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Excessive tanning actually shows skin damage, yet we Americans want deep, dark bronze skin. Recent studies link tanning with skin damage and skin cancer, which is hardly a goal to aim for.
Tanning and burning are caused by ultraviolet rays from the sun. These rays cannot be seen or felt (they're not heat rays), but penetrate the skin and stimulate cells containing a brownish pigment called melanin. Melanin tries to protect the skin by absorbing and scattering ultraviolet rays.
People with dark skins have high amounts of melanin and have greater natural protection from ultraviolet rays. Blondes, redheads, and people with fair skins have less melanin and, therefore, burn more quickly. As melanin is stimulated by ultraviolet rays, it rises to the skin’s surface as a tan
Three types of ultraviolet rays (UV) from the sun exist: UVA, UVB, and UVC. UVC is deemed as no threat as it is absorbed by the ozone layer. UVB causes burning of the skin or the red associated with sunburn, skin cancer, and premature aging of skin. UVA rays stimulate tanning but are also linked to other problems such as cataracts and other eye problems, premature aging of skin, wrinkling, loss of skin elasticity, skin rashes, and allergic or other reactions to drugs. UVA and UVB are both designated as causes of skin cancer by the National Institutes of Health.
By the way: ultraviolet rays really aren't rays; they're actually electromagnetic waves, but since everyone calls them rays, we will refer to them that way, too.
How much do you know about safe tanning? See if you can answer these questions correctly.
A: In a word, NO. A tan won't prevent UVB (burning) rays from penetrating into the skin. To protect skin under normal conditions in the sun, you need a sunscreen with an SPF of 15. A tan is equivalent only to SPF 4 strength, so it is far too weak to do much good.
A: Again, no. Sunburn builds up over time and does not immediately surface on the skin. Even if the skin feels cool immediately after a dip in the sea, sunburn could still be present. Staying out in the sun for a longer time when under water is just as harmful as being on the beach for the same amount of time. Water is not an agent that can prevent the harmful effects of sunburn.
A: You sure can! Although the radiation is reduced on a cloudy day, you're still getting about 80 percent of the rays. And if you think you're safer if it's cloudy, you may spend more time outside, so you increase your exposure. The UVB and UVA rays that cause burns and tans are not part of the brightness of the sun.
A: No. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared UV radiation from the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sun lamps, as a known carcinogen. The law even requires tanning salon operators to display warnings to that effect.
A 2005 Swedish study demonstrated that regular exposure to tanning beds significantly elevates a person's risk for developing melanoma. Research has found that tanning lamps emit UV rays that can be up to 15 times stronger than the sun, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
But to be fair, tanning salons do not bake your internal organs. The UV rays can not penetrate deeper than the skin itself. The odor you may smell after tanning in general is caused by bacteria, not by baking.
Q: So is there a safe way to tan?
A: Sort of. The safest way to get that bronze look you crave is to spray or spread it on. Using spray tan or a tanning lotion may feel like painting your skin, but it is safer by far than real or artificial sunlight.
Spray-on tans contain DHA, which is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for tanning. The only things you have to watch out for are uneven application and uneven results. Knees, elbows and feet tan darker than other parts, so use the product sparingly in those areas. And be sure to wash your hands well after use, so that your palms don't turn too dark.
Published 07/06/07
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Why do we consider dark tans gorgeous? 
