Wrinkles. Aging skin. Cancer. The price of a healthy glow may come at a cost. While a tan may be attractive in the moment, the after effects down the road can be life altering, according to dermatologists. However, the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) begs to differ.
The Indoor Tanning Association's latest nationwide campaign says that the tanning does not cause the type of skin cancer known as melanoma.
Recognized physicians and dermatologists say that the ITA is creating a commotion, steering the public in the wrong direction. Dr. David Leffell, a dermatologist with the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), says that their stance on tanning is completely unwarranted.
"What [the Indoor Tanning Association is] doing is shameless and harmful to public health," says Leffell. "The tanning industry is irresponsible."
The tanning industry relies on two arguments to make a case for tanning, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. First, since melanoma is mainly caused by sunburn, "controlling" tanning helps prevent melanoma by building up the protective pigment of melanin. Second, ultraviolet (UV) light exposure helps the skin produce vitamin D, which can aid in preventing types of cancer, such as colon and breast.
Students at the University of New Hampshire seem to believe the health experts, yet continue to tan indoors.
Christine Infantine, owner of Perfect Tan, a tanning salon in Durham, N.H., says that March is always the salon's busiest month.
"Students are getting ready to get a base tan before spring break and the summer," says Infantine.
Junior Bridget Shea says she has been tanning since high school but acknowledges that the rays are bad for her skin. However, she feels that a burn is worse than a period of successive exposures to tanning beds.
"I started during prom and went a couple times a month," says Shea. "Now I only go once a month, if less…Tanning is so bad for you, and I really don't think there are any benefits, but it seems safe to get a base tan before a trip. That would be safer than a burn."
The ITA at sunlightscam.com claims, "Millions of Americans know that getting a base tan is a great way to protect your skin from the sun. In fact, a base tan gives your skin four times more protection than it would normally have."
Leffell says that a base tan is not healthy for a person's skin.
"There is no such thing as a healthy tan," says Leffell. "A tan is the body's result to injury from the sun."
Other health professionals agree that a tan potentially causes nothing but health problems.
"A tan thins the skin," says Judy Stevens a community health nurse/wellness educator at Health Services at UNH. "It makes the skin more susceptible to sun and causes the skin to age… Unfortunately, students listen to what they want to hear. Tanning is a temporary benefit, but it's human nature to gain now and pay later. It's an awfully big price to pay later."
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, "tanning to increase melanin is counterproductive." Tanning causes genetic damage to cells, just as a burn would.
Some students have already seen the price paid by indoor tanning. Mikayla Parsons, a junior at UNH, used to tan in high school. After seeing her mother get skin cancer, she has tried to be more careful.
"Younger people don't think," says Parsons. "They don't care what they will look like at 50 and they live for the moment."
Parsons found that a safe alternative to tanning is Bare Minerals makeup. "It makes me look tan," says Parsons.
Senior Ashley Jeacopello has also seen what can happen as a result of tanning. Jeacopello started tanning around age 13, and went with her mother a few times a month. She then started to go more regularly, about two times per week as she got older.
"When I was younger, I wanted to be darker skinned like my mom and the Italian side of my family because I felt fairly lighter than most of my extended family," says Jeacopello. "When I was younger, it was more for cheering uniform reasons."
Jeacopello recently stopped tanning after her mother was diagnosed with thyroid complications, which may have been attributed to excessive tanning. Jeacopello admits to knowing the risks of tanning, but did it despite the risks for years.
"All the other girls on my [cheerleading] team tanned like crazy because the uniforms were fairly revealing," says Jeacopello.
Nearly 28 million people tan indoors in the United States annually. Of these, 2.3 million are teens and nearly 70 percent of tanning salon customers are Caucasian girls and women 16 to 29 years old, according to the AAD.
The bottom line, according to Leffell, is that there are an increasing number of young women in their twenties who have skin cancer, which used to be almost unheard of. Out of a 1,500 patient base, Leffell says that he easily sees a dozen young skin cancer patients a year.
Leffell compares the billion dollar tanning industry, which the AAD says has an estimated revenue of $5 billion, to cigarette companies.
"You wouldn't let your 16-year-old son go buy cigarettes, so why should 16-year-old girls go into tanning booths?" says Leffell.
The ITA, along with arguing that "controlled" tanning helps prevent melanoma, also says that tanning helps to produce vitamin D, which they have been playing up in their latest nationwide campaign.
Stevens says that vitamin D does not need to come from tanning, but should mostly come from a healthy diet and dietary supplements.
"You can get vitamin D from dairy products and items such as salmon," says Stevens.
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, ultraviolet radiation from the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds, has been classified as a carcinogen, or cancer-causing substance.
Yet, despite the evidence, many UNH students who never left for spring break can be seen around campus with a vibrant glow. Faces are raw and appear bright pink under peeling skin from burns. Freckles appear on noses and cheeks. The signs are obvious that the skin is feeling the effects of the sun, but students still pour into tanning salons.
Healthy alternatives include sunless tanners, spray tanning and lotions that enhance anti-oxidants to provide a natural glow.
At Perfect Tan, students fill out skin analysis forms so employees can learn their skin type and accurately match their skin type with the appropriate tanning time.
"Everything should be gradual and in moderation," says Infantine. "Every person has different skin."
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