Tanning's harmful effects often overlooked in quest for perfect 'bronze'

In a society that praises the appearance of sun-kissed skin and bows before bronze beauties, indoor tanning has become increasingly popular. But in the endless quest for beauty the harmful effects of indoor tanning are often overlooked.\n"Everybody just wants to be tan," junior Tiffany Cumby said. "Because you feel better, you think you look better … it's all about beauty."\nCumby said she has been tanning since she was 16 years old and works at Sunny's Tanning Salon, 421 E. Third St.\nThere are about 20 tanning salons in Bloomington, contributing to the 49,000 tanning salons nationwide that are visited by 1 million Americans every day.\nAccording to the American Academy of Dermatology's Web site, www.aad.org, seven of 10 people who use tanning beds are women ages 16 to 60. \nMike Latimer, co-owner of Sunny's Tanning Salon, said the largest age group that tans at Sunny's is ages 16 to 25.\n"This business is 90 percent students," he said. Latimer said February through March and September through November are the peak months, with 150 to 175 people tanning daily.\n"It's ridiculous how packed it was in here before spring break," Cumby said. "I've never seen anything like that … just people trying to get tan."\nA tan occurs as the skin produces extra pigment (melanin) to protect itself from ultraviolet rays, according to the site. Tanning beds emit two kinds of Ultraviolet light: UVA and UVB rays.\nUVB rays primarily affect the outer layer of the skin. They are emitted by natural sunlight, and can cause burning, according to the site.\nLong wave UVA rays penetrate skin more deeply than sunlight, but because these rays are less likely to burn the skin, many tanning salons claim they are safe. But the AAD reports that UVA rays actually thin the skin, harming its healing properties and increasing the likelihood of melanoma.\nIn addition to skin cancer, both the AAD and the Food and Drug Administration report exposure to tanning beds significantly increases the risk of many health problems. They include premature wrinkling of the skin, eye damage and immune system disorders. \nWrinkling occurs as the ultraviolet rays destroy the connective tissues in the skin, according to the FDA's Web site, www.fda.gov. The AAD site reports that other skin damage includes "leathery" appearance of the skin, age spots, changes in texture and thickness, and pre-cancerous lesions. Short-term effects include dry, red or itchy skin.\nThe FDA and the Federal Trade Commission closely regulate the tanning salon industry, according to the FTC's Web site, www.ftc.gov.\nLatimer said one of the most important regulations is the requirement that all tanning bed customers use protective eye goggles. According to the FDA site, tanning bed rays are worse for people's eyes than natural sunlight because they are more intense. Failure to wear the protective goggles can result in damage to the retina or burning of the cornea, according to the FDA. In the long run, exposure to UV rays can cause cataracts, which can result in blindness if untreated. \nLatimer said many people tan indoors and get a "base" tan to prevent burning in the natural sunlight. But this is inaccurate, according to FTC's site. The site notes indoor tanning rays make the natural sunlight worse, because UV light thins the skin, making it less able to heal when burnt or damaged.\nThe UV rays emitted from the beds have the same effects as the natural sunlight, but the tanning beds do the damage in a shorter amount of time. A single 15 to 30 minute tanning session is equivalent to a day at the beach, and the rays from the tanning devices are two to three times stronger than sunlight. \n"There is a risk," said Debbie White, owner of Spring Break Tanning Salon, 820 W. 17th St. "It's up to the individual. It's like smoking, drinking … anything else that can do something to you -- the best thing is to do it in moderation."\nBut even in moderation, indoor tanning has been linked to skin cancer. According to the FDA, the number of cases of skin cancer has been on the rise. Experts say this is linked to the increased exposure to ultraviolet rays.\nIt has been proven that exposure to UVA rays significantly increases the risk of melanoma -- the most serious form of skin cancer.\nThe results of a Swedish study on the American Cancer Society Web site showed that people 35 and younger who regularly use tanning beds have a risk of melanoma eight times greater than those who never use tanning beds. \nCases of melanoma are increasing more rapidly than any other type of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, since the early 1970s, the incident rate of melanoma has increased on an average of 4 percent per year. \nSophomore Whitney Horn said she is aware of the negative effects of tanning, and does not use tanning beds. She has a long-term outlook. \n"I'm only going to look young for a few years," Horn said. She said she would like to avoid skin cancer, wrinkles and skin damage. "I feel like if you go tanning, it's like paying for cancer."\nFor more information, visit the following Web sites: American Academy of Dermatology Web site at www.aad.org, the Food and Drug Administration at www.fda.gov or the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.