Although tanning beds have been marketed as a possible safe alternative to outdoor sun, evidence shows that ultraviolet (UV) rays are harmful, regardless of where they come from.
Three recent papers published in the journal Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research suggest that the UV rays in tanning beds increase the risk of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. According to the authors, UV rays harm the skin by causing DNA damage, photo-aging and skin cancer.
A review article by Marianne Berwick, an epidemiologist at the University of New Mexico, suggests that tanning beds are not safer than sun exposure. In fact, Berwick concluded that tanning beds may be associated with an even higher risk of melanoma. She calls for future studies and states "because of this uncertainty, the data do not support a claim that sun beds are safe, and such claims should be should be considered misleading."
These papers come just months after the Indoor Tanning Association launched a nationwide campaign questioning the link between UV exposure and melanoma. They claimed that tanning actually improves health since UV exposure helps the body produce vitamin D.
David Fisher, president of the Society of Melanoma Research and lead author of one of the studies, claims that these purported health benefits are overstated, and the potential risks outweigh any possible benefit. Fisher argues that people can maintain healthy levels of vitamin D by eating a healthy diet and possibly taking supplements.
"Whereas genetic and other factors undoubtedly contribute importantly to skin cancer risk, the role of UV is incontrovertible, and efforts to confuse the public, particularly for the purposes of economic gain by the indoor tanning industry, should be vigorously combated for the public health," David Fisher and his colleagues wrote.
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References
1) Bennett D. Ultraviolet wavebands and melanoma initiation. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research. Oct. 2008. Volume 21 Issue 5, Pages 520 - 524. View Abstract
2) Berwick M. Are tanning beds "safe?" Human studies of melanoma. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research. Oct 2008. Volume 21 Issue 5, Pages 517 - 519. View Abstract
3) Natural Standard Research Collaboration: The Authority on Integrative Medicine. www.naturalstandard.com. Copyright © 2008.
4) Tran T, Schulman J, Fisher E. UV and pigmentation: molecular mechanisms and social controversies. Pigment Cell & Melanoma Research. Oct. 2008. Volume 21 Issue 5, Pages 509 - 516. View Abstract
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