Tanning and the Sun: Myths vs Truth

Especially this time of year, I hear some common myths floating around about the sun, it's UV rays, and tanning (both indoor and outdoor). 

Below I have listed a few of these myths with the facts.  

Please be Sun Smart this summer. 

Be informed, wear sunscreen, and protect your skin!! 

Myth: Tanning in a tanning bed is safer than tanning in the sun.

FACT: When compared to people who have never used tanning beds, indoor tanners have a higher risk of skin cancer.  Frequent indoor tanners may soak up as much as 12 times the annual ultraviolet A (UVA) dose they receive from outdoor sun exposure. In fact, when using tanning beds before the age of 35, you increase your chance of Melanoma by up to 75%. 

Myth: The Sun is the best way to get Vitamin D.

FACT: Our bodies produce some vitamin D following exposure to the Sun’s UVB radiation. However, an average caucasian person in mid-day sun, will have reached their maximum Vitamin D production after about 5 minutes of sun exposure.  Any additional UV exposure actually breaks down vitamin D to inactive compounds, thus nullifying any benefit.  

Myth: Getting a “base tan” will protect you from getting sunburned.

FACT: There is no such thing as a “healthy tan”.  I repeat… there is NO SUCH THING as a “healthy tan”.  Any tan is a sign of skin damage. Your skin tans in response to UV damage to your skin’s DNA; a tan is the skin’s attempt to repair sun damage and prevent further injury. It is these imperfect “repairs” that can cause gene defects, which can lead to skin cancer.

Myth: Only caucasian or pale ppl get skin cancer, not people of color.

FACT: While it is true that people of color are less likely to develop skin cancer than Caucasians, they actually have a higher risk of dying from it. A very dangerous and fast-spreading skin cancer known as acral lentiginous melanoma is more common among darker-skinned people and may present as a growth in the mucous membranes, under the nails, or on the palms of the hands or soles of the feet.  The fact is, no matter your skin color, you should be protecting your skin and having a yearly skin check by a dermatologist. 

Myth: 80% of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is acquired by age 18, so over age 18, it doesn’t matter how much sun you get. 

FACT: Actually, you only acquire about 23 percent of your lifetime UV exposure by age 18. Therefore, no matter your age, you should be protecting your skin by wearing sunscreen everyday and having yearly skin checks. 

Myth: Windows protect me from the Sun’s UV rays.

FACT: While glass does block most UVB rays, UVA radiation can still get through. Which means that even indoors or in a car with the windows up, you can tan or burn. 

Myth:  A cotton t-shirt at the beach will protect skin from sun burn.

FACT:  Cotton t-shirts provide the equivalent protection of SPF 6, which is far inferior to the minimum SPF 15 recommended to protect your skin. Even worse, when t-shirts are worn while wet, the protection factor decreases to around SPF 3, allowing more dangerous UV rays to penetrate through the shirt to your skin.  Always wear sunscreen, even if you plan to wear a shirt. 

Myth: Skin cancer only affects older people. 

FACT:  Young people are just as much at risk for skin cancer as older adults. In fact, due to overexposure to the sun and use of tanning beds in their teenage years, melanoma is now the second most common cancer in women ages 20-29.

Myth:  I don’t need to reapply "waterproof” sunscreen once I apply it.

FACT:   Water resistant sunscreens still need to be reapplied regularly (about every 2hr) since sweat, water and toweling off can remove the sunscreen’s protective layer.

Myth:  Skin Cancer can just be “cut out”.

FACT:  One person dies every 57 minutes from Melanoma.  And those that can have their skin cancer “cut out” or removed are commonly left with disfiguring scars and the lifetime need to diligently protect their skin from the sun.  

Those are the facts, so remember.. always protect and Love the Skin You're In.