Many Tanning Facilities Misinform Teens About Risks

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Indoor tanning is a $5-billion-dollar industry, with more tanning salons in an average city than Starbucks or McDonald’s. Especially popular with teenage girls and young women, a national Youth Risk Behavior Survey revealed that over 25 percent of high school girls used an indoor tanning device. As a healthcare professional, you need to be pro-active in advising your patients about the risks posed by these tanning salons.
 
While the FDA offers some safety guidelines for indoor tanning, unless state governments pass their own regulations, many FDA guidelines are simply ignored. In fact, states like Missouri place no age or safety restrictions on indoor tanning. 
 
"Teenagers in general, particularly the younger ones, may not understand the risk," said Dr. Sophie J. Balk, an attending pediatrician at New York’s Children's Hospital at Montefiore. "It's not just, ‘I'm going to look good for the prom.' It's something that's a very common practice among lots of kids, particularly Caucasian girls,” added Balk.
 
A recent study led by Dr. Brundha Balaraman at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis revealed  the level of misinformation many tanning salons provide and the insidious dangers they pose to teens and young adults. "It is a cumulative effect," said Dr. Balaraman. "The younger you start, the more damage you accrue."
 
Dr. Balaraman and her team called hundreds of indoor tanning facilities in Missouri to inquire about teen tanning. Nearly two-thirds of operators would allow children as young as 10 to tan, and in some cases, without parental consent. Close to half indicated that indoor tanning posed no risks and 80 percent claimed that tanning could prevent subsequent sunburns. A number of tanning facilities were inconsistent from one call to the next. "We kind of had the sense that this was happening," exclaimed Dr. Balaraman. "It was scary, because 43 percent said there was zero risk with tanning, which is just blatantly untrue." According to the National Cancer Institute, tanning increases a person's chance of developing melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer that will kill 9,480 people in 2013.
 
While tanning bed manufacturers must warn against the dangers of burning, skin cancer and eye damage from UV exposure, tanning beds currently share the same classification as Band-Aids and tongue depressors. More FDA regulations are needed for underage tanning, say researchers, since state laws are slow to pass and often ineffective. "I think a federal law would be most helpful, because it would just make the process a lot more efficient," said Balaraman.
 
Study co-author Dr. Sophie J. Balk explained that many countries—including Australia, the UK and Portugal—have banned young people from using indoor tanning salons. "Governments around the world have taken action on behalf of our young people," said Balk. "I think that our federal government should do the same."
 
As a healthcare professional, nurse or pediatrician, it’s important to be pro-active and warn pre-teen and teen patients about the real risks posed by tanning salons. 
 
Image courtesy of Wikipedia
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  • Sheryl H
    Sheryl H •
    I was diagnosed with melanoma in July 2012. I tanned at "Tan your hide" for the past 8 years...about twice a week, or less. Luckily, I cought it early...had surgery on my lower left leg. My dermatologist told me that II have to be checked for melanoma every three months for the rest of my life.
  • Ole P
    Ole P •
    Tanning is not a problem.  The real problem is tanning lotions, and all the chemicals in them that you put on you skin and let it boil in.  Skin cancer did not become a problem before all these dermatology "wonder" chemicals came on the market.  This hype is a crazy as "global warming".  Who screamed highest about it?  Those green bullies that made profits from tyhe hyp such as Al Gore and his ilk.  Tanning chemicals fills the pockets of the now billion dollar dermatology industry.  Go out and dance in the sun, be happy, grow strong bones and good health.  Try naked if you dare.  Vitamin D is good for you.
  • SUE J
    SUE J •
    i think people need to think before they try it its very bad for your health they should get information on tanning its very dangerous for or skin
  • Peter B
    Peter B •
    I have been in th sun since I was 10, sports swimming and manged to get a few sun burns along the way (etc.If There's such a big risk(use of fear and ignorance is the new in) I should have seen it by now (I am 69) I have beem tannig gor 15 years and don't have any skin problems and my skin looks great. Of course i use tanning glasses(federal law) and  lotion. Over 90 per cent of the people who pass melanoma have never used a tanning bed. Based on a per cent  of the population, the number of people who passed hasn't changed. Demies use the same type of lamps fount in tanning salons to treat certain skin issues only charge a lot more and if it is charge against a medical plan then in the end we all will pay for it. If the issue is skin cancer, and we are serious about doing something about it, we should cement in all backyard pools ( this is where the real young get too much sun) close down all puplic beaches and pools.
  • Kristen M
    Kristen M •
    Here in Ohio I was told that the law changed and no one under 18 could tan no even with parental consent. We stopped allowing kids under 18 to tan in our salon 4 years ago. However, I did have some that brought in a note from their doctor giving them permission to tan for their acne/eczema conditions.
  • Judy S
    Judy S •
    I believe that this is a very great article with a lot of great information. I  was a teenage indoor tanner and now I am 53 years old.  I am very lucky that I have not had any skin cancers etc. I do believe that people do need to be warned of the dangers as well as just the looks of prematurely aging skin in later years.

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