Are Sunbeds Healthy ?
The idea of a sun tan representing health or affluence is a recent trend. Before the 1950′s, people were very conscious of keeping their skin out of the sun. Indeed, someone that was heavily tanned may be thought of as some that worked outdoors in a poorly paid job and exposed to too much sun.
During the 1950′s, people became more prosperous. They had more time for leisure activities as opposed to working. These type of activities involved spending time at the beach or other outdoor activities. they also had time and money to spend on exotic vacations to warmer climates.
Pretty soon an all over tan could indicate affluence or a healthy lifestyle (which is not completely untrue). Looking tanned became desirable to the extent that people would go to the beach or spend time outdoors purely to get a sun tan.
People wanted a permanent all over tan, regardless of the seasons. Other people wanted to get a tan before they went to a sunny climate for their annual vacation. Pretty soon the idea of the sunbed evolved.
And since the creation of the sunbed, it has proved to be very popular. It is even popular in places where the climate is sunny and people could get a natural tan.
But the question that most people that use sunbeds have and then prefer to put to the back of their minds is do sunbeds cause cancer ?
The answer is very clear. Any tanning of the skin using ultraviolet (UV) radiation will eventually cause skin cancer. The amount or frequency of exposure may vary from individual to individual, based on things like their skin type or a family history of skin cancer, but eventually it will cause the development of skin cancer.
Many sunbed owners or tanning salon proprietors may point out that most sunbeds use UVA radiation to tan the skin. Whereas the UV rays that can cause sunburn are UVB radiation. Whilst it is true that sunbeds will use UVA radiation, research suggests that UVA radiation is just as likely to cause skin cancer as UVB radiation even if the skin is not burned.
The point is that any kind of tanning is bad for the skin. Although it is impossible to avoid being exposed to the Sun’s UV rays, it is still important to take precautions like wearing a hat and protective clothing. And wearing sunscreen on unprotected areas. The same applies to the sunbed. Exposure to uv rays from a sunbed will be bad for the skin.
Getting a weekly sunbed tan is like going out into the Sun without protection. This seems like a potentially hazardous thing to do to get an all over tan.
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