Tanning Machines Are Twice as Dangerous As the Midday Mediterranean Sun

Skin Cancer Foundation 2013

In their recent research into the dangers of ultraviolet (UV) tanning, British investigators didn't just crunch numbers. They also compared the "controlled dose" of UV radiation emitted by tanning machines with the intense midday Mediterranean sun -and refuted tanning salons operators' claims about the so-called "safety" of indoor tanning. The researchers found that the average indoor tanning machine in England is 2.3 times more cancer-causing than the midday Mediterranean sun, and some tanning machines are up to six times as dangerous. A 2003 study suggests that US tanning beds are about as dangerous as their English counterparts. Researchers determined that nine out of 10 tanning beds in England emit more UV radiation than recommended by British and European safety standards, typically, almost double the recommended amount. These excessive levels are especially worrisome considering that any UV tanning causes DNA damage that ages the skin and can ultimately cause skin cancers.