed a 74 percent increased risk of melanoma (a deadly form of skin
cancer) in people who used any type of tanning bed for any amount of time.
Regular users of tanning beds have a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in risk of the development of melanoma in their lifetimes. The study showed that no type of tanning bed is safe.
What you need to know: The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends the use of sunscreens rated SPF 30 or greater which should be applied generously and reapplied to exposed areas every two hours and after swimming and sweating while outside even in the winter.
Recent recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) state, "Policy makers should consider enacting measures, such as prohibiting minors and discouraging young adults from using indoor tanning facilities, to protect the general population from possible additional risk for melanoma."
You also can get a sunburn from light reč°€ecting off the snow. The AAD also recommends the use of wide-brimmed hats and other protective clothing. Avoid sun exposure during the peak times of day-10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during standard time and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during daylight savings time. And, they stressed, always avoid tanning beds.
In the last legislative session, the Minnesota state legislature passed new regulations regarding the use of tanning beds by minors.Minnesota joins 31 other states in the regulation of tanning facilities by minors.
For any child under the age of 16, a parent must be present at the first tanning session to read and sign a warning and consent form. We encourage parents not to sign this consent.
We do not recommend the use of tanning beds ever and encourage good sun protection when outside. If your teen is dying to have that "healthy glow," there are plenty of self-tanning lotions and sprays out there. Just remember to still apply that sunscreen on top of the lotion!
-Megan Jennings, MD
