To Tan or Not to Tan

The answer is not to tan, especially with indoor tanning booths.  The Surgeon General estimates that indoor tanning might be associated with 400,000 new cases of skin cancer and 6000 melanomas each year.  9000 people die of melanomas yearly.  One in three white women, aged 16-25, use tanning booths.  The best protections outdoors are hats and clothing.  Sunscreen might protect against harmful UV exposure, but it has to be applied repeatedly, and it reduces the body’s production of vitamin D, which can have its own set of problems.  Get your vitamin D level checked with a blood test, especially at this time of year.  Supplementation is often indicated to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis.

Google the Surgeon General’s report on indoor tanning for more info.

Celebration of HealthAssociation website