Questions You May have About Tanning

What is the tanning industry's position on UV light?
Who regulates the indoor tanning industry?
Is tanning natural?
How does your skin tan?
What is a base tan?
How is "moderate tanning" defined?
 

Q: What is the tanning industry's position on UV light?

A: professional indoor tanning industry’s scientifically supported position is summed up in this declaration: Moderate tanning, for individuals who can develop a tan, is the smartest way to maximize the potential benefits of sun exposure while minimizing the potential risks associated with either too much or too little sunlight.

The professional indoor tanning industry teaches sunburn prevention—both indoors in the salon, and outdoors under the sun—and evidence suggests that we teach this message more effectively than those who promote complete sun avoidance. According to tanning industry research, non-tanners sunburn more often than people who tan indoors.

Since the mid-1980s, there has been considerable public health concern and attention focused on the risks of overexposure to ultraviolet light. The indoor tanning industry shares this concern. However, in the course of this public debate, we believe that the risks associated with UV light have been overstated and the benefits ignored.

Fortunately, public awareness of the facts has increased in recent years. Indeed, there are known physiological and psychological benefits associated with UV light exposure, and many other potential benefits appear likely, pending further research. The risks of UV light exposure, on the other hand, are mainly associated with sunburn and overexposure (particularly among individuals who are fair-skinned or genetically predisposed to skin damage) and are easily managed by practicing sunburn prevention.

The professional indoor tanning salon industry seeks to be part of the solution in the ongoing battle against sunburn by teaching people how to identify a proper and practical life-long skin care regimen.

 

Q: Who regulates the indoor tanning industry?

A: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provides extensive regulation of the indoor tanning industry. FDA regulations require each tanning device to bear detailed consumer information about avoiding overexposure. A label on each device lists recommended exposure schedules for skin types II-V (see: "How does the medical community characterize skin types?" below). The label also warns that certain medications or cosmetics may increase sensitivity to UV light. You can find these regulations on the FDA website under section 1040.20 (21CFR 1040.20). http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfCFR/CFRSearch.cfm?fr=1040.20

 

Q: Is tanning natural?

A: Yes. Tanning is your body’s natural protection against sunburn; it’s what your body is designed to do. Anti-tanning lobbyists falsely refer to this process as “damage” to your skin, but calling a tan “damage” is a dangerous oversimplification.

In fact, it’s much like calling exercise “damage to your muscles.” When you exercise, you are actually tearing tiny muscle fibers in your body. At first glance, when examined at the micro-level, this tearing could be called “damage.” But this damage on the micro-level is your body’s natural way of building stronger muscle tissue on the macro-level. So to call exercise “damaging” to muscles would be misleading. The same can be said of sun exposure: your body is designed to repair any damage to the skin caused by ultraviolet light exposure. Developing a tan is your body’s natural way of protecting against the dangers of sunburn and further exposure.

It is the professional indoor tanning industry’s position that sunburn prevention is a more effective message than total abstinence, which ultimately encourages abuse. We believe ours is a responsible, honest approach to the issue.

 

Q: How does your skin tan?

A: Whether you tan outdoors under the sun or indoors in a professional tanning facility, the tanning process is the same. This natural process takes place when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet light. Here is an overview.

Light is composed of energy waves that travel from the sun to the Earth. Each energy wave can be identified by its length in nanometers, (nm), which is one-billionth of a meter. Light can be broken into three general categories: infrared, visible and invisible. Ultraviolet light is in the invisible light spectrum.

There are three kinds of ultraviolet light: UVA, UVB and UVC. Two of those categories, UVA and UVB, are used in indoor tanning equipment.

Tanning equipment is designed to replicate UVA and UVB produced by the sun, but tanning lamps emit the light in carefully controlled and government-regulated combinations. As a result, the user has control over their exposure. That’s why people face greater risk of overexposure tanning outdoors than they do by using tanning equipment indoors.

Tanning itself takes place in the skin’s outermost layer, the epidermis. There are three major types of skin cells in your epidermis: basal cells, keratinocytes and melanocytes. All play different roles in the tanning process.

Everyone has roughly the same number of melanocytes in their bodies—about 5 million. Your heredity determines how much pigment your melanocytes can produce. Melanocytes release extra melanosomes whenever ultraviolet light waves touch them. This produces a tan in your skin.

The tanning process is your skin’s natural way of protecting itself from sunburn and overexposure. Calling a tan “damage to the skin” isn’t telling the whole story. Your skin is designed to tan to protect itself.

 

Q: What is a base tan?

A: A tan is the body’s natural protection against sunburn. Your skin is designed to tan as a natural body function.

Each year, millions of Americans visit professional indoor tanning facilities in the spring, prior to sun-filled vacations or outdoor summertime activities, to establish what tanners know as a “base tan.” Doing so enables vacationers to gradually increase their exposure to ultraviolet light without burning.

 

Q: How is "moderate tanning" defined?

A: Moderation means avoiding sunburn at all costs. How to accomplish this goal will mean something different to each person. That’s one way the indoor tanning industry can help. Salon professionals attempt to educate each tanner on how to best avoid sunburn for their individual skin type.