Is Airbrush Tanning Safer than Natural Tanning?

Sunless tanning, AKA airbrush tanning or spray tans, is it in any safer than getting naturally bronzed by the sun? Bear with me and I will answer that important question to your satisfaction, but before that, a little background.

When I was growing up in Santa Barbara California, a bona fide beach town, we certainly were never all that scrupulous regarding the risks pertaining to tanning–sunless or otherwise. This was the ’60s and 70s.

Back then, we weren’t ignorant of the risk of skin cancer, but generally speaking, ladies were not aware that overexposure to UV might result in irreversible damage to their skin that might come out later in the form of deep, leathery lines and wrinkles. For most girls and young women in Santa Barbara, heading to the beach meant splashing on some suntan lotion and “laying out” till they were well browned on both sides.

Today there’s greater comprehension that besides the risk of skin cancer, getting too many UV rays can bring about photoaging, that is, premature aging due to overexposure to UV rays, which leads to a thickening of the skin, deep wrinkles and gives the skin a leathery appearance.

UV radiation also has health hazards to your eyes and immune system. The cumulative effects of over exposure to ultraviolet rays without adequate eye protection can increase your likelihood of getting cataracts, and UV is also thought to weaken the immune system, which can lessen the body’s ability to fend off cold sores, and skin cancer.

Of course, there are two sides to this story. UV also has health benefits. Sunshine is the ideal source of vitamin D, an essential vitamin. The body produces vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun’s UV rays. And UV radiation is even used to treat some sorts of disease, like rickets, eczema, jaundice and psoriasis. However, it’s just like red wine–a little is great, but too much might be damaging to your health.

The average person gets receive adequate exposure to sunshine during their normal daily activities. If you dwell in a sunny climate and don’t keep yourself shut up indoors all the time, you probably get enough sun that you don’t need to be nervous about having a vitamin D deficiency. But, if for any reason you can’t get even minimum exposure to direct sunshine for an extended length of time, it’s advisable to eat foods rich in vitamin D, such as fish and fortified milk, or it is of course easy enough to take a supplement.

Getting back to sunless tanning, one popular kind of indoor tanning, the tanning bed, should not really be considered to be sunless tanning because it utilizes the same system to create a tan that the sun does: UV rays.

In general, lamps emit from 93% to 100% UVA rays, and from 0% to 3% UVB. UVB rays affect the upper layers of skin and may leave you with a sunburn. UVA is less intense than UVB, but it penetrates deeper into your skin and it is the dominant tanning ray. Until not too very long ago, physicians believed that it was only UVB that brought on skin cancer, but they now believe that not only does UVA contribute to the development of skin cancer, it may even initiate the process which causes the malady.

To cut to the chase, tanning beds do have some advantages: one can use them at one’s own convenience, without regard to weather conditions; one can tan without burning; tanning beds are a great source of vitamin D. However, they are not a safe alternative to natural sunlight. Just like the sun, tanning beds can lead to photoaging and skin cancer.

So, considering that both natural sunshineand tanning beds pose dangers to long term attractiveness and health, what’s the aspiring bronzed beauty to do? Is a spray tan a safe and viable option and what about sunless tanning pills?

As far as the Mayo Clinic is concerned, the answer to the first question is “yes” and the second, “no”–more or less unequivocally in each case.

They don’t mince words in warning against using sunless tanning pills. It seems that the active ingredient in these tablets, canthaxanthin, can turn your skin orange and can cause hives, if taken in large amounts. It can additionally cause crystals to form in the retina of your eyes and result in liver damage.

The active ingredient in spray tanning solutions (which come in spray, lotion, gel and cream form ) is dihydroxyacetone, or DHA. DHA has been approved by the FDA for topical application and has been used in some cosmetics since 1973, so it has an established track record. It provides the skin a brownish coloration through interaction with the amino acids in the upper layer of dead skin cells and isn’t assimilated into the body. It has never shown any toxicity, but it’s best to avoid contact with mucous membranes and inhalation of the product if you’re using the spray on version.

The disadvantages to a spray on tan are that it only lasts for about 5 to 10 days (best results are gained by exfoliating beforehand), and they don’t provide your skin any protection from UV rays .

In short, sunless tanning solutions which use DHA as their active ingredient are a safe alternative to the sun. Tanning beds, and the various facilities that use sun lamps, pose the same dangers and benefits as natural sunlight. They are possibly OK when used in moderation, but from the aspect of safety, they aren’t the best alternate tanning method. Tanning pills pose unacceptable health risks and really should be avoided.

Your health and beauty are important considerations when it comes to tanning. For more advice on sunless tanning and airbrush tanning tips, feel free to drop in at Eric Hilton’s site, Tanning Salons Santa Barbara.

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