Tanning - The Ultimate Risky Behavior

As many of us know, tanning is linked to  skin damage which can lead to skin cancer, which is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the United States. We are also familiar for the most part that indoor tanning raises the risk of developing melanoma, which is the most dangerous and aggressive form of skin cancer when left untreated. According to the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, 76% of melanomas found in women between the ages of 18 and 29 are associated with tanning bed use. Some studies have even shown that indoor tanning before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75%. Even though we are made aware of the risks that are associated with indoor tanning, whether it’s a warning label on a tanning bed or basic common knowledge, most still continue to do it anyways. Despite knowing the risks, why do people still continue to use tanning beds?

In a recent study done by the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, reasons as to why people use tanning beds, despite knowing the risks, were discovered. Appearance improvement was the biggest reason followed by the convenience factor. Many participants also reported that using tanning beds helped reduce stress levels and made them feel relaxed. By determining the top reasons as to why people use tanning beds, perhaps improved efforts and more efficient ways to try and decrease the amount of people who turn to tanning beds will be discovered. 

With that being said, a study done by the University of Colorado Cancer Center discovered a way to motivate teens to wear sunscreen and to eliminate or make changes to their behaviors that put them at risk for skin cancer. In this study, two groups watched videos regarding UV light and sun-protective behaviors, with one group watching a video that described the increased skin cancer risk of UV exposure and the other group watching a video describing the effects of UV exposure on appearance. It was discovered that although both groups learned the same amount of knowledge about UV exposure, only the teens who watched the appearance based video changed their behaviors rather than those who watched the health based video.

Appearance seems to be the biggest reason as to why people choose to use tanning beds and it also serves as the most effective way to get people to stop using tanning beds. These two studies ultimately show that in order to decrease the amount of people using tanning beds and to increase the amount of people that use sunscreen, the appearance route rather than health route is the better way to go. As someone who likes to sit in the sun on hot sunny days and go tanning occasionally, I can definitely say that in this day in age, telling people that UV exposure can lead to premature wrinkles and aging will scare them more than telling them it puts them at ricks for skin cancer. We live in a society where appearance is everything so why not take advantage of that and decrease the amount of skin cancer incidences while doing so.

Tips from the American Academy of Dermatology for preventing skin cancer:

1. Apply sunscreen every day.
2. Use one ounce of sunscreen, an amount that is about equal to the size of your palm, and rub into skin.
3. Seek shade, especially between 10 am and 2 pm. 
4. Use extra caution near water, sand or snow as they reflect and intensify the damaging rays of the sun.
5. Get vitamin D safely by eating a healthy diet that includes foods naturally rich in vitamin D, or take vitamin D supplements. 
6. Consider using a self-tanning product.
7. Do not use tanning beds.
8. Regularly check your skin for signs of skin cancer.

References: 

American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). "Quick and simple ways to reduce risk from the most common form of cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 June 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130611082225.htm 

Seattle Cancer Care Alliance. "Looks really can kill you: Protect yourself against skin cancer." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 1 May 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140501100924.htm 

University of Colorado Cancer Center. "Beauty, not disease, motivates teens to wear sunscreen." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 February 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140213095046.htm 

University of North Carolina School of Medicine. "Young women continue using tanning beds, despite awareness of health risks." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 5 February 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140205165541.htm

Related Articles:

American Association for Cancer Research. "Increased tanning bed use increases risk for deadly skin cancers." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 October 2011. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111024172646.htm

Oxford University Press USA. "Indoor tanning, even without burning, increases the risk of melanoma." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 May 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/05/140528163743.htm 

Rady Children's Hospital-San Diego. "Preventing skin cancer in children begins with the right sunscreen." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 25 June 2013. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/06/130625140931.htm 

Texas Biomedical Research Institute. "Conclusive evidence that sunscreen use in childhood prevents development of malignant melanoma in adults." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 19 June 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140619111407.htm