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Posts Tagged ‘tanning beds’

No Teens in Tanning Beds! Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Hurray for California!!  Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a bill that bans children under the age of 18 from using tanning beds.  This law replaces the Filante Tanning Facility Act of 1988, which allowed minors aged 14 and older to tan with the permission of a parent or guardian.  The new law will come into effect in January 2012.

Close to 2.5 million teens tan indoors in the US every year, increasing their risk of developing melanoma (a potentially deadly form of skin cancer) by 75 percent. Indoor tanners are also 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma, and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.  My hope is that by preventing early exposure to dangerous UV rays we will see a drop in future skin cancer development.  It may also help change the mindset of teenagers and the social perception that being tan is the norm.  At present, over 30 states have adopted this law, and hopefully all 50 will soon!

 

Confused about Vitamin D? Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, August 5th, 2009

There is so much information circulating now on vitamin D, its benefits to your health and how one should go about obtaining it, that its no wonder people are confused.

Let’s start with why is vitamin D important to our health.  We have long known that vitamin D allows our bodies to absorb and use calcium, which is essential for healthy bones.  However, there are some recent studies that suggest it may also play a role in preventing certain cancers and diseases.  This information, combined with the fact that vitamin D levels appear lower among Americans today than 15 to 20 years ago (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition), have sparked the conversation on whether or not we are getting enough vitamin D for optimal health.

Some of the confusion is caused by the fact that vitamin D is produced by the skin following exposure to the sun’s UV rays (specifically UVB rays), yet we are consistently told to avoid the sun, tanning beds and to glob on sunscreen daily.

So, what is wrong with tanning or tanning beds to get our vitamin D?  As a dermatologist, I continue to recommend that my patients minimize their sun exposure, avoid tanning beds and always wear their sunscreen.  The potential risk for skin cancers and photo damage is too great to obtain your vitamin D through tanning.

Another argument against sun exposure for vitamin D is that the amount produced by the skin varies depending on time of day, season, latitude, age and skin pigmentation.  For example, UV exposure is unlikely to produce enough vitamin D in darker skin, so relying on the sun alone puts these skin types especially at risk for deficiency.  Also, the skin of the elderly has a reduced ability to produce vitamin D from sunlight.  Between November and February, UVB radiation is insufficient to produce adequate vitamin D for people living above 42 degrees north latitude, which includes Boston, northern California and other northern areas.

So how do we ensure we are getting enough vitamin D?  Diet and supplements remain the safest and most consistent way for people of all ages and skin types to get their Vitamin D.  Vitamin D can be found in fortified dairy products and cereals, orange juice, egg yolks, oily fish and dietary supplements.  Try to look for supplements containing vitamin D3, the form most easily absorbed by the body.

If you still feel that the sun is a good way to get your vitamin D,  it is important to realize that for lighter skin types, a few up to fifteen minutes of mid-day sun exposure on your forearms, a few times a week, would provide adequate vitamin D, so tanning will never be a safe or recommended option.

I support current recommendations from United States dermatology groups, which are 1,000 - 1500 IUs (international units) a day of vitamin D and 1000 mg of calcium for a healthy adult.  Check with your doctor to be sure this amount is appropriate for you.  This potential role of vitamin D and disease prevention is of great interest and I look forward to more information as further studies are conducted.

 

Tanning Beds Can Cause Cancer: Notes from a San Francisco Bay Area Dermatologist

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

As summarized in Dermatology Daily for the American Academy of Dermatology, The CBS Evening News (7/28, story 8, 2:15, Couric) reported that, according to a paper published online July 29 in The Lancet Oncology, tanning beds may “pose as big a risk as tobacco and asbestos.” Medical correspondent Jon LaPook, MD, explained that the “international panel of cancer experts upgraded the warning on tanning beds from probably to definitely able to cause cancer.”

The AP (7/29, Cheng) points out that “a new analysis of about 20 studies concludes the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75 percent when people start using tanning beds before age 30.” In addition, researchers from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the “cancer arm” of the World Health Organization, “found that all types of ultraviolet radiation caused worrying mutations in mice, proof the radiation is carcinogenic. Previously, only one type of ultraviolet radiation was thought to be lethal.” Now, “the new classification means tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation are definite causes of cancer, alongside tobacco, the hepatitis B virus, and chimney sweeping, among others.”

AFP (7/29, Hood) quotes study leader Vincent Cogliano, PhD, as saying that sunbed use causes “melanoma of the skin and…of the eye.” Cogliano also said “it is not the IARC’s role to issue recommendations, but that he hoped the new evaluation would focus attention on the issue.” Internationally, “physicians hailed the decision, and called for tighter regulations for the multi-billion dollar tanning industry.” Nina Goad, spokesperson for the British Association of Dermatologists, stated, “It is high time that steps were taken to regulate the industry, to prevent children using sunbeds.” Meanwhile, George Reuter, of France’s National Union of Dermatology, said, “We have been trying for a long time to call the attention of the government to the potential risks.”

BBC News (7/29) reports that the UK’s Sunbed Association “supports a ban on” tanning bed use for those under 16 years of age, but “argues there is no scientific evidence for a ban on young people aged 17 or 18.” Chief executive Kathy Banks said, “Research has shown that over 80 percent of sunbed users are very knowledgeable about the risks associated with over-exposure to ultraviolet [light], and the majority of sunbed users take 20 or less sunbed sessions a year.” But, Jessica Harris, Cancer Research UK’s health information officer, called for UK “ministers to implement a ban on under-18s using sunbeds immediately, and to close salons that are not supervised by trained staff.”

CBC News (7/29) explains that up “until now, only UVB radiation from solar rays was known to cause a genetic mutation,” but the IARC team “found the same mutation in the skin of mice treated with UVA.” Therefore, “the agency decided to reclassify all types of ultraviolet radiation — UVA, UVB, and UVC — as carcinogenic to humans, or Group 1 carcinogens. Previously, the three UV types were grouped as probable carcinogens.” CBC points out that the “WHO has warned people younger than 18 to avoid tanning beds. The Canadian Cancer Society has called for minors to be barred from using tanning beds, and the American Cancer Society advises people to try bronzing creams instead of tanning beds.”

The UK’s Press Association (7/29) notes that “several case-control studies provide consistent evidence of a positive association between the use of ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices and ocular melanoma.”

The UK’s Daily Telegraph (7/29) reports that the IARC study “follows research earlier this year that found the deadliest form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer among British women in their 20s.” According to “the latest available” Cancer Research UK figures, “338 women aged between 20 and 29 were diagnosed with melanoma, compared with 298 for cervical cancer.” In fact, “cases of melanoma have increased by a third since 2003, when there were 220 cases.” Overall, skin cancer cases in the UK “have more than doubled in the last decade.”

According to HealthDay (7/28, Reinberg), the Food and Drug Administration “is considering strengthening its warnings about the risk of skin cancer and eye damage” related to tanning bed use, the agency said. Meanwhile, Jeffrey C. Salomon, MD, “an assistant clinical professor of plastic surgery at Yale University School of Medicine,” who was not involved in the study, said that “the time has come for the FDA to restrict the use of tanning beds and to issue stronger warnings of their dangers.”

New York’s Newsday (7/29, Altherr), the Minneapolis Star Tribune (7/29), WLS-TV Chicago (7/28), the UK’s Sun (7/29), and WebMD (7/28, Boyles) also covered the story.

 

Tanning - Getting More Than You Bargained For

Monday, April 13th, 2009

Patients might accuse me and other dermatologists of sounding like broken records when it comes to the subject of tanning.  We can’t help but be passionate about this particular issue.  In my work, I am constantly faced with removing pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions from patients.   These lesions, caused by UVA and UVB ray exposure, could potentially be life threatening and/or lead to surgery for removal.  It is particularly disturbing that the age range of patients showing up with these issues is getting younger.  So, you can understand a dermatologist’s perspective when they see women and men purposely trying to get a tan and needlessly exposing themselves to this risk.

There is no “safe” way to tan.  Tanning beds are no exception!  In fact, the rays in tanning beds can often be more intense than the sun itself.   According to an AP article, melanoma (the deadliest type of skin caner) is now the top cancer afflicting women in their 20s in the UK, overtaking cervical cancer.  They attribute this increase in young women (typically not the group where melanoma is so common) as a result of tanning bed use.  In the United States, Florida lawmakers are considering a ban on tanning salon use for those under 16 years old.  Miss Florida Teen, Kayla Collier, recently testified before a Florida state house committee supporting the proposal.  She was diagnosed with a melanoma at age 16.

The possibility of skin cancer aside, tanning leads to accelerated aging of the skin.  We know that exposure to UVA rays also cause more wrinkles, brown spots and breakdown of collagen.   As the summer approaches and people seek dark, bronzed skin, consider alternatives like spray tans or lotions to keep your skin healthy.  Avoid tanning and wear your sunblock!

 

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