Tanning beds Vs the Sun

What is the difference between the Sun & Tanning Beds?

Tanning beds are pretty much the Sun indoors. They too use ultraviolet rays to tan your skin, just like the Sun.

The only difference is that they only use one type of UV ray, where the Sun exposes us to 2 UV rays. Tanning beds work by using UVA rays, the aging ray.

Tanning salons may claim that you can get a ‘safe tan’ in their beds because they use UVA rays. It is widely believed that these types of lights will tan your skin without burning, this is in fact false. The FACT is that your skin can be burned from prolonged use of UVA rays from tanning beds as well as increasing your chance of getting skin cancer.

UVA rays from the Sun penetrate deep into the skin where they destroy healthy skin cells (this speeds up aging) as well as changing our melanin which can lead to skin cancer. What you may not be aware of is that tanning beds often expose your skin to 2-5 times more UVA radiation than natural sunlight! While most tanning beds no longer use the UVB ray (buring ray) some still do which can lead to buring of the skin as well as leading to skin cancer.

Most tanning salons promote the use of an accelerator or barrier cream, which really just stops you from burning. Some barrier creams use burning ingredients, which react with your skin to make you feel hotter and appear more tanned.

I have used “hot” creams without the use of a tanning bed or the sun, and my skin heated up and actually looked burnt. After 8 hours or so I was back to normal, which only makes me think that they are a bit of a con. They seem very popular with the die hard tanning bed queens, probably because they get that "burning feeling" on their skin, tanners love.

Like the Sun, the more you use tanning beds the browner you will go. Depending on the tanning bed, most work over 8- 20 minutes to tan the skin. If you are going to use a tanning bed, make sure you start out slowly. Like the Sun, first timers can end up very burnt, especially if you are very white to begin.

Tanning beds like the sun will increase your chances of getting skin cancer along with speeding up ageing and discolouration to the skin. If you are pregnant, sun beds can give you terrible pigmentation on your face.

The only time that I actually endorse the use of tanning beds, is for people who suffer badly with skin disorders. Very closely monitored tanning can help clear up skin disorders like psoriasis and excema. However I strongly recommend that anyone with this problem consult their Doctor prior to doing this. This should be a only considered after all other treatments have been exhausted.