What Is The Future Of Tanning?

Researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Children’s Hospital in Boston claim they have discovered a cream that may ward off skin cancer by tanning skin a golden bronze without exposure to the sun. Although the study was conducted on mice and not humans, studies of this cream radically could change the way we perceive tanning.

The cream actually changes the pigmentation of the skin by making it darker, which is different than other sunless tanning lotions that basically paint the skin. During the trials, researchers found that the more days they applied the cream, the darker the mice became. The researchers go on to suggest that if this could work in human applications, it may help ward off skin cancers such as melanoma.

First, let’s take a look at what happens to skin when exposed to ultraviolet light. For darker skinned people, UV initially disturbs the DNA in the skin; however, what follows is a tan that can reduce the effect of this damage. The cells respond differently depending on a person’s skin type; however, the effect is not the same for everybody. They claim that for those with lighter complexions, even modest tanning can inflict DNA damage. Overexposure to UV even can lead to cancers such as melanoma.

The researchers say a darkening in pigmentation can help these people reduce that risk. A molecule in the cream recreates a process that occurs naturally when ultraviolet sunlight strikes skin cells. They feel that the key is tanning or pigment darkening without DNA damage.

David Fisher, director of the Melanoma Program at Dana-Farber and senior author of the study, claims the more you use it the darker you would become. “You could give this drug as much as you wanted,” he says. “It could get to a point where it would literally turn the skin a very dark brown/black.”

This research could have some big implications. Could overzealous Caucasians suddenly want to seize the opportunity to go after minority grants for college? Minority contracts in business? Sports? I don’t think it’s going to happen. I seem to recall seeing the movie “White Men Can’t Jump.”

Maybe something, maybe nothing. Tanners always have sought indoor tans for a few basic reasons including the convenience of obtaining a tan in a controlled, comfortable and relaxing environment.

I guess you could get the resulting look of a tan, but there would probably be a certain degree of difficulty in the actual application of the product. How often would it need to be reapplied? How much will it cost? It certainly would not relieve the stress brought on by traffic, careers, relationships, kids and the like.

Are there any side effects? According to Fisher, a number of hurdles remain before determining whether it is safe for humans, including whether it would cause side effects.

“The initial glimpses look promising but it’s early still,” he says.

For the sake of being scientifically rational and prudent, I will leave that last one alone.

Indoor tanning is not for everyone. But for those that weigh the benefits and risks of UV exposure and want to obtain a tan, thousands choose the controlled aspects of indoor tanning versus the increased risk of erythema or sunburn from the outside sun. 

For information on LightSources tanning products, visit www.light-sources.com. If you have a question that you would like answered in this forum, e-mail joe_lsi@light-sources.com.