Tanning Salons

“To be successful, keep looking tanned, live in an elegant building (even if you're in the cellar), be seen in smart restaurants (even if you nurse one drink) and if you borrow, borrow big.” -
Aristotle, Ancient Greek Philosopher

A brief note today based upon the Consumerist story Indoor Tanning Quadruples Risk Of Skin Cancer. A new study from the American Association for Cancer Research has determined that frequent use of tanning beds can quadruple your risk of skin cancer. An estimated 30 million Americans visit tanning salons each year and unknowingly(?) endanger the future health of their skin.

A (student?) paper published by Vanderbilt University compares the claims of the Tanning industry vs health professionals. The Tanning Salons say they are safer than sun by using mostly UV-A rays which cause tanning and much less UV-B rays which cause sun burns. UV-A is safe they say. Doctors disagree. UV-B damages just the top of the skin but UV-A goes down deep and can cause damage that will last for a lifetime. Including cell injury that causes wrinkles, tumors and cancer.
And despite Industry safety claims, a study of teenagers in Sweden found that 44% of the participants reported a sunburn from a visit to the tanning bed. 23% of the sunbed users reported skin diseases such as eczema, psoriasis, or acne compared to only 16% of the students who did not use sunbeds.

According to the Consumerist, the FDA is considering banning teens from tanning beds; teenage girls and young women are the largest users of tanning salons.

Bottom Line - Warning Signs of Skin Cancer

Early detection offers your best chance of surviving skin cancer. Here are some signs to look for:

•A skin abnormality that increases in size and appears multicolored, pink, red, black, brown, tan, pearly, translucent, or tan.

•A mole that changes color, textures, grows, becomes irregular in shape, or that is bigger than a pencil eraser.

•A spot or growth that continually itches, hurts, becomes crusty, scabs, or bleeds.

•An open sore that does not heal after 4 weeks or one that heals and reopens.

Regular skin self-exams could save an estimated 4,500 lives annually. Anytime you are concerned about a growth or spot on your skin, it is best to seek the advice of your physician.