Tanned bodies appear more slender, more defined, and healthier in all the right places. Yes, tanned bodies look better than pale ones, but, is it worth the risk? "In July 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classified UV radiation-emitting tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans, the highest classification, along with asbestos and tobacco." Health authorities are trying to get the attention of 'tanorexics' who throw caution to the wind for the sake of a tan. They warn that tanning bed enthusiasts receive 5 - 12 times the dose of UV radiation in the midday sun. The penalty? Other than dramatically increasing the potential for melanoma (the rarest and most deadly form of skin cancer and the most common form of cancer for 15 - 30 year olds) research has also shown those using tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.
Is the future of tanning beds over or is there a glimmer of hope on the horizon? TanThera-T35 may be able to change the safety ratings of tanning beds with a "state-of-the-art tanning device that incorporates UVA1 LEDs optimized for tanning without producing the UVC, UVB, or UVA2 spectral lines emitted by mercury-vapor tanning lamps commonly used in other tanning devices." Although it received FDA approval last year it is not yet widely available. Doctors say it will still be awhile before it is commercially availably as more studies are needed to determine long term effects, but at least they are on the right path.
