Burns - an Unwanted Tanning Bed Side Effect


by Leanne Williams - Date: 2006-12-08 - Word Count: 565 Share This!

The dangers of burning yourself on a tanning bed should be underestimated. While the burn may just make the skin slightly red and tender, a more serious tanning bed burn can be the equivalent of a second or third degree burn, and may even necessitate seeking medical assistance or visiting a dermatologist. Repeated burns, even if they seem quite minor, can have worrying effects in the long term. Here are some of the associated risks of tanning bed burns, and what you can do to prevent further occurrences.

Burning yourself will put you at much greater risk of developing the health problems associated with irresponsible use of tanning beds. The most worrying danger is the development of skin cancer. The younger you are when you burn yourself, the more at risk you may be of developing health problems in the long run. With a rise in sun bed use among teenagers malignant melanoma has become much more prevalent among young adults. The cornea of the eyes can also be burnt by the UVA rays emitted by tanning beds if protective goggles are not worn, and can even lead to permanent sight damage.

The second risk is premature ageing. Every time you burn yourself you have done permanent damage to your skin and this will lead to sagging skin, noticeable wrinkles and fine lines on the face.

In some cases, people deliberately burn themselves slightly, whether in the sun or on a sun bed, because they believe that burning is the best way to turn the skin brown. This is not sensible as aside from the aforementioned health risks, burning your skin will not aid your tan and may even hinder it. Although you may initially turn brown after the sunburn has healed, overexposure to UV rays destroys melanin. With less melanin in your skin, building the deep tan you desire will become more difficult.

To avoid burning yourself on tanning beds follow these guidelines conscientiously:

Do not be tempted to stay on the tanning bed for longer than recommended in order to increase the depth of the tanning. If you are unsure about how long is safe for you to tan, ask the salon attendant for their advice. As a rule, fair skinned people, who have less melanin in their skin, need to keep their sessions to a minimum. Until a base tan has been built up (around 8 sessions on average) do not tan for more than 5 minutes at a time, 3 times a week. Exceeding the recommended time can lead to burning. A tan built up gradually, over time, is healthiest and will last longer.

Get a good tanning lotion. Tyrosine, the active ingredient in most tanning lotions, stimulates the production of melanin and therefore you should require shorter sessions on the tanning bed and will be less likely to burn yourself.

Wear protective goggles to avoid burning the eyes.

Remember that a tan achieved on the tanning bed offers no protection to the UV rays emitted by the sun, so you will still need to wear a high SPF outdoors to avoid burns. This is because the deeper levels of the skin will have built up no immunity to the effects of the sun. To avoid serious burns from UV overexposure, do not tan indoors and outdoors on the same day.

Following these simples rules should help you avoid the serious effects of tanning bed burns.


Related Tags: tanning bed, indoor tanning, sun bed, burns

Leanne has had several articles published on the subject of cosmetic surgery, including what to expect at a rhinoplasty consultation.

http://www.rhinoplasty.about-beauty.net Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles

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