The American Academy of Ophthalmology reports that tanning beds produce 100 times more UV levels, or the expected intensity of ultraviolet radiation, than what you would get from the sun. This can severely damage the external and internal structures of your eyes and eyelids.
Myth #1: Using tanning beds in moderation is safe. When it comes to tanning whether it is tanning in the sun or at a tanning salon, there is no such thing as a safe or healthy tan when you have been exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Tans from a tanning bed or from the sun are evidence of UV radiation damage.
MYTH #5: 20 minutes in a tanning bed is equivalent to 20 minutes in the sun… no big deal! 20 minutes of exposure in a tanning bed may equal up to two hours spent on the beach under the hot mid-day sun without protection.
So if you were to have a five minutes sunbed session, it would convert to around an hour in the actual sun.
The only safe way to tan is to use a self-tanning product or get a spray tan. Most self-tanning products and sprays are safe and FDA approved. These cosmetics do not penetrate the skin to cause harm like UV rays, and instead, just coat the outer layer.
Tanning beds are NOT safer than the sun.
Science tells us that there's no such thing as a safe tanning bed, tanning booth, or sun lamp. Just one indoor tanning session can increase the risk of developing skin cancer (melanoma by 20%, squamous cell carcinoma by 67%, and basal cell carcinoma by 29%).
Moderate tanning of 2-3 sessions a week is OK for everyone else but ensure you rest the skin for a minimum of 24 hours between each session and at least 48 hours for skin type 2. The European Standard advises not to exceed 60 sessions per annum.
Many tanning salons suggest that sunbeds or tanning beds can help to reduce the appearance of acne scarring. This is completely false and, to make matters worse, tanning beds can actively damage and worsen skin affected by acne scars!
Tanning Sessions Can Reduce Weight
Being exposed to sources of UV-light ensures that the metabolism in a person's body is increasing. This is done so by nudging the thyroid gland for being even more active. This increase in the metabolism more often than not reflects in a substantial weight loss for you.
Any UV bed will produce positive results. For best results use in a premium tanning bed with facial tanners for at least 8 to 20 minutes. Swallow normally during treatment and no-rinsing is required. Twilight Teeth will leave a thin minty film on your smile and dissipates a few minutes after your tanning session.
MYTH: Getting a tan helps to hide acne scars.
Reality: If you're going to the beach or the tanning salon in hopes of hiding your scars, you'll end up regretting it. You might assume that darkening the skin around your scarring will help blend the two, but the truth is that scar tissue is much more prone to UV damage.
Sunbeds are as bad for you as smoking, according to a top team of international scientists. They say tanning under UV lights definitely causes cancer.
This means that to achieve the same results as being in the sun, you won't need to be in the sunbed for nearly as long. A good example of just how different the results are taking into account that ten minutes in a sunbed compares to about 2 hours in direct sunlight.
In a recent survey of adolescent tanning bed users, it was found that about 58 percent had burns due to frequent exposure to indoor tanning beds/lamps. 10 minutes in a tanning bed is equal to four hours on the beach!
Many people use this kind of tanning machine because of the kind of tan that it can help them to achieve and also because tanning in a bronzer bed is much less likely to result in sun burn than tanning in a regular bed. Both sunbathing and bronzer beds can damage skin and cause it to age prematurely.
Gone are the days of wondering whether or not tanning beds can cause cancer and if they're worse than the sun. “The short answer is, yes, tanning beds are just as, if not more, harmful than the sun and there is no such thing as a safe tan,” says dermatologist Jennifer Lucas, MD.
So taking a shower shortly after applying a bronzer or any spray tanning treatment will fade the artificial tan away. In fact, immediate showering after tanning may result in poor results and uneven streaking.
Stand-up booths are capable of giving you a deeper tan. The bulbs used in them give off stronger rays compared to a tanning bed. The higher intensity of the UV rays increases melanin production which results in a darker complexion. For those who want more than just a “sun-kissed” look, stand-up booths are better.
In fact, many scientific estimates have shown that up to 80-90% of how young or old you look for your age is due to how much sun exposure you've sustained. And this has been shown repeatedly, in different parts of the world, over many years and in many different clinical studies.
By 2017, we have enough studies to show that smoking and sun exposure are both positively correlated with skin ageing, whatever clinical measure of skin ageing is used; whether it be skin wrinkles, elastosis, telangiectasia, smoking was worse than the sun in all of the studies.
One tip for taking care of scars is to use a topical ointment. Cocoa butter cream and Vaseline are most often used to help reduce the appearance of scars.
Opt for an oil-free sunless tan that will gradually darken your skin and leave a streak-free, even finish. If you worry about acne on your face, back, or other area, ask your technician to use caution on existing acne spots or scars to avoid darkening these areas too much.
If you have a red or brownish mark on your face that you got from a bad zit, it should eventually fade. However, it may take 12 months or longer. If you're upset about acne marks, talk to your doctor, who might have advice on what you can do.
UV Can Fade Dyed Hair
Another factor to be aware of while tanning in the tanning salon or outdoors is that UV rays have a tendency to fade dyed hair. Dyed, permed, or hair that has been treated in any way is more porous and is, therefore, more susceptible to fading.