Yes,
ultraviolet light is believed to be linked to skin cancer.
But no one understands exactly HOW it is linked. And since
human beings NEED ultraviolet light to survive and thrive,
categorical statements made about sun exposure should be
scrutinized. Clearly, heredity, diet and repeated sunburn
at an early age are probably the biggest risk factors for
skin cancer. Plus, people with type 1 skin, those who can't
develop a tan, have the highest incidence of skin cancer.
This supports the logic that sunburn, not mere sun exposure,
is the culprit behind skin cancer. Consider that a 1995
study in the International Journal of Cancer reported that
individuals who followed a low-fat diet had 90 percent fewer
skin cancers. It's clear that sun exposure is not the
only factor in this disease and may not even be the main
factor.
Myth
#2
There
is no such thing as a safe tan.
Reality
Actually,
you could say that it isn't safe to totally avoid the
sun. The benefits of regular sun exposure far outweigh the
risks of overexposure, which easily can be minimized by
merely avoiding sunburn. Research shows that regular, moderate
sun exposure might actually decrease your risk of getting
breast, colon, prostate and ovarian cancers as well as osteoporosis
or even Alzheimer's disease. If you're a woman,
you are 69 times more likely to die of breast cancer than
skin cancer. And the vitamin D you receive from ultraviolet
light, which cannot be replaced in your diet, may inhibit
the formation of internal tumors, including breast cancer.
Myth
#3
But some
dermatologists say tanning causes melanoma.
Reality
The FDA
in 1995 held a conference on melanoma. The agency concluded
there is no clear evidence to say tanning causes melanoma,
the disease's apparent link to ultraviolet light is
still mysterious and unexplained. What's more, many
studies have shown that people who receive regular sun exposure
have less chance of getting melanoma skin cancer than those
who don't.
Myth
#4
There
is an epidemic of skin cancer in the world today.
Reality
No, there
isn't. Epidemics are events that happen suddenly and
affect more than half of a group of people. Skin cancer
rates have been rising steadily in the world since the early
1900s.
Myth
#5
Skin
cancer rates are rising because more people tan today than
did in years past.
Reality
That
kind of gross oversimplification is dangerous thinking.
Actually, skin cancer rates have risen steadily in the 1900s.
And society spent less time outdoors this century than in
any previous century. Remember, most people worked outdoors
until the industrial revolution in the late 1800s. If anything,
the fact people do not receive regular sun exposure, which
makes them more susceptible to sunburn when they do go outdoors,
may be linked to the increase in skin cancer this century.
Again, moderate tanning has not been linked scientifically
in any study as a cause of skin cancer.
Myth
#6
People
catch AIDS or herpes from tanning beds.
Reality
This
is impossible. The HIV virus dies upon exposure to oxygen
and would not survive on a tanning bed. What's more,
the U.S. Center for Disease Control says the odds of contracting
any virus from a tanning bed are "extremely remote."
Furthermore, professional tanning salons sanitize tanning
equipment before every tanning session.
Myth
#7
Indoor
tanning is riskier than outdoor tanning.
Reality
That's
absolutely false. Indoor tanning clients are exposed to
a scientifically controlled dosage of ultraviolet light
carefully formulated to tan you with a minimal risk of sunburn.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has established exposure
times for tanning units, guidelines that are clearly marked
on each machine. That kind of control is virtually impossible
outdoors, where variables such as seasonality, time of day,
location, geography, weather conditions, altitude and the
Earth's thinning ozone layer make sunburn much more
likely. Because sunburn is the main risk factor for skin
damage, it's actually smarter to tan indoors.
Myth
#8
I heard
about a woman who fried her internal organs from too much
tanning.
Reality
"The
Legend of the Roasted Tanner" is a farce. Ultraviolet
light, whether from the sun or from a tanning unit, does
not penetrate past your skin. It is impossible to "fry"
any internal organs in a tanning bed. This myth is what
is commonly referred to as an urban legend, perpetuated
by ignorance of ultraviolet light and the tanning process.
Myth
#9
I hear
that tanning isn't as popular as it used to be.
Reality
Not true.
More than 28 million Americans tan indoors, a number that
increases steadily year after year. More and more people
are tanning for the control, convenience, speed and pure
enjoyment of tanning in a salon.
Myth
#10
Indoor
tanning is like a cigarette for your skin.
Reality
This
is a ludicrous comparison. Smoking subjects your lungs to
an unnatural compounds that your body is not designed to
process. Tanning is your body's natural reaction to
sunlight. Your body is designed to tan to help prevent sunburn.
Your body is not designed to process cigarette smoke. Incidentally,
smokers' risk of contracting lung cancer is hundreds
of times higher than non-smokers' risk. On the other
hand, in most studies conducted to date, indoor tanners
and non-tanners have no statistically different risk of
contracting skin cancer.
