What dangers lay in tanning beds?

by Aimee Keenan-Greene

With prom season fast approaching, and spring break on the way, the American Academy of Pediatrics is warning about sun exposure and teens using tanning salons. 

The AAP has issued the warning on ultraviolet radiation (UVR)  in the March issue ofPediatrics, an AAP technical report ( Pediatrics. 2011;127:e785-e811) and policy statement (Pediatrics. 2011;127:588-597) .

Each day, more than 1 million people, including many teenage girls,  visit the estimated 50,000 tanning salons in the US, according to the statement. 

Powerful lamps emit high levels of UVR, primarily ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, but also some ultraviolet B (UVB).

Having a tan means DNA damage has occurred in skin. The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that UVR from artificial sources is a human carcinogen.

There is no evidence to suggest a protective effect of tanning, getting a "base", against thedamaging effects of subsequent sun exposure, according to the AAP.

The AAP says children and teens who experience one or more severe, blistering sunburns have a higher risk of developing melanoma later in life. 

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the US. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) are diagnosed more than 1 million times annually.  About 2,000 people die each year according to the American Cancer Society (ACS) 

Melanoma is the third most common skin cancer, and is on the rise according to the AAP. Melanoma accounts for only 5 percent of skin cancer cases but causes more than three-quarters of skin cancer deaths.

The ACS estimates there were 68,130 new cases and about 8,700 people died of melanoma in 2010.

To help protect yourself, limit your sun exposure, wear protective clothing and sunglasses, and apply sunscreen with at least an SPF of 15, hourly. 


Resources:
Ultraviolet Radiation: A Hazard to Children and Adolescents, updated from 1999, is issued by the AAP Council on Environmental Health and Section on Dermatology.