‘I’m a celebrity get me out of here’ star Fernie McCann recently said she is ‘ditching sunbeds’. Most people know that sunbeds cause skin damage but to what extent? The most common phrase I hear in clinic is: ‘I will only go on a sunbed a few times before my holiday to prepare my skin’ or ‘a few sunbed sessions a year won’t harm me’. Well, unfortunately, that is not the case. Every single time you go on a sunbed you increase the risk of skin damage. Sunbeds give out ultraviolet (UV) rays that increase your risk of developing skin cancer (both malignant melanoma and non-melanoma). In fact, many sunbeds give out greater doses of UV rays than the midday tropical sun. So let’s look at some of misconceptions around sunbeds:
‘A tan makes me look healthier’
A tan is your body’s attempt to protect itself from the damaging effect of UV rays. The sun triggers melanocyte cells that stimulate melanin production (this gives your skin pigment) to rise to the top of your basal layer to protect your DNA. So a tan is actually your body’s way of calling out for help and going into protection mode. UV ray’s cause DNA damage and cause the collagen and elastin to break down, which leaves you with less firm skin. In the short term you may like your tanned appearance, however, in the long term your skin can become coarse, leathery and wrinkled. Fake tans are always best – no UV rays involved!!!
‘Sunbeds help my acne’
Because your skin is tanning it helps to hide the discolouration acne can cause and sun exposure can dry up excess oil, so it may look like your skin in improving and clearing up. However, both these benefits are short term and once stopped acne can flare up and even worsen because of the damage caused the UV light. Acne can be a common problem with younger adults and statistics show that using sunbeds for the first time before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma skin cancer by nearly 60%. Look for a long term solution with acne that doesn’t result in future skin damage.
‘I go on for a short period of time and never go red or burn’
Burning or going red under a sunbed is a sign that you have seriously harmed your skin. UV can penetrate deep into the skin’s layers and damage the DNA in our skin cells. Some of the damage may happen before you get burnt or your skin goes red. Cells damaged by UV are at greater risk of mutating and then dividing uncontrollably, which is what happens in cancer according to the cancer research organisation.
Most important, sunbed exposure can cause cancer!!!!
Prolonged exposure to UV rays increases your risk of developing malignant melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) and basal-cell carcinoma. You can’t always see the damage UV rays cause. The symptoms of skin damage can take up to 20 years to appear.
Fake over bake always!!!
‘Fake don’t bake’
