Posted : 10/01/2003

Posted : 10/01/2003

Are Negative Claims On Tanning Accurate?

by Joe Schuster

I just finished reading an article in the San Mateo County Times that portrays indoor tanning in a bad light (pardon the pun). It notes tanning’s popularity, but highlights many negatives. I have forwarded the article to you for review and would appreciate your comments.

RICH:
I have read the article and agree with you. I knew immediately that the article would overlook the positive aspects of tanning from the first sentence. “This is what happens when you get a tan: Your skin, assaulted by ultraviolet rays from the sun, produces pigment, called melanin, in attempt to protect itself.” While noting tanning’s popularity, the article also took a number of shots—some of which were inaccurate.

Let’s start with this statement: “Indoor tanning beds give color by exposing skin to UVA rays only…” I contacted the writer about this statement; she claimed she got the information from a local dermatologist. I wish she had checked with someone who knows a little more about tanning lamps, such as a tanning lamp manufacturer. As most of us in the indoor tanning industry can attest, the overwhelming majority of salons in the United States use low-pressure indoor tanning lamps in their equipment. These lamps use a combination of UVA and UVB, which means they contain sufficient UVB to stimulate the melanin, followed by a proper amount of UVA to oxidize the melanin, producing a photoprotective tan.

The writer also pointed out that melanoma, which can be fatal, has tripled among Caucasians. However, she failed to cite the recent University of Boston study that indicates that the incidence of melanoma has declined among women over the last 20 years. When considering that women tanners comprise as much as 75 percent of the indoor tanning market, this study is even more important. The drop has been attributed to the increased awareness of SPFs and the intensity of the sun; however, maybe it’s the fact that women are obtaining moderate UV exposure in an indoor tanning environment as opposed to overexposure from the outside sun.

The writer should have read “The Influence of Painful Sunburns and Lifetime Sun Exposure on the Risk of Actinic Keratoses, Seborrheic Warts, Melanocytic Nevi, Atypical Nevi, and Skin Cancer” by Cornelis Kennedy, Chris D. Bajdik Rein Willemze, Frank R. de Gruijl and Jan N. Bouwes Bavinck for the members of the Leiden Skin Cancer Study. The study revealed that although lifetime sun exposure was predominantly associated with an increased risk of squamous cell carcinoma, lifetime sun exposure appeared to be associated with a lower risk of malignant melanoma.

I agreed with dermatologist Carie Chui (quoted throughout the article) with one point: “Asking people to stay out of the sun altogether is unrealistic.” This is probably a reference to the American Academy of Dermatology’s recommendation to avoid the sun between 10 a.m.-4 p.m. That is pretty impractical, especially if you have a house full of children.

I’ve saved the best for last. Listed under the writer’s “What You Need to Know” column was this fact: White men 50 years old and older are most likely to die from skin cancer.

Hold on. I don’t know the source of that information, but men over the age of 45 are most likely to die from heart failure or a malignant neoplasm (tumor)*. The most recent SEER report** (statistical information on U.S. mortality rates) actually indicates a downward trend in overall fatalities from melanoma. Death from liver, esophagus, lung and bronchitis, thyroid, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis cancers all have increased according the most recent information from this 1992-2000 report.

However, you must remember that skin cancer and melanoma are serious. Melanoma can be fatal, but is largely tied to heredity. If it’s in your family history, you should avoid any UV exposure.

See you next month!