Everybody wants a great tan. Aside from looking hot and sun-kissed, having a tan skin can be very attractive compared to the usual dull and pale looking skin. Getting a tan is actually easy. All we have to do is to sun bathe in our bikinis and we can already have the skin color that we are looking for. However, not all people are fortunate enough to have great sunshine just like in Rio de Janiero, Phuket or Miami. Cold places and countries like in Europe rarely get enough sunlight in order to get the perfect tan. Fortunately, with the help of technology, people living in winter places can still get their skin tan without the need of going to other tropical countries. This is made possible with the benefits of the tanning bed. What is a tanning bed and what are the different tanning bed pros and cons?
A tanning bed is a type of machine that is made with artificial or electrically-run lights that are used in order to replace natural sunlight. These lights are placed strategically in a coffin-like bed that allows direct exposure to every inch of skin in the body. This is otherwise known as indoor tanning. Nowadays, indoor tanning is already a huge business. Millions of people all over the world are using tanning beds in order to provide them their goal of a healthy glow. However, many still believe that tanning bed is no match to natural sunlight in terms of giving our skin its tan. Some also believe that tanning beds can cause a lot of health hazards. But are tanning beds really good to use or do they really cause problems in our health. Here are some of the pros and cons of using tanning beds in order for us to weigh both side of the issue.
The Pros of Tanning Beds
Tanning bed is considered essential for the body since it can provide vitamin D. Vitamin D actually helps in bone growth and can also reduce inflammation significantly. This vitamin also helps in boosting the immune system. Most of vitamin D is acquired from sunlight, and just like natural sunlight, these tanning beds can also provide vitamin D. Some experts have already proven tanning beds as a safe way in attaining vitamin D. Another pro in using tanning beds is that these machines are usually handles by salon or spa experts. Prior to getting the tan, health professionals will usually asses the skin type first in order to prevent any untoward reaction. Because of this, sunburns are also prevented and the intensity of the light can also be adjusted unlike the real sunlight. In addition to this, recent studies have also shown positive effects of tanning beds in brain activity. The UV rays released by these machines can promote the production of endorphins by the brain. These substances are very useful in relieving pain thus providing a soothing and relaxing effect.
The Cons of Tanning Beds
If there are pros, the cons are also present. One of these is the positive release of UV-A or Ultraviolet-A rays. According to dermatologists and experts, UVA rays are 15 times more potent than UVB, which is the one emitted by the sun. Because of this, premature aging of the skin is most likely to occur. This can also produce wrinkling, dryness and sagging effects making the skin look damaged and leathery in appearance. In addition to these, constant use of tanning beds has also been linked to the increased incidence of certain types of skin cancers. In a year, over a million cases of skin cancer is diagnosed. In a recent study and statistics, 70 percent of the 116,500 cases of melanoma are positive of using tanning beds. Aside from this, the UVA rays emitted by these beds are also associated to the suppression of the immune system and can also cause eye damage. Experiments have shown that increased use of tanning beds can increase the risk of having melanoma as well as other eye conditions such as blindness and cataract formation.
These are just some of the effects of tanning beds in our health. As we can see, all things do carry both positive and negative side effects. What we can do now is to make sure we take into consideration all the elements before deciding whether or not we are ready for such machines just like tanning beds.