Tanning: Bad Choice for Students

Summer is the season to trade in pale skin for and try a tan on for size.

Students across the University of Cincinnati campus can frequently be seen lounging on Sigma Sigma Commons soaking up the sun for a pre-summer bronzing fest.

While UC students are enjoying the rays, studies show overexposure to UV rays from tanning can lead to the development of skin cancer.

In the United States, skin cancer is the most common type of cancer with more than one million diagnosed cases annually, said Sasi Chockalingam, a doctorate student in health education.

While salons offer indoor tanning, the process is the same. UV rays stimulate skin cells resulting in a tan, but can cause serious damage.

“Society has pushed the notion that a tanned body is a ‘healthy’ body which is not true,” said Rose Tempel, a nurse practitioner for UC Health Services.  “More teens and adults are using tanning beds on regular basis and/or tanning outside, resulting in more sun exposure over the course of time in their early years.”

Because of the frequent exposure, skin cancer is the most common cancer affecting women between the ages of 25 to 29 years old, Tempel said.

Despite the warnings, many UC students still feel tanning is well worth the effort.

“I think tanning makes you feel better about yourself,” said Rachel Harvey, a third-year health promotions student.  “It makes me look prettier.”

Since the damage is not immediately visible, young people are often unaware of the dangers of tanning.

“I think we do not think about long-term consequences,” Harvey said.

Melanoma, an indicator of skin cancer, often appears as a dark, colored and irregularly shaped mole, but may look different. With more than 90 percent of melanomas caused by the sun’s UV rays, there are precautions that should to be taken.

Medical officials recommend protecting oneself while in the sun.  Use sun block or sunscreen; SPF 15 is usually sufficient for most skin types. Take frequent breaks from the sun – typically from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are strongest.

Skin cancer isn’t the only problem connected with UV exposure, Chockalingam said.  Damage to the dermis is the major factor in premature skin aging, causing the skin to appear leathery and wrinkled.

Exposure to UV rays can lead to cataracts and damage DNA, which can lead to a form of mutation within the body’s systems. When DNA is damaged, the defense system of the body is unable to function properly, Chockalingam said.

“Avoid tanning beds,” Chockalingam said.  “If you want to look like you’ve been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen.”

Tanning indoors gives you the ability to control exposure to UV radiation.  Most tanning bed industries agree that indoor tanning is much safer than receiving outdoor exposure to the sun, but all methods of tanning are still unsafe, Tempel said.

“The American Cancer Society, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention and many dermatological societies have taken the position that indoor tanning is an unsafe practice,” Tempel said.  “Any source of UV light exposure increases your risk of developing skin cancer.”

As to why high skin cancer rates in the United States, Chockalingam said she has a reason.

“I think the rate of skin cancer continues to rise because more people continue to tan, either indoors and/or outdoors and ignore the warning that it can cause skin cancer,” she said.