How Safe Is Your Suntan?
Magazines may often describe people as looking ‘healthy and tanned’, but as the NHS baldly states, “There’s no safe or healthy way to get a tan.”
The Problem with Suntans
However light it is, however slowly you developed it, and whether you got it in your back garden, the Mediterranean or a sunbed, a tan proves your skin has received too much radiation.
Around 5% of the UV (ultraviolet) radiation from sunlight is UVB, responsible for sunburn. The other 95% is UVA, responsible for tanning, aging and wrinkling the skin. UVA rays penetrate to the lower epidermis, stimulating melanin production. This brown pigment, which provides your tan, is the skin’s defence mechanism.
Your skin has good reason to go into defence mode. While symptoms of skin damage can take 20 years to appear, prolonged UV exposure increases your risk of skin cancer, including its most serious form, malignant melanoma. People frequently exposed to UV rays before 25 years old or who suffered sunburn in childhood have a greatly increased risk of skin cancer later in life.
The Problem with Sunbeds
Sunbeds, sunlamps and tanning booths emit the same harmful UV radiation as the sun, but many give out greater UV doses than the midday tropical sun. You’re also relying on manufacturers and operators to ensure you get a ‘safe’ dose.
The Scientifi c Committee on Consumer Products states the ultraviolet radiation from sunbeds shouldn’t exceed 11 standard erythema doses per hour. That’s equivalent to tropical sun exposure and ‘extreme’, according to the World Health Organization, which classifi es sunbeds as a Group 1 Carcinogen.
Your risk depends on your skin type, the frequency and length of your sunbed sessions and your age. In the UK, it’s illegal for under-18s to use sunbeds. A review by the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that fi rst exposure to sunbeds before 35 years old increases melanoma risk by 75%.
Stay Safe
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends you shouldn’t use UV tanning equipment if you have:
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• fair, sensitive skin that burns easily or tans poorly
• badly sun-damaged skin or a history of sunburn, particularly in childhood
• many moles, or many freckles and red hair
• medicines or creams that make your skin light- sensitive
• a medical condition aggravated by sunlight, such as vitiligo
• a personal or family history of skin cancer
You should also be cautious if you’re pregnant, as your skin may be more sensitive and prone to burning and pigmentation (patches of dark skin).
Avoid the sun when it’s strongest (11am -3pm). Never allow yourself to burn. Cover your skin, wear a hat and wear sunglasses with adequate UVA and UVB protection. UV can damage eyes too, causing conjunctivitis, irritation or even cataracts.
Use sunscreen that’s in date, with at least four- star UVA protection and an SPF of at least 15 (30 or higher if you’re fair-skinned or using it on children).
Useful information:
Sunbed regulation Act 2010:
www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/20/contents
HSE guidance on the use of UV tanning equipment:
www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/misc869.pdf
British Association of Dermatologists’ advice on sunbeds:
www.bad.org.uk/forthe-public/skin- cancer/sunbeds
NHS sunscreen and sun safety advice: www.nhs. uk/livewell/skin/pages/
sunsafe.aspx
By Alison Runham
www.alison.runham.co.uk
To advertise, please contact 01202 657317 or email
karen@broadstonelink.co.uk
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