Are Sunbeds Healthy ?

It seems that it was only in the middle of the last century that having a tan became desirable. Up until this point, people did not see tanned skin as a positive look but more than likely an indication that the person worked outdoors and was exposed to too much sunlight.

As prosperity became more tangible to people in the middle of the last century, having a lifestyle became more of a reality. The idea of leisure time was invented. People would dedicate time to going to the beach and spending time outdoors for relaxation. They had money to spend on vacations, often traveling to sunnier climates.

Indeed, in a short space of time, having an all over tan became symbolic of an affluent and healthy lifestyle. People would go to the beach just to get a suntan. It became an end in itself. Sunbathing was an activity.

People wanted a permanent all over tan, regardless of the seasons. Other people wanted to get a tan before they went to a sunny climate for their annual vacation. Pretty soon the idea of the sunbed evolved.

Ever since the development of the sunbed they have proved to be very popular. Tanning salons pop up at every mall or shopping center. Many gyms have a tanning salon too which reinforces the link between a tan and a healthy lifestyle.

But the question that most people that use sunbeds have and then prefer to put to the back of their minds is do sunbeds cause cancer ?

The answer is very clear. Any tanning of the skin using ultraviolet (UV) radiation will eventually cause skin cancer. The amount or frequency of exposure may vary from individual to individual, based on things like their skin type or a family history of skin cancer, but eventually it will cause the development of skin cancer.

Many people that use sunbeds may be at pains to point out that the radiation that a sunbed uses is different to the radiation from the Sun. UVB radiation is responsible for burning the skin in the Sun. It has a different frequency to the radiation used in sunbeds. A sunbed uses UVA radiation, that was thought to not be as harmful to the skin. For instance, it does not cause the skin to burn. However, recent research suggests that this is not the case and any UV radiation is harmful to the skin.

The salient point to all this is that any form of tanning of the skin will lead to skin cancer at some point. Maybe you will be fortunate and never reach that point during your life but the aim of skin cancer prevention is to limit a persons exposure to the cause of skin cancer, ultra violet radiation. That is why people should always wear sunscreen when outdoors. They should try to cover their skin with clothing and wear a hat and sunglasses when out in the Sun.

Lying on a sunbed once a week is like going in the sun with none of this protection. Under the circumstances, it seems like a potentially high price to pay to have a 'healthy' tan.

Article by: AdrianFletcher | Total views: 17 | Word Count: 517

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For more on the symptoms of skin cancer and details on the type of skin cancers that can develop, visit http://symptomsofskincancer.net