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A tan is a sign of skin damage. There is no such thing as a ‘safe’ tan. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight or a solarium increases your risk of skin cancer and ages your skin. People with fair skin are at higher risk than people with darker skin.
Over the past 20 years or so, campaigns to heighten awareness of skin cancer have resulted in fewer people sunbathing. Commonly used alternatives to sunbathing include fake tanning lotions, tan accelerators and solariums. Each carries potential health risks.
If you must tan your body, a tanning method that doesn’t use UV radiation is preferable. Remember, you still need to protect yourself from UV radiation when the UV levels are 3 and above when using these alternative tanning methods.
How skin tans
Skin cells in the top layer of skin (epidermis) produce a pigment called melanin that gives skin its natural colour. When skin is exposed to UV radiation, more melanin is produced, causing the skin to darken. This is what we know as a ‘tan’. A tan is a sign that the skin is attempting to protect itself against UV damage. It is not a sign of good health.
There is no ‘safe’ tan. Any method that involves exposure of the skin to UV radiation, either through exposure to sunlight or in a solarium, will cause skin damage. The more your skin is exposed to UV radiation from any source, the greater the risk of skin cancer and the more quickly skin will age. Compare the skin on the back of your hand with the inside of your thigh to see the damage caused by years of sun.
Many people mistakenly believe that having a tan will protect their skin against sunburn and further DNA damage by ultraviolet radiation. However, a tan offers minimal protection (around SPF3). Even without burning, UVB radiation ages the skin through irreparable DNA damage. Repeated doses of UVA radiation also contribute to long-term damage, even when no sunburn occurs.
Australians and tanning
The desire for a tan has been part of the Australian culture since the mid-1900s. Sun-browned skin has been prized as a sign of good health and attractiveness. However, we now know that deliberately exposing skin to UV radiation can increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
Australians are exposed to some of the highest levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure in the world. Combined with the fashion for tanned skin, this has led to an epidemic of skin cancer. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. More than 1,600 Australians die from skin cancer each year.
Challenging the ‘tan is beautiful’ myth
Recent public awareness campaigns have challenged the perception that tanned skin is more desirable than pale skin. However, the desire for the appearance of tanned skin is still high, especially among younger people. So alternative tanning methods have become even more popular.
If you must tan your body, a tanning method that doesn’t use UV radiation is preferable. Remember, you still need to protect yourself from UV radiation when the UV levels are 3 and above when using these alternative tanning methods.
Use of fake tanning products
Fake tanning products are used by around nine per cent of the population over the age of 18 years, according to one South Australian study. Some other statistics from the study include:
Women aged between 18 and 24 years are most likely to use fake tanning products (28 per cent).
People with annual household incomes of $40,000 and over are more likely to use fake tanning products.
People whose skin tends to burn in the sun are more likely to use fake tanning lotions than people whose skin turns brown.
Fake tanning products
The range of fake tanning products includes:
- Topical dyes – includes tanning lotions, creams, sprays, mousses and combined moisturiser and fake tan products. These are generally made up of vegetable dyes that stain the skin a darker colour and give a temporary appearance of a tan. This colour does not stimulate the production of melanin nor does it provide protection against UV radiation. The dye is shed, along with dead skin cells, after a few days.
- Bronzers and tinted sunscreens – includes tinted cosmetic and sun protection products such as moisturisers, foundation, powders and sunscreen. Bronzers provide the skin with temporary colour which, unlike dyes, wash off with soap and water.
- Tan accelerators – claim to speed up the natural tanning process by stimulating melanin production in the body. They come in tablet or lotion form.
- Spray tanning booths – these use misters to apply an even coat of fake tan solution to all, or parts, of the body and are often found at beauty salons, hairdressers and some gymnasiums.
Tanning lotions
According to the South Australian study, women who use fake tanning lotions are twice as likely to suffer repeated bouts of sunburn than women who don’t use these products. There was no association between fake tanning lotions and sunburn for men, perhaps because the sample size was small. People who use fake tanning lotions are more likely to use sunscreens (81 per cent) than those who don’t use fake tan products (57 per cent), but are less likely to use other protective measures, such as hats and clothing.
A few fake tanning lotions include sunscreen, ranging from sun protection factors (SPF) 4 to 15. However, this protection would only last for a short time following application and not for the entire time the fake tan lasts. Promoting a fake tanning product as protective against UV radiation may be misleading to consumers.
Tan accelerators
Tan accelerators are available in tablet or lotion form. These preparations contain the chemicals psoralens and tyrosine, among others. These chemicals contribute to the production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin colour. With sensitised melanin cells, it is possible to get a suntan in a shorter time than usual. However, no sun protection is offered.
There is no evidence that the topical use of tyrosine has any effect on melanin cells. When applied to the skin, tan accelerator products can cause painful conditions, including blistering. Psoralens should only be used under medical supervision to treat skin problems such as psoriasis.
Using tan accelerators for a long time has also been associated with an increased risk of skin cancer. When taken by mouth, the possible side effects of tan accelerator products include nausea, headaches and itchy skin.
A solarium tan is not a safe tan
Some Australians use solariums (also known as sunbeds, sunlamps or tanning beds) under the mistaken belief that these devices provide ‘safe’ tans. In fact, the opposite is true. Research shows that UV radiation from solariums can increase your risk of developing skin cancer, especially if they are first used before the age of 35. Solariums can also cause eye damage, immediate skin damage (such as sunburn, irritation, redness and swelling) and possible immune system changes.
A solarium tans the skin by radiating it with a concentrated dose of UV, which may be up to three times as strong as the summer midday sun. Solarium use is not a safe way to tan and a solarium tan won’t protect your skin from natural UV radiation. In Victoria, it is illegal for solarium operators to advertise their services as ‘safe’. It is also against the law to allow people under the age of 18 or with skin which burns and doesn’t tan to use these facilities.
Cancer Council Australia and the Australasian College of Dermatologists do not support tanning in solariums in any circumstances.
Where to get help
Things to remember
- The fashion for the appearance of tanned skin is still high, especially among younger Australians.
- Most fake tanning lotions provide a safer way to change the tone of your skin but offer no sun protection.
- The UV radiation emitted by solariums contributes to skin and eye damage and an increased risk of skin cancer.
- Both suntans or solarium tans are a sign your skin has been damaged by too much UV exposure.
You might also be interested in:
Body image - men.
Body image - women.
Skin cancer - prevention and early detection.
Skin explained.
Solariums (sunbeds and tanning beds).
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