2006-12-22 19:10:24 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Beauty & Style ➔ Other - Beauty & Style
Both are bad in excess (a little natural sun is actually good for you as long as you wear sunscreen with at least an SPF 30), but indoors is worse because there's a higher concentration of UVA rays with the use of an indoor tanning device. True, UVA rays give you the tan (versus UVB which causes the burn), but the reason the UVA rays give you the tan is because they penetrate into the deeper layers of your skin and therefore exposing you to a greater risk of melanoma (skin cancer).
I don't know of anyone who has gotten skin cancer directly as a result of indoor tanning, but I'm sure they're out there. I know people who have never tanned indoors in their entire life and hardly tan outdoors that have gone through hell in trying to get rid of skin cancer that they somehow contracted. Knowing this, I wouldn't want to expose myself to a greater risk of skin cancer through indoor tanning.
I used to tan obsessively for two years, both indoors and outdoors. When I tanned indoors, I would tan in the buff for fear of tan lines. Years after I had stopped tanning, I went to a physical at my doctor's office and he saw some suspicious spots that he insisted on removing to biopsy. It was not a pleasant experience - especially since the spots were in very sensitive areas of my body, if you know what I mean. Thankfully my results were negative, but I have deep, dark scars from the procedure and am still healing one year later.
Case in point: don't tan indoors! My suggestion? Spray tans at tanning salons - they rock!
2006-12-22 20:51:01 · answer #1 · answered by HC 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are 2 1/2 times more likely to develop a skin cancer if you use tanning beds. You are also 50% more likely to get a Melanoma if you use tanning beds. The World Health Organization is drafting new guidelines for the use of tanning beds. Their statement will say that no one under the age of 18 should use a tanning bed and the American Academy of Dermatology will support this statement.
I do not know anyone personally who has gotten cancer from a tanning bed, but the women I know who do use one a far more wrinkled and prematurely old looking than my friends who don't use a bed.
2006-12-22 19:14:10 · answer #2 · answered by paulooly 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think that tanning inside is worse b/c the artificial light is bad 4 the skin and u also get the UV RAYS along with it, my sister thinks that tanning inside is lame b/c it's not real sunlight and is kinda more worse then tanning outside!!!
2006-12-22 19:19:25 · answer #3 · answered by *Gulielmo Marconi* 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Purposely tanning is terrible all by itself. Tanning beds are worse because it's like extreme radiation at such close quarters.
I don't know anyone who has gotten cancer from it personally but I know of people who have. In fact, this one girl I know goes tanning every so often and you can tell. She'll probably get some sort of cancer, she's been tanning since she was like a preteen.
2006-12-22 19:11:52 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are a variety of different tanning lamps for different skin types. If you use a tanning bed wisely and use the correct type of lamp for your skin type, then tanning beds are safer. With sunlight, you have no control over the intensity and it can vary from day to day or time of day.
2006-12-22 19:24:45 · answer #5 · answered by spackler 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I suggest self-tanning lotions-- a nice tan without "problems"
2006-12-22 19:13:36 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Indoors is def. more risky in terms of skin infections.....ya never quite now how well that tanning bed was cleaned....
2006-12-22 19:11:44 · answer #7 · answered by applechick 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
they're both harmful.
wear a lot of SPF!!
2006-12-22 19:12:41 · answer #8 · answered by emily 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋