Everyone loves to be tan, the way it makes you look littler and gives you a radiant appearance. We love laying out on the beach under the warm sun, soaking up rays. When summer ends and the cold weather begins, the UV index decreases and we all go back to fading white. Instead of losing their tan, 9.7 million Americans turn to indoor tanning to keep their beloved tan. Starting in the 1920s this trend became quite famously known internationally. Everyone knows how bad getting sunburnt is for you and catching TOO much sun…. But how bad is the indoor alternative?
Tanning in a bed is usually only done at intervals of 15-20 minutes. With ultraviolet radiation, more time in the bed is more dangerous. Overexposure to UV rays is how skin cancer develops. What happens is, the UV rays damage the DNA in your skin cells and over time can build up to skin cancer. Sunbeds are just as dangerous as the sun’s rays itself. Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. Melanoma makes your skin coarse,leathery and wrinkled. 85% of Melanoma cases are originated from sunbeds. Melanoma usually starts as a dark spot (mole looking) that needs to be treated for removal.
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UVA is a long wave, whereas UVB is a short wave. UVA beds are typically more expensive to tan in because they are quicker. They are smaller with higher wattage bulbs that emit higher percentages of UVA. It gives an immediate short term tan by bronzing melanin in the skin, but no new melanin is immediately formed. Maximum session times for UVA beds are 10-12 minutes depending on how much radiation they are set to emit. Tanning salons are legally required to set limits on tanning because of