Sunbeds, tanning and exposure to UV rays
The desire to tan the skin for fashion or beauty purposes has led to a rejection, mainly in developed countries, of sunbeds that tan the skin artificially. Increased use. Using sunbeds to tan continues to grow in popularity, especially among young women.
Sunbeds and sunlamps used in solariums are artificial skin tanning devices that claim to provide an effective, rapid and harmless alternative to natural sunlight. However, there is growing evidence that lamps used in sunrooms emit UV radiation, which can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer.
Related Fact Sheets
Ultraviolet Radiation: Solar Radiation and Human Health - English
Approximately 132,000 cases of malignant melanoma (the most lethal form of melanoma) occur worldwide each year one type of skin cancer) and more than 2 million cases of other skin cancers. One in every three diagnosed cancer cases in the world is skin cancer. Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet radiation. The World Health Organization (WHO) has published a fact sheet on the adverse health consequences of exposure to natural (i.e., the sun) ultraviolet rays, which can be accessed from the link to the right:
This fact sheet is currently available for Supplement to the above, providing information on artificial UV light sources. Chief among these artificial light sources are sunbeds. This fact sheet looks at the health consequences of sunbed use and how to manage them, with information drawn from WHO-sponsored meetings and workshops, recent scientific literature, reviews by WHO Member States and international non-governmental Organizational recommendations.
Health Consequences
Skin Cancer
Exposure to ultraviolet light, whether from natural sunlight or from artificial light sources such as sunlamps, can cause skin cancer A known risk factor. Short-wavelength UVB (wavelength 280-315 nanometers) has been known to cause cancer in laboratory animals for some time, and there is growing evidence that the longer-wavelength UVA (wavelength 315-400 nanometers) used in sunbeds microns) can penetrate deeper into the skin and can also cause cancer. A study conducted in Norway and Sweden showed that the risk of malignant melanoma was significantly increased in women who regularly used sunbeds.
Additional exposure to UV rays from sunbeds may enhance the harmful consequences known to occur from overexposure to the sun's UV rays. There is no evidence that exposure to UV rays from any type of tanning bed is any less harmful than exposure to UV rays from the sun. Precancerous actinic keratoses and Bowen's disease were also found in the skin of fair-skinned people who were protected against the sun but exposed to sunbeds just two to three years after regular sunbed use. sick.
Skin Aging, Eye Damage, and Other Adverse Health Consequences
Any overexposure to UV rays, not just from sunbeds, can cause structural damage to human skin. This damage may manifest as burning, brittleness, and scarring in the short term, and as photoaging in the long term. The cause of photoaging is that ultraviolet rays damage the skin's collagen, causing wrinkles and loss of elasticity.
Effects of UV rays on the eyes include cataracts, pterygium (a white growth on the cornea), and eye inflammations such as photokeratitis and photoconjunctivitis. Additionally, overexposure to UV rays can suppress the immune system, potentially leading to a greater risk of infectious diseases.
Some skin types are not suitable for tanning
The skin is divided into six different types (I-VI) based on its susceptibility to sunburn. People with type I skin have the fairest complexion and will not have a slightly tanned complexion even with repeated exposure to sunbeds. Instead, their skin usually suffers a sunburn reaction. People with type I skin are more likely to use sunbeds than people with darker skin tones.
Consumers’ ability to identify their skin type as inappropriate for sunbed use is either based on self-diagnosis or, worse, an unpleasant sunburn experience. Therefore, it is necessary to train sunbed operators to ensure correct diagnosis of skin type. Although skin types II and above can tan, skin damage can still occur after overexposure to UV rays.
Dangers associated with exposure to UV rays in childhood
It is known that exposure to UV rays in childhood and the number of burns a child receives from UV rays, whether from the sun or a tanning bed, may increase the risk of future disease. Melanoma risk. For this reason, special care must be taken to ensure that children and teenagers do not use sunbeds. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has classified exposure to sunlamps or tanning beds as "a known cause of cancer in humans" and notes that the risk increases with longer exposure, especially for those exposed before age 30. As far as people are concerned.
About Sunbeds
Sunbeds emit primarily UVA and some UVB, both of which can damage DNA in skin cells. However, in recent years, sunbed lamps have been manufactured that produce higher intensities of UVB, which mimic the sun's spectrum and speed up the tanning process. The carcinogenic properties of UVB are well known and overexposure to this UVB light is already known to cause skin cancer, while recent scientific research suggests that high exposure to longer wavelength UVA may also have an impact on the development of skin cancer.
As with sun exposure, recent studies have shown a link between tanning bed use and malignant melanoma, as well as non-melanoma skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. The consequences of regular sunbed use can therefore include cosmetic disfigurement from skin cancer removal, early death (if the cancer is malignant melanoma), and substantial costs to national health systems for screening, treating and monitoring patients with skin cancer.
Health Benefits
In addition to getting a tan, many people claim that using a sunbed makes them feel more relaxed and have a sense of well-being. Such claims are difficult to quantify.
Although the use of sunbeds may enhance the synthesis of vitamin D (mainly from components of ultraviolet B), for most people, occasional exposure to the sun is equivalent to vitamin D intake from normal meals. Together they provide adequate vitamin D for a healthy body year-round. If people need more vitamin D than sunlight can provide (for example, due to living in polar regions), they should get it through meals rather than using sunbeds.
The use of sunbeds under medical supervision should only be considered in rare and specific circumstances. Medical UV devices can successfully treat certain skin conditions such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Such treatments should only be carried out in approved medical clinics and under qualified medical supervision and not in commercial tanning establishments or unsupervised at home using family sunbeds.
There is a common misconception that using a sunbed to tan your skin is a good way to protect your skin from sunburn when you go on holiday to sunnier areas. In fact, using a tanning bed to tan provides only limited protection from the sun's UV rays. It is estimated that the skin tone you get from a sunbed provides the same protection as using a sunscreen with an SPF of only 2-3.
Good reasons for having effective regulations governing the use of sunbeds
As long as sunbeds are available to the public, there will be a need for guidelines or regulations to reduce the dangers associated with their use. WHO encourages governments to develop and implement effective laws governing the use of sunbeds. In countries with voluntary industry codes of conduct, sunbed owners often do not demonstrate a significant ability to effectively self-regulate.
The highest management priority should be to restrict use by persons under 18 years of age and prohibit unsupervised use by trained personnel. WHO's recommendations are consistent with those of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection and the European Association for Skin Cancer Prevention.
Main reasons why regulations are necessary: ??
An increase in the number of unsupervised commercial sunbeds – more likely to be used without trained personnel and proper health care advice Harming consumers who don’t understand the situation. This, combined with competitive pricing strategies – such as unlimited tanning sessions within a specific time frame – increases the potential for skin damage.
High-intensity UV radiation - Some machines can emit ultraviolet rays at very high levels, many times more powerful than the midday summer sun in most countries. In an industry that is largely unregulated and with no mandatory personnel training, this significantly increases health risks.
Exposure times and intervals between tanning sessions – Proper use of sunbeds includes adhering to the recommended exposure times (which will depend on the type of machine used) and having adequate time between tanning sessions. long time intervals. It is common to leave at least 48 hours between tanning sessions to allow DNA damage in skin cells caused by UV rays to be repaired.
Glasses — UV-blocking glasses (such as goggles) must be worn during each tanning session to protect your eyes.
Effects of Certain Drugs and Cosmetics — Certain drugs, such as antidepressants, antibiotics, psoralens, antifungals, and antidiabetic drugs, and some cosmetics make the skin more sensitive to light and therefore shorten the The time it takes for your skin to get sunburned.
Amount of skin exposure – Newer “clamshell” sunbeds and covers can expose a larger area of ??skin to UV rays than would be the case outdoors, thus increasing health risks. In this regard, young people are more sensitive to UV damage caused by this "full body" tanning.
Recommendations of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection recommended in its 2003 publication that equipment that emits ultraviolet rays should not be used for tanning or other non-medical purposes. Purpose. The committee noted that the following categories of people are particularly susceptible to the adverse health effects of UV rays and should be particularly discouraged from using tanning devices:
People with skin types I and II;
Children (under 18 years old);
People with a large number of moles (placental masses);
People who are prone to freckles;
People who had frequent sun exposure during childhood People with a history of injuries;
People with precancerous lesions or malignant skin lesions;
People whose skin has been damaged by the sun;
People who use cosmetics. Cosmetics may increase their sensitivity to UV exposure; and
People taking medications. In this case, they should seek advice from their doctor to determine whether any medications they are taking may make them sensitive to UV rays.
WHO’s actions
The global UV project INTERSUN is a partnership between WHO, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer and the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection collaborative project aimed at reducing the burden of disease caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The project assesses and quantifies health risks and identifies appropriate countermeasures through guidelines, advice and information dissemination. In addition to scientific objectives, INTERSUN provides guidance to national authorities and other institutions on effective sunlight awareness programming. These programs target different target groups such as occupationally exposed persons, tourists, school children and the general public.
During 2003, WHO published a manual entitled "Artificial Tanning Beds: Dangers and Guidance" to provide information to the public, sunbed equipment operators and members on how to use sunbeds to protect public health. The country provides suggestions