Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow last week, but that isn’t stopping Mother Nature from giving Bloomington a little taste of spring weather for the last couple days.
Many things, such as rain, flowers, warmer weather and the tanning bed, come to mind when I think of spring. Tanning, however, is not something that healthy people should do.
Spring is a busy season for the tanning salons, which makes it a dangerous season for melanoma.
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and is most often caused by being out in the sun or using a tanning bed.
The Centers for Disease Control said there are other dangers to tanning including premature skin aging like age spots and wrinkles, changes in your skin texture, and it can also increase your risk of potentially blinding eye diseases if eye protection is not used properly.
There are alternatives to using a tanning bed.
For those who tan to darken their complexion, two good alternatives are to use tanning lotion or to get a spray tan. Both of these options give the illusion of a suntan while skipping the dangerous ultraviolet rays. Ideally your skin would not be exposed to either of these chemicals, but they are a better alternative for your skin than being exposed to harmful UV rays in a tanning bed.
For those that use the tanning bed to obtain vitamin D, eating healthy is a much safer way to do it. The best foods to help obtain vitamin D are sardines, salmon, mackerel, tuna, milk, caviar, eggs and mushrooms. There are also supplements and oils such as cod liver oil that are great alternatives.
Some people believe that having tan skin can give the illusion of a slimmer body and healthier skin, when it’s actually just the opposite. Tanning in the sunlight or in tanning bed rays are both damaging to your skin’s health. So while it may look healthier, it might actually be more damaged than someone’s skin that is less exposed to the sun or uses proper skin protection.
Similar to the illusion of a slimmer body, some people also believe that tan skin can reduce the appearance of acne, stretch marks and scarring. While it may reduce the look of these imperfections, there are much healthier ways to reduce the appearance of blemishes such as acne medication, scar cream and various lotions. If someone is concerned about a blemish on their skin, they should seek advice from a dermatologist, not a tanning salon.
I understand the desire to be tan. Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that indoor tanning can be extremely dangerous.
It’s important that we encourage others to adopt these alternative tanning options and educate them of the dangers of indoor tanning so that we can reduce the number of people affected by skin cancer each year.
All forms of tanning pose various hazards, so skip the salon this spring and embrace the skin you were born with.
