Source: www.celebritysmackblog.com
A new study published online in the UK medical journal Lancet Oncology on Wednesday, claims that tanning beds are as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas.
Both tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation have been placed into the highest cancer risk category, right up there with smoking ciggies and eating lead paint flakes for breakfast.
The study found that people who start tanning in the beds before the age of 30 increase their risk of melanoma by 75%.
Also found was that every type of ultraviolet radiation caused mutations in mice. Previously it was thought that only ultraviolet B rays (UVB) were harmful. UVB rays are what the typical conventional bed consists of. Then they came out with the medium and high pressure beds which emit mostly UVA rays, which consumers have been told are safer. I only know this because, yes, I tan.
But these new revelations, which are composed of 20 studies on the matter, are proving this all to be false.
One of the cancer researchers, Vincent Cogliano said, “People need to be reminded of the risks of sunbeds. We hope the prevailing culture will change so teens don’t think they need to use sunbeds to get a tan.”
The American Cancer Society is suggesting people use spray tans and bronzers to achieve a sun kissed glow.
And now for probably a little too much information…
When I was 16, (I know you’re thinking, ‘Oh boy, here we go..’) I went tanning for what I think was the first time. I went for 30 minutes. No one told me otherwise. This was in 1988 and tanning salons really hadn’t been out that long, at least not in my area. I burned. Bad. I still, to this day, have a spot on my left butt cheek that doesn’t tan like the rest of my body. A permanent scar really. I joke about it with my husband because it is shaped like the South American continent if it were tipped on it’s side. So yeah, I have a South American booty.
Nowadays I tan too, I’m not going to lie, but I am definitely more careful about it than when I was younger. When starting, I start with only, say, 5 minutes, then work my way up. Also, I only go 3 times a week or so.
I don’t really think this study is telling us anything we don’t already know, too much of anything can prove to be bad, so use caution and good judgment. I already hear the lawyers drooling over this one..
Studies conducted by experts at the International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, the cancer arm of the World Health Organization.
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