Effects on health Produced by Indoor and Outdoor Sunbathing

Added: 12/28/2005

Some people think that when they go to a beach or a salon and lie on a sun-bed all they are getting is a sun tan. But that's just not true. There's more to sunbathing than just a sun tan. In fact, there is more to a sun tan than just the darkening of your skin. Staying in the sun for long periods of time produces effects on health, some good and some bad. The important thing is that you know what is happening to you while your outdoors or in and under the sun.

First of all, the good news. Contrary to the popular belief, indoor tanning has some positive effects on health. The vitamin D production surely belongs here. The recent studies have shown that the people who get sun-bed tanning at least once a week have reported the increased levels of vitamin D. This vitamin is responsible for helping your immune system fight off such diseases as cancer, osteoporosis, diabetes and hypertension. There was a study conducted involving the people with regular sun bed history being opposed to those without one in order to determine the effects on health the ultraviolet rays might have.

And here are the results - people who used indoor tanning devices happened to have 90 per cent more vitamin D than those who didn't use them. People usually get their vitamin D out of their regular diet or food supplements that go with it, but an average person does not get enough of the vitamin. At the same time the subjects' bone mineral density was measured and the findings are so that the tanners' levels of this are much higher, which is really good for the skeleton.

If you decide to increase your body's vitamin D producing by getting an indoor sun tan, ask around the salons for sun beds that emit UVB rays, because a claim has been made that UVA rays have nothing to do with vitamin D producing, whereas a lot of sun beds and booth use only the alpha rays.

On the other hand, there is an opinion that sun-beds do have strong negative effects on health including increasing the risk of melanoma cancer and other skin diseases. Sun emanates two types of rays that reach the surface of the Earth - UVA and UVB. UVB rays are the ones doing all the visible damage to the skin - they are the cause for sunburns, reddening of the skin and blisters. While UVA rays might appear harmless, they do even more damage, penetrating deep into the skin and affecting the lower layers of skin. They are known to be the reason for skin cancer.

Also sun-beds have negative effects on health for pregnant women. A skin disorder melasma that can happen to a tanning mother-to-be leaves brownish spots scattered all over her face. In most cases melasma goes away after delivery, but in some of them the effects can remain permanent. In fact, doctors advise to go without a tan at all during pregnancy, because the harmful effects on health can't be compensated even by sun bed-motivated vitamin D producing. The indoor tanning beds are also claimed to have such effects on health as the drying out of the skin, premature wrinkles and aging.

In any case, keep in mind that ultraviolet rays have both positive and negative effects on health. No skin exposure to sun goes without results, so be conscious about the fact and use common sense which in the sun bathing world is represented by sunscreen and moderation regarding everything from time of exposure to intensity of the rays.

Your medical history is also a vital aspect of your decisions made about indoor or outdoor sun exposure. Ask your doctor before doing anything - the positive payoff will not fail to come soon.

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