There Is No Such Thing As A Safe Tanning Bed

By Dr. Anne Marie Tremaine

Do not let a recent viral TikTok by Kim Kardashian persuade you, tanning beds are harmful. I would even say that tanning beds are worse than natural sunlight. UV radiation is a proven, cancer-causing carcinogen and classified in the same category as cigarettes. The Skin Cancer Foundation reported that more than 419,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. each year are associated with indoor tanning.

Natural sunlight emits both UVA and UVB light, while tanning beds emit UVA alone. Previously, it was thought that UVA just caused aging skin (sunspots, skin laxity, and wrinkles) and UVB light caused skin cancer. We now know UVA causes aging skin and skin cancer. The UVA light penetrates deeper into the skin and is strongly linked to melanoma.

In addition, tanning beds emit 10 to 15 times more UVA light than the sun. There is no “safe dose” of this light, and even worse is that you have no idea how much light you are being exposed to as the tanning bulbs can vary greatly. Even with short exposure people can get burns and blisters from tanning bed use.

Minors are especially at risk. Using tanning beds before age 20 can increase your chances of developing melanoma by 47%, and the risk increases the more you use the tanning bed.

Thankfully, many states have banned minors from indoor tanning and hopefully more will get on the bandwagon soon. Countries such as Australia, Brazil, and Iran have recognized the dangers and have completely outlawed indoor tanning.

The top reason I have heard that people use a tanning bed: to get a base tan. This is a misnomer, even if you have a “base tan,” you can still get a sunburn. This leads me to my next point. Many people think that it is only sunburns that are bad. Unfortunately, every time you tan OR burn, you damage the DNA in your skin. This damage accumulates and leads to wrinkles, age spots, loss of skin firmness, and worst of all, skin cancer. If you use tanning beds now or have used them in the past, I recommend having a dermatologist evaluate your skin.

Anne Marie Tremaine, MD
Dr. Anne Marie Tremaine is a board-certified dermatologist who enjoys taking care of all patients, from newborns to geriatric patients. Dr. Tremaine provides the full spectrum of dermatologic care from skin exams, skin cancer treatments, acne, rosacea, eczema, psoriasis, birthmarks, cosmetic procedures, and skin care regimens. Her goal is to treat each individual patient with a customized treatment plan, rather than treating the disease state alone or approaching treatments with a cookie cutter approach.

Dr. Tremaine settled in Naples, Florida, in 2016 after 15 years of traveling around the country for her education and training. She grew up in Western New York, but relocated to Washington, D.C., for her undergraduate training in biology. She moved back to New York for medical school, then met her husband. Before starting her dermatology residency in Irvine, California, Dr. Tremaine spent several years as a clinical investigator on numerous clinical drug trials.

After her residency, Dr. Tremaine felt compelled to continue her education in cosmetic dermatology. She moved to Boston to complete a fellowship at Harvard Medical School in laser and cosmetic surgery. This intensive year of training has allowed her to become an expert in cosmetic and laser procedures, including BOTOX®, injectable fillers, spider vein treatments, photo-rejuvenation, and options to address scarring, brown spots, and broken blood vessels. After practicing dermatology in private practice in Southern California, she and her husband made the decision move back east to be closer to family.

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