Researchers Say No Such Thing as “Safe” Tanning

First posted on 09-19-2008

Melanoma researchers say there is no such thing as “safe” tanning.

Publishing their findings in October’s issue of a trade journal for the International Federation of Pigment Cell Societies (IFPCS) and the Society for Melanoma Research, scientists in the United States and Great Britain show that any exposure to UV rays can be damaging to the skin.

The scientists say that exposure to sunbathing outdoors or under the lights of a tanning bed both result in DNA damage. Aging of the skin from chronic exposure to sunlight and several forms of skin cancer can result from the exposure.

Dorothy Bennett, a cell biologist at St. George’s, University of London and author of one of the papers concluded that, “DNA damage is the first step in getting a mutation in cells that could lead to cancer, so there can’t be anything like a safe tan.”

The data in the study show an increased risk of developing melanoma from indoor tanning bed use.

Although the authors concede that some exposure to sunlight is good for vitamin D production in humans, Bennett said the amount needed is far less than that required to get a tan.