Skin cancer - tanning

A tan is a sign that your skin is trying to protect itself from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. It is a sign of skin damage, not of good health, and there is no such thing as a ‘safe’ tan. Exposure to UV radiation, whether from the sun or a tanning bed, damages and ages your skin. In fact, about 80% of the visible signs of facial ageing, such as fine lines and wrinkles, are due to UV exposure.

A tan offers very little protection against sunburn — roughly the equivalent of SPF 3, depending on your skin type — and it does nothing to protect your DNA from future UV damage. Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers, and in many parts of the world people are exposed to high levels of UV radiation, so protecting your skin matters.

How skin tans#

Skin cells in the top layer of skin produce a pigment called melanin, which gives skin its natural colour. When skin is exposed to UV radiation, it produces more melanin and darkens. This is what we call a tan. Because it is a response to damage, any tanning method that exposes skin to UV radiation causes skin damage. The more your skin is exposed to UV radiation, the greater your risk of skin cancer and the faster your skin ages.

Protecting your skin from the sun#

Whenever UV levels are 3 or higher, use a combination of sun protection measures:

• Wear sun-protective clothing that covers as much skin as possible.
• Apply SPF50+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen about 20 minutes before going outside, and reapply every 2 hours — or more often if swimming, sweating or towel drying.
• Wear a broad-brimmed, bucket or legionnaire-style hat that shades your face, head, neck and ears.
• Wear sunglasses; eye protection is worth using all year round.
• Seek shade where you can.

Tanning products and sun protection#

Fake tanning lotions, sprays and creams offer little to no protection from UV radiation. Some products include sunscreen (often around SPF 4 to 15, and sometimes higher). As with any sunscreen, this protection only lasts up to about 2 hours and does not last for the life of the tan, so you still need other sun protection even after applying a fake tan.

The range of tanning products includes:

• Topical dyes — tanning lotions, creams, sprays, mousses and combined moisturiser “fake tan” products. These are generally made from vegetable dyes that stain the skin a darker colour for a temporary tan. The colour does not stimulate melanin and provides no UV protection, and it sheds with dead skin cells after a few days.
• Bronzers and tinted sunscreens — tinted cosmetic and sun-protection products such as moisturisers, foundations, powders and sunscreens. Bronzers give temporary colour that, unlike dyes, washes off with soap and water.
• Tan accelerators — products in tablet, injection or lotion form that claim to speed up natural tanning by stimulating melanin production.
• Spray tanning booths — these use mist spray guns to apply an even coat of fake tan solution to the body, and are often found at beauty salons, hairdressers and gyms.

It is best to avoid using UV radiation to get a tan, but fake tanning products carry some risks of their own.

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA)#

The active ingredient in many fake tan products is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). Lower concentrations produce a light tan and higher concentrations a darker one. DHA is considered safe to apply to the skin, but there is no conclusive evidence that it is safe to expose your eyes, lips, mucous membranes or internal organs to it. While there is no firm evidence that spray tans harm people, research suggests DHA could be harmful if inhaled. If you are getting a spray tan, make sure you are in a well-ventilated area rather than a confined space, and wear goggles and a protective mask.

Tan accelerators#

Tan accelerators come in tablet, injection or lotion form and contain chemicals such as psoralen and tyrosine, which contribute to melanin production. With sensitized melanin cells, it is possible to tan faster than usual, but these products provide no sun protection. There is no evidence that applying tyrosine to the skin affects melanin cells. Applied to the skin, tan accelerators can cause painful blistering, and long-term use has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer. Taken by mouth, possible side effects include nausea, headaches and itchy skin. Psoralen should only be used under medical supervision to treat skin problems such as psoriasis.

Tanning injections (Melanotan)#

Melanotan is a type of tanning injection that stimulates melanin production to give skin a tanned appearance. It is often bought from overseas websites, has not been tested to rigorous safety standards, and its long-term side effects are unknown. In many places it is banned or available only with a doctor’s prescription. Self-injecting any substance also risks serious infection. Health authorities advise against using Melanotan; if you or someone you know is using it, stop and take the rest to a pharmacy for safe disposal.

Solariums and collariums#

Solariums (also known as sunbeds, sunlamps or tanning beds) use UV radiation to tan the skin. They can emit UV radiation several times stronger than midday sun, so they can damage your skin even faster than the sun and lead to cancer. A solarium tan offers no protection against DNA damage, which can happen without any visible signs.

A collarium, or collagen bed, is similar to a solarium and may be promoted as red light therapy. Instead of the usual blue lights, it uses lamps emitting red-light wavelengths in addition to UVA and UVB radiation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer places UV-emitting tanning beds in its highest cancer-risk category, alongside agents such as tobacco and asbestos.

Solariums and collariums can cause eye damage and immediate skin damage such as sunburn, irritation, redness and swelling, and may affect the immune system. They also increase your risk of skin cancer:

• People who use a solarium before the age of 35 have a 59% greater risk of melanoma than those who never use one.
• Solarium use increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by 67% and basal cell carcinoma by 29% compared with people who have never used one.

Because of these risks, commercial solariums have been banned in some places.

Key points#

• Any tanning method that exposes the skin to UV radiation causes skin damage; there is no safe tan.
• The more your skin is exposed to UV radiation, the greater your risk of skin cancer and the faster your skin ages.
• Fake tan products and tan accelerators give little or no sun protection, so keep using other sun protection.
• Long-term use of tan accelerators has been linked to an increased risk of skin cancer, and they can cause painful blistering.
• Solariums and collariums are in the highest cancer-risk category and sharply increase the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers.

Where to get help#