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Posts Tagged ‘UV exposure’

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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