Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Does Tanning Help Prevent Acne?

Though all of the causes of acne are have yet to be identified, what is known is that excess oil and dirt can cause acne. There is the myth circliating throughout the internet community that tanning can help to prevent acne. So, does tanning help prevent acne? Not directly.

As stated before, acne is known to be caused by a build up of excess oil and dirt on the body, particularily the face. This build of dirt and oil can be removed by regular cleaning of the body and face. Tanning does not help to prevent acne, although the skin care techniques used by tanners can help prevent acne. The most common technique used by tanners is to start with clean skin. This is because if one is tanning with dirty skin, the dirt can block the sun’s or bulb’s rays and act as a natural sun block.

Another technique that helps to prevent acne that tanners often use, making it appear that tanning prevents acne, is the application of lotion to clean skin. The application of lotion is known to help decrease the size of the pores. If the lotion is tinted, there is a lower chance of noticing larger pores or the redness caused by acne.

Though tanning can have great effects on the body and mind in providing a great way for the body to naturally process the vitamin D into its usable form, it is not the tanning that prevents acne. What prevents acne is the skin care regime that tanners use to help reverse the damage that tanning does to their skin while maintaining a warm and bright glow.

Do Tanning Lotions Cause Acne

It is a well-known fact that excess oil, dirt and bacteria cause acne. Do tanning lotions cause acne as well? Could tanning be doing more damage to the skin than just premature aging, which the lotion is supposed to protect from?

When one tans, the body opens the pores to release sweat to cool the body. This sweat is unable to evaporate because of the enclosed area that the tanning bed provides. This can cause the sweat to seep back into the open pores, which can cause acne. This problem can be aggravated further if lotion is then applied in an excessive amount while the pores are still open, causing the lotion to seep into the pore and continue the infection.

The infection and subsequent acne can leave horrible scars on the face and body depending on the level of care one uses with the acne. These scars can ruin the physical appearance and the functionality of the skin. This can cause premature aging and several self-confidence issues.

While everyone knows that tanning can be bad for the skin with the risk of cancer, not everyone knows about the risk of acne when tanning. This acne, though not as bad as cancer, is a side effect of an already unhealthy activity. Though science has found one’s need for sunlight to be very real, tanning in a tanning booth is not the beneficial sunlight that people need to be healthy individuals. This fake light has too high of an ultra violet rating to be safe for exposure for any longer period.

Do Tanning Beds Cause Cancer?

Let’s face it, nobody wants to spend 2-3 hours under the hot sun, just to get a tan. And if you’ve ever used the spray stuff, you know the drawbacks of it – Sticky skin, short lasting, and can you say messy? Sure you can have a professional spray tan your body, but not only can it be very uncomfortable for the client, it can get spendy.

Meet the tanning bed. A quick 10-15 minute, relaxing session in a tanning bed can not only be therapeutic, but you get a great tan at the same time! Just bring your favorite music, put your goggles and lotion on, and relax. What could be better?

Unfortunately, the benefits of tanning beds do have their disadvantages. Namely the effects on your skin. Both commercial and home-use tanning beds are equipped with high powered, high energy Ultraviolet bulbs that can cause severe damage to your skin cells. Studies have shown that the UVB and UVA rays emmitted by tanning beds can damage our skin cells in an irreversable effect. Scientists have proven that these harmful rays damage the DNA in our skin, which has been directly related to the development of skin cancers and damage to the immune systems. It has also been shown that the deep penetrating effects of UVA rays can reduce skin elasticty and cause premature wrinkles. Not fun!

What can we do?

Although research has proven that tanning beds can have detrimental effects on our skin, research is limited, and there are precautionary measures we can all do to lower the risk of side effects. The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to limit your tanning sessions, especially if you have sensitive / fair skin. 10-15 minutes is usually enough time for the melanin in our skin to soak up the required energy to darken our skin. Any time spent beyond the recommended limit is unneccesary and can cause burning and greatly increase the risk of side effects.

Most, it not all tannning salons are stocked with lotion, lip balm, and goggles. Proper use of this protective gear is crucial to your safetly, namely your eyes and lips. The eyes and lips do not contain the protective protein melanin, so any over-exposure to UV rays can severly damage them. And although our skin has a natural defense to the harmful UV rays, tanning lotion with the proper amount of SPF can add a new layer of protection without interfering with your tan.

Armed with the right knowledge and protective gear, tanning beds can be a great and safe way to keep a year round golden tan!

Can You Get Cancer From Tanning Beds

Did you know that if you are under the age of 35 and are baking under the intense lamps of a tanning bed as little as once a month, you have boosted your risk of contracting a deadly form of skin cancer by 55%?  Exposure to tanning beds prior to age 35 increases your risk of malignant melanoma by 75%.  One study showed a link between tanning beds and a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.  The same study however, showed no link between basal cell carcinoma and the use of tanning beds.  Also in this study, it was determined that those who utilized sun lamps in their 20’s had a greater risk (about 150%) of developing skin cancer later in life.

There are approximately 1 million Americans who enjoy visiting a tanning bed as opposed to lying out in the direct sun.  They think it is safer, but in actuality, they are facing the same risk of skin cancer as the people who are in direct sunlight.  The difference is that exposure from a tanning bed produces and promotes cell damage in the skin. This can potentially result in skin cancer.  Due to very few studies conducted on the long-term affects of using a tanning bed, the potential risks to your health could be worse than is already thought.

Is there such a thing as a safe tanning bed?  There are two different types of radiation that tanning beds can utilize.  One uses X-rays which are emitted by the ends of both bulbs.  This actually occurs with any fluorescent bulb.  The user of the tanning bed can be protected as long as a piece of lead tape is wrapped around the last inch of the bulb.

Do you ever wonder why the tanning bed hums when it is turned on?  The second type of radiation is EMF which is released by a magnetic ballast, which is what the majority of tanning beds utilize and this is what causes the humming noise.  The closer you are to the ballast, the more intense the exposure.  The high levels of EMF have been linked to certain cancers.  A safer, if there is such a thing, tanning bed would be one that uses an electronic ballast instead.

Not only does family history or prominent or unusual moles contribute to the risk of melanoma, but overexposure to ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is believed to be a heavy contributor as well.  In fact, approximately 90% of all skin cancers can actually be traced back to frequent and long-term exposure to ultraviolet light.  Skin cancer occurs in those areas that are exposed to sunlight on a regular basis, which is most often the face.  It doesn’t usually occur on the buttocks, hips or under the arms; all of these being areas that aren’t usually directly exposed to the sun.

The best method for avoiding skin cancer is to limit your exposure to ultraviolet rays and never allow yourself to get sunburned.  If you enjoy being outside playing sports or just relaxing, make sure to protect your skin by wearing sunscreen, a hat, and light, long-sleeve clothing.  It’s best also to avoid being in the direct sun between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., as that is the time the sun’s rays are the most intense.