Tanning beds: How Safe Are They?

By Minnie Pascal


No doubt about it but that public information about tanning beds can be more than a bit convoluted, depending on who you're getting your information from. Talk to one self-professed expert on the topic, and he or she will advise you that there is more than one substantial risk. Then go and ask yet another know-it-all and they'll inform you that the risk factor is minimal to none.

Just what is the risk of cancer then, and what about what some people are saying about light waves penetrating to even harm your internal organs? So the simple answer to that first question is "yes". Prolonged or excess exposure to tanning lights and the sun is not a good idea. Do keep in mind though that the sun and tanning is not inherently bad for you, and in fact avoiding the sun also brings with it proven risks.

Then as far as the risk of damage to internal organs is concerned, it really is a ridiculous point. Your skin is in fact an organ and the light energy that's emitted from a tanning bed simply isn't powerful enough to penetrate much beyond that. Your eyes however are also internal organs, but as long as you're wearing protective coverings, there is virtually no risk there.

Then what about the risk of catching STDs and other types of communicable diseases from beds at tanning salons? The answer to that is the same thing that was said about toilet seats for years. In the end though, it was all really just a convenient excuse for unfaithful lovers. The odds really are just so miniscule. Besides, any reputable and well-run tanning parlor will give the bed a good cleaning between uses.

You see, the fact is that the microbes that are responsible for STDs can't live outside of the human body. They need a warm moist environment to survive. It's the same thing with a lot of living things that need this type of environment to live in. Even so, you do want to make a point of asking to make sure that a salon you are visiting has a policy of adequately cleaning the beds between uses.

So what it all boils down to is that just like so many other things in life, there are some risk factors that come with indoor and outdoor tanning. Just the same though, you do have a say in how great these risk factors are. For instance over or obsessive tanning is not only bad for your health, it's bad for your skin and causes premature aging. So moderation and common sense really are the keys to safety.




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