Could there be any side effects of using tanning bed in long term?
A tanning bed is a device that emits ultraviolet rays to give people a tan.
This bed uses a special fluorescent lamp that creates visible light and ultraviolet light. There are 16 to 32 fluorescent lights on every tanning bed.
Moreover, they also use the ballast system like all fluorescent lights to limit the electricity going to each lamp.
This indoor tanning bed uses a special acrylic shield over the lamps. This plastic shield allows the ultraviolet rays to pass through. Its rays make the skin darker.
And just like the sun, it also causes sunburn if the person stays in too long.
The excessive use of tan beds can be dangerous. They can damage your skin if you are exposed for too long.
[Top 6] Long Term Side Effects Of Tanning Bed
People prefer indoor tanning beds in place of natural suntan to avoid the side effects of UV rays.
However, many don’t know that using tanning beds for the long term has its own negative effects.
Some of the long-term effects of tanning bed are:
#1. Sun Burn
By reaching your skin, UV rays damage your skin cells in the epidermis.
In response to this damage, the immune system increases blood flow to the affected areas.
The increased blood flow causes sunburn. Then the skin seems dark and feels warm.
#2. Sun Tan
When skin is overexposed to UV radiation, it increases the production of melanin to protect your skin from further damage.
Melanin is a pigment that colors your hair, eyes, and skin.
So, an increase in melanin causes your skin to darken over the next 48 hours.
#3. Premature Aging Of Skin
The unprotected exposure to harmful UV rays breaks down the collagen and elastin fibers in healthy young skin.
If you often take sessions of the tanning bed, you will see how fast does tanning age your skin.
It causes wrinkles and loosened folds.
Frequent sunburns or tanning sessions can result in permanent darkening of the skin, leathery texture, and dark spots.
#4. Skin cancer
Skin cancer can be hereditary, as it passes through the generations of the family.
Exposure to UV rays (both UVA and UVB) can be harmful to your skin and cause skin cancer.
It damages the DNA in skin cells that causes the skin to grow abnormally and malignant growth.
It also weakens the immune system and compromises the body’s natural defenses against cancer cells.
#5. Eye Damage: Photokeratitis & Cataract
Photokeratitis is the sunburn of the cornea.
It causes due to intense UV exposure of the eye.
Moreover, this condition can be produced by exposure to intense artificial sources of UV rays.
A cataract is one form of eye damage that increases with UV exposure. The vision of the eye feels clouded and spotty causing decreased vision and possible blindness.
#6. Suppressed Immune System
Overexposure to UV radiation suppresses the proper functioning of the body’s immune system.
It also suppresses the skin’s natural defenses, increases sensitivity to sunlight, diminishes the effects of immunizations, and causes reactions to certain medications.
Despite these dangers of tanning beds, many individuals get a seasonal tan or year-round tan.
So many people think indoor tanning is safer, but it is not.
There are so many side effects of tanning beds.
So, how much tanning is too much?
How Much Tanning Is Enough?
Two sessions in a week should be enough to deepen your tan if you are inattentive of your skin type.
If your tan fades before the next visit, you must wait for 48 hours before the next session.
Moreover, it’s generally recommended to wait at least 36-48 hours in between each session.
It allows your tan to fully develop or build up consistently and the cells to develop safely in-between visits.
Increase the indoor tan time to build up your tan gradually.
Try to tan your body two to three times a week. And once you have a tan, you can maintain it by tanning once a week.
Nevertheless, if you have any skin issues, don’t forget to consult your dermatologist before going for tanning sessions.
Final Verdict
In this blog, we have discussed the long-term side effects of tanning bed. We also get to know the right time to take sessions of tanning. Excess tanning can be harmful to your body.
Always remember to use sanitary tanning beds, otherwise, it can cause skin irritations.
Sometimes, unhygienic beds become the reason for skin cancer. In salons, there are many types of customers; many of them have skin issues.
Try to avoid those unhygienic places and their treatments.
It is always the right time for you to start protecting your skin from the sun and especially from tanning beds.
As soon as you do care of these things, your body starts to repair some of the damages caused by the UV rays.
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