History

• Heraeus, a medical company, produced the first UV indoor tanning lamp in 1906. Scientists thought that the UV light would help patients with certain diseases. In the late 1970's tanning bed technology arrived in the United States courtesy of German scientist Friedrich Wolff. The popularity of the tanning bed increased as people realized how useful it was. Here was a way to obtain a tan without having to lie in the sun for hours.
  
  

Skin Cancer

• People love to tan. Maybe it is the relaxing warmth on their skin or the look of a tan, but many of the patients diagnosed with skin cancer are in their 20's and 30's. This is a much younger crowd than 10 years ago. Younger people are enjoying their time outside or in a tanning bed without using proper sunscreen. This is dangerous behavior.
  
  UVA rays are to blame. These hazardous rays, emitted from the sun, become concentrated in tanning beds. Extremely dangerous to the human skin, UVA rays penetrate deep into human tissue and fibers. Damage that seems like a little sunburn could lead to melanoma and other skin cancers. Medical research has proven that UVA radiation causes damage to the skin like UVB radiation. UVB radiation
  is more harmful to the skin. Such damage increases the chances of tumor development.
  
  

Eye Damage

• The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control advise against using such health hazards as tanning beds and sunlamps. Not only do these accelerated tanning methods increase the risk for the deadly melanoma and other skin cancers, but also can cause severe eye damage. Photokeratitis was once thought to be a hazard only to those that exposed themselves to high altitudes, but is becoming a more common occurrence. This is similar to sunburn on the cornea of the eye. Cataracts are another concern.
  
  

Immune System

• The immune system in a human body is delicate. With extreme exposure to UV radiation, the immune system faces a probability of falling into a compromised state. When an immune system weakens, the body can lose its natural defense. Diseases can appear and ravage the body. In addition to diseases, a person with a suppressed immune system may lose the ability to tolerate sunlight and lose functionality.
  
  

Warning

• Tanning in any aspect is not safe. Jeopardizing the body with exposure to UVA/UVB rays is too risky. UVA rays are not the only problem with lying in a tanning bed. Accelerator lotion used in a tanning bed does not contain sunscreen. In fact, sunscreen damages the glass on a tanning bed. The companies prohibit the use of a sunscreen in their tanning beds. The Food and Drug Administration advises to, "apply the sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 1-1/2 to 2 hours even on cloudy days and after swimming or sweating. Both selection of the sunscreen and re-applications are important." With the proper application of a high SPF sunscreen, you can decrease your risk of permanently damaging your skin.