The Pros And Cons Of Tanning Beds

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Tanning is a very controversial issue today. Tanning can take place directly under the rays of natural sunlight or in a tanning bed full of lights emitting fake rays on the same spectrum as the sun. Some say one is better than the other and vice versa. However, using a tanning bed to gain your summer bronze is a bad idea and there are quite a few reasons why.
Using a tanning bed is a convenient way to get tan. If you live in a state where it is rather cold and you don’t want to go out in the cold to tan under the sun, you can just get into a tanning bed. Tanning beds also don’t take as much time to tan the body and can tan the entire body in 15 minutes or less. Whereas using the sun to tan, one must tan the front of the body and then flip to tan the back.
There are positives to tanning beds. As mentioned they are convenient, fast and tanning salons can be found almost anywhere. However, the biggest positive to tanning beds is the ability to increase Vitamin D production. Vitamin D can be produced after the body is exposed to sunlight and is known as the “sunshine vitamin.” Vitamin D plays a role in many normal body functions including regulation of cell growth, bone formation, immune function, muscle strength, hair growth, fighting infections and reducing risks of autoimmune diseases. Vitamin D helps maintain normal blood levels of calcium and phosphorus by absorbing calcium from food or supplements (Konopa).
A study was done to see if tanning beds really helped with Vitamin D production. The study used healthy subjects between the ages of 18-70 years to participate. The study split into two test groups, one group had those who used the tanning bed more than once a week for over 6 months, and the other group included those wh...

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...hen UV rays are the strongest and do the most damage. Covering up and using sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher that protects against UVA and UVB rays. Lastly, indoor tanning should be avoided as they expose ultraviolet radiation and any source of UV rays can lead to skin damage (“Melanoma”).
Indoor tanning is popular among both men and females. It is desirable to be tan, as the media has skewed the opinions of the general population that to be attractive one must be tan. Indoor tanning does provide a spike in Vitamin D production. Vitamin D is the tanning industries best friend. The positive claims made by the tanning industry are centered on Vitamin D. However, the tanning industry fails to mention the negative side effects of tanning and healthier options for Vitamin D, such as supplements. There is no need to subject the body under the harmful rays of indoor tanning.

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