Spending too much time in one of these artificial tanning bed can do more harm than good.

Staff Writer

In winter, more people hit the tanning salons to darken their skin and retain their tan appeal, but is it safe for the consumers?

According to health professionals, tanning, whether it is from the sun, tanning beds or sun lamps, can cause skin damage which could later lead to skin cancer.  Some people are led to believe artificial tanning is safer, which is also not the case. Any sort of burnt skin can cause skin cancer.

All these tanning sources have two types of ultraviolet radiation: ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B.  UVB is what causes sunburns while UVA is known to cause deeper damage to the skin and may also cause melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer.

When it comes to tanning salons however, it is suspected they cause more damage to the skin faster when compared to the sun.  

The Niagara Region's Public Health website under the artificial tanning topic (http://www.niagararegion.ca/living/health_wellness/tanning/default.aspx) gives some information about the hazards suggesting tanning beds emit two to five times more UVA radiation than natural sunlight, can cause damage to your eye's cornea and eyesight and weaken your immune system.

Steven Gilroy, executive director of the Joint Canadian Tanning Association, commented on these points and felt they were over-exaggerated. 

"Tanning beds can use up to two or two and a half more UVA than sunlight at most, but never five times as much."

Gilroy also mentions that you must wear protective eyewear when using a tanning bed and if it's used properly, you won't have to worry about eye damage. He also spoke about the main problem with tanning.

"The biggest problem about tanning in Ontario that we have is un-manned tanning beds. Some businesses will have a couple of beds put out but there won't be any professionals handling them or working with them.  All tanning beds are required to be used with a professional present.  You wouldn't get in a car with a person who wasn't licensed to drive, so why would you tan without a person licensed to use the machine?"

This causes a problem because some people don't know their limits and may tan too much, causing skin damage.  Tanning salons are also not supposed to let people with Type 1 skin, which includes people with white or pale skin, green or blue eyes, red hair or freckles,  tan at all since they burn too easily, but with an un-manned machine, they could tan all they'd like.

"Tanning in moderation" was something Gilroy stressed saying that anything can be hazardous in large doses, but the right amount can actually help you. 

"It's like when a doctor says a glass of wine a day is good for you. You don't drink a whole bottle." 

Tanning does help your body obtain Vitamin D, but it's not necessary to burn yourself as your body only needs a small amount of it.

Despite Gilroy's explanations, there are still reports claiming that artificial tanning isn't safe.  

Darker Side of Tanning, a pamphlet put out by the American Academy of Dermatology, says that tanning beds are not safer than sunlight.

"Most sun lamps and tanning beds emit mainly UVA radiation.  Contrary to the claims of some tanning parlors, that does not make them safe, in fact, they cause deeper skin damage."

Kevin Sloan, a dermatologist at the Niagara Dermatology Centre in St. Catharines, weighed in on artificial tanning.

"It's dangerous. There's an increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. World health organization deems tanning beds carcinogenic.  I have dealt with lots of patients who have sun damage and skin cancer from tanning beds."

While this may seem like a classic case of he said she said, Gilroy  put it best when suggesting people should "tan in moderation."