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Posts Tagged ‘tan’

Safety of Sunless Tans: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Friday, September 9th, 2011

In the beginning there was lying out in the sun with baby oil and iodine to give our skin that bronzed, golden glow.  Then we found out that outdoor sun exposure ages the skin prematurely and can cause skin cancer, so the pursuit of tanned skin became an indoor sport.  Enter, tanning beds. While burning the skin could be avoided with the beds, UVA ray exposure could not, which damages the skin just like the real sun.

So, in a continued search for a safe tan and what we are led to believe is a more “healthy” look, we have yet another alternative: the spray tan.  Whether it be in a booth or airbrushed onto our skin, there are some things to keep in mind if you are using the lesser of all evils in the tanning world.

Sunless tan creams and sprays contain dihydroxyacetone (DHA), an FDA-approved color additive. DHA is a sugar compound that reacts with proteins in the outermost layer of dead skin cells to produce a brownish hue that lasts until the skin sloughs off.

While DHA is widely used, a person can still be allergic to the perfumes, preservatives or other ingredients in a particular product.  If you have sensitive skin or know you have skin allergies, be sure to look at an ingredient list.  Everyone should do a test patch of any tanning cream or spray before you use it all over your body.

Safety studies have not been done on DHA’s use around the eyes, lips, other mucous membranes, or for inhalation.  Safety practices at spray tan facilities are also all over the board.  While some may remind the client to close their eyes, they may not be told when to hold their breath or offered safety equipment like goggles, cotton balls for their nostrils or petroleum jelly for their lips.  If you are a habitual spray or airbrush tanner, please ask to use these safety measures at your facility as the regular, long term effects of DHA are unstudied.

People who have a spray tan tend to be less careful with their sunscreen because they think they have a “base” tan and won’t burn.  This is untrue.  A tan resulting from a bottle or spray provides no protection from the sun’s harmful rays, so the use of sunscreen is essential to avoid burning and aging of the skin.

If you have ever thought tanning pills might be an option, please don’t.  The side effects from such products sold over the internet or elsewhere are severe and hazardous.

As a dermatologist, it is a double edged sword to promote sunless tanning products because it also promotes the notion of being tan.  Until the saying, “pale is the new tan”, takes root however, it is still much safer to use the creams and sprays for that sun kissed look than the sun and the beds.

 

An Even Tan Only Comes Without the Sun! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, August 11th, 2010

To help answer the question of why different types of skin cancer tend to occur in different parts of the body given they all are caused by UV exposure, researchers at the University of Edinburgh recently conducted a “tanning” study published in the Journal of Experimental Dermatology.

The study exposed the backs and buttocks of 100 volunteers to six doses of UVB rays.  A week later their skin was analyzed, revealing that the buttock area remained lighter in color and was much more resistant to tanning than the back area, despite the same level of UVB exposure.  In the UK’s Telegraph, Professor Jonathan Rees (Unviersity of Edinburgh) reported the reason being that the skin on bottoms is thicker than other areas of the body.  Part of the defense mechanism of a tan is to thicken the skin in a given area to protect its lower layers from UV damage.  Areas where the skin is already thick, like our bottoms, is less likely to tan as a defensive response to UV exposure.

What is the take home message?  If you are seeking an even, all-over tan, then you are chasing an impossibility.  The skin is not physically able to tan in this way and this study is simply more evidence to discourage tanning through UV exposure at all!  The still safest and most effective way to get an even tan is through topical tanning products like lotions, tan towels and shower bars.

 

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