Saturday, January 22, 2011

Tanning beds before a trip - smart?

Ok, being a big white guy I'll admit that I've seen the inside of a few tanning beds in my life.  Most the time I used them it was preparing for an upcoming vacation to some sunny place where I wanted to both look good when I got there and be more ready for the hot tropical sun.


BUT, as I've aged I've stopped using them as much in fear of the SPF rays and cancer.  But how dangerous are they?   Well, studies show that the risk of melanoma was increased by 300% for those using tanning beds occasionally and by 800% for those using tanning beds more than 10 times a year.   Also, studies show that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light is a definite risk factor for melanoma.

Other options

So given the dangers of tanning beds what else can you do?   If you have access to natural sun then do that at least but use a modern sunscreen that blocks all types of UV rays.  Or you can do a "mystic tan" and fake it.  You'll look good and be safe but you'll still be a sitting duck in the hot sun.  So if you mystic tan it, at least SPF the hell out of your body once you arrive in the tropics.

The bottom line:  Just stay out of the beds, they're not safe.

California Baby SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion

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