Fashion & Style

How to slow down the premature aging of your skin caused by the use of tanning beds.

Most of us love the way we look with a tan. Those of us who tan have our own reasons as to why we do it. Some do it for skin problems. I have known people whose doctors suggested tanning sessions to help clear up Psoriasis. Some tan to clear up acne or conceal aging. (What better way to hide the dark circles under your eyes than to make your skin pigment darker)? In general, most of us who tan are concerned about our appearance. Tanning is for some reason associated with being beautiful and healthy. Maybe bronze colored skin can make a person look more attractive, but healthy? The truth is that there is no safe tan. Whether you tan from the sun or a tanning bed, you accumulate skin damage as well as increase your risk of skin cancer.

TANNING BEDS

The sun emits two kinds of UV light. UVA and UVB. UVB rays are a faster and much stronger radiation than UVA. UVB rays are most responsible for skin’s burning. UVA rays penetrate deep into the skin and cause the pigment “melanin” to darken, which result in a longer lasting tan than with UVB rays. Some tanning salons have switched from using UVB lights to UVA lights for this purpose. It is important to ask your tanning salon how much of the UVB light is emitted from the tanning equipment, that is, if you do not want to burn. The repeated darkening of the melanin can cause your skin to thicken. The result of these pigment changes may then cause premature aging of the skin. The radiation from the UV rays can cause blood capillary damage and increase the chance of melanoma (skin cancer). At one time tanning beds were considered to be safer than the sun. Numerous studies have shown that this is far from the truth. Using a tanning bed can be just as dangerous to your health as the sun. However we use them because most of us do not have the time it takes to produce the tan we want by bathing in the sun. Here are some tips that may reduce or slow down the acceleration of our skin aging from the use of tanning beds.

Consider using a self-tanning lotion

Avoiding the UV rays is probably the best way to slow down aging of skin. However, if you really want a “bronzed look”, you may want to try one of the many self-tanning products on the market. Exfoliation and moisturizing will help reduce that so-called blotchy look, and buy a lotion that you can see going on, so that you do not miss any areas. You may even want to consider having a spray-on tan done by a professional at a salon.

Moisturizing

This is by far the most important thing you can do for your body before and after tanning. Buy a product that contains vitamin E and contains amino acids and one that also absorbs into your skin well. This will help your skin from drying while supplying nutrients at the same time, and will also help to keep your skins elasticity. Consider buying one that is water resistant, as you know tanning beds tend to get very hot and the moisturizer does no good if it washes off.

Vitamin supplements and a well balanced diet

How your skin looks and reacts to the daily environment all depends on your internal health. Taking a daily supplement of vitamin E can help stop formation of free radicals that attack the good cells and increase our chances of premature aging as will eating a healthy diet of fruits and green vegetables. You’ve heard of the saying “you are what you eat”. Drink at least 10 –8-ounce glasses of water daily. Your body loses moisture daily, by sweating, crying and urination. It is important to keep it replenished.

Consider using a sunscreen

Even if you use a sunscreen outdoors, you can still benefit by using it in a tanning bed. Remember, tanning beds emit the same UV rays as the sun, just less UVB (the burning rays). Consider using a SPF 4 or 8. If you are really concerned about skin damage and aging, you may want to consider using a sunscreen moisturizer on your face that contains nutrients with a SPF of 10. Sunscreen and sun block are two different things. Sunscreen helps to screen out the UVB rays and sun block completely blocks the UV rays. Sun block is that thick cream (zinc oxide) you see on the nose of certain individuals who are very sensitive to the sun.

Time exposure

Over exposure of a tanning bed will definitely cause the skin to age prematurely. It only takes one 20-minute session to see results. Start out by limiting the time you spend in the bed. Talk to the salon staff about the exposure time for your skin type. If you burn easily you should start out at only 10 minutes per session then slowly increasing your time at 2-minute increments. There is no need to go every day. Every other day should do the trick until you get the results you are looking for, than twice a week to maintain your tan. If you are taking any medications, make sure you check the label for side effects to see if they cause sensitivity to the sun. If you do burn during one of your sessions, rub the area with a lotion that contains aloe for healing and cover the area during your next session.

Written by Kim Pipkin – 2002 Pagewise