I just got back from a week in Los Cabos, Mexico with a healthy glow. Truthfully, I still feel as pale as an unpainted Easter egg, but it's extremely difficult to lay out in the roasting Mexican sun all day long when you've got your mother's voice constantly in your head telling you to take cover under the nearest umbrella! Growing up with the Sunscreen Nazi, I've always reapplied every 2 hours and after swimming without question. But now that I am what passes for a grown-up these days, I decided to do a little research on the topic and see for myself what all the fuss is about with SPFs and tanning beds.
Ultraviolet Radiation: Sunburned vs Un-Burned
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation the most dangerous forms of sunlight are invisible waves of ultraviolet radiation classified as longwave UVA and shortwave UVB rays. We all know this. The terms UVA and UVB have been shoved down our throats since childhood. But that's all they are to us – just terms for invisible carcinogenic soldiers going to battle on our skin. How do these rays really affect us?
UVA accounts for approximately 95% of the sunlight that hits your skin and penetrates deeper than UVB. While UVB rays make up only 5% of the light that reaches you and doesn't penetrate as deeply, it is an important factor in the cause of sun burn and skin cancer. UVA is primarily responsible for tanning, but it also causes premature aging, wrinkles, blemishes, and other forms of skin damage. Here's the kicker, most sunscreens only protect you from UVB rays.
The Facts About Sunscreen: Please, Steal My Sunshine!
SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, measures the ability of a sunscreen's protection against UVB rays, so "if it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer — about five hours." But the math is not congruent. This doesn't mean that you can apply SPF 15 and be safe in the sun for 5 hours, because "no sunscreen, regardless of strength, should be expected to stay effective longer than two hours without reapplication."
In addition, SPF 30 does not provide twice as much protection as SPF 15. On the contrary, looking at percentages, there's not much of a difference between the two. SPF 15 blocks approximately 93% of all UVB rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 50 blocks 98%. To top it all off, sunscreens that claim to be water-proof or water-resistant can be very misleading. If you've got your calculators out already, don't forget to factor in that water-resistant sunscreens will wash off after about 40 to 80 minutes. When choosing a sunscreen, SPF 15 or 30 that is Broad Spectrum, meaning it protects from both UVA and UVB rays, is sufficient protection from the sun. Just make sure that you reapply every 2 hours, or about every hour when swimming, with a generous layer over your entire epidermis.
The Truth About Tanning Beds: Stick a Fork in Me - I'm Well Past Done!
I have to admit that I have been seduced by the idea of the tanning bed. All you have to do is lie down in a bright room for a few minutes and walk out with gorgeous tan skin... sign me up! It's like magic. If 28 million Americans are tanning in beds and booths every year, there must be no harm in it. But like any other seemingly easy fix - it comes at a high price, and not just from your bank account.
Dr. Felix Müller invented the first tanning unit with UV lamps for the public consumer in 1956. Fifty-five years later, tanning beds and stand-up booths are made up of high pressure bulbs that hold a higher ratio of UVA light than that of the atmosphere. The UVA and UVB lamps used in tanning beds are 2-3 times stronger than then sun because of the pressure levels and proximity to your body. Call me crazy, but I'd think twice before entering any device that claims to be stronger than the sun, itself.
Low pressure beds and booths are also an option, and are recommended for beginners because of their low pressure release of only UVB rays. I find this recommendation completely ridiculous considering that UVB rays are the most harmful to your skin, because of their deep penetration, and are the leading cause of skin cancer. It has been proven that indoor tanning increases your risk of developing melanoma by 74%. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, "melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, killing approximately 8,650 Americans in 2009."
Even the kids on the Jersey shore have come to realize the life-threatening effects of indoor tanning. On an episode of Extra, Dr. Deborah Sarnoff, the Vice President of the Skin Cancer Foundation, did a Life Changing Intervention with the cast of Jersey Shore to enlighten them about the dangers of the "T" in their daily GTL. Pauly D even admitted that he was going to put his tanning bed up on craigslist. Whatever happened to the age of the parasol and the over-sized hat? Let's forget the Jersey Shore trend and return to the Twilight trend. Vampires are sexy, therefore being pale is sexy!
Tan in a Can: Orange You Glad You're Not Burning?
Sun in moderation is good for you, when you take the proper precautions. Everybody needs a little Vitamin D. But what are your options if it's winter and you want to steer clear of the sunshine coffins? There is always the fake bake minus the oven. Spray tans have become increasingly popular because they offer a healthy alternative to tanning booths. The spray tan might be cancer free, but it is not chemical free.
Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is the colorless ingredient in spray tans that is derived from sugar cane. DHA reacts with dead skin cells on the surface to stain skin a darker color. This chemical has not been officially deemed safe by the FDA, due to the rare and unintentional internal exposure to eyes and lips, and possible inhalation. Lotions containing DHA have been FDA approved for external application to darken skin, and they come with the bonus of not causing skin damage or cancer. As your body constantly sloughs off its top layer of dead skin cells, the color of the spray tan or lotion slowly fades.
Spray tans are great for a special event like a wedding. But there is always the possibility of turning orange, so take into consideration your natural skin tone and proper exfoliation before getting a spray tan, and avoid streaks by not sweating, showering, or swimming directly after. You want to look like Cinderella at the ball - not the giant pumpkin carriage.
Sources:
"The Case Against Indoor Tanning." The Skin Cancer Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
"Dr. Muller." 2008. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.
"Electronic Code of Federal Regulations." GPO Home Page. 17 Mar. 2011. Web 21 Mar. 2011.
"How Does Indoor Tanning Work?" Tanning Truth. 2011. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.
"Indoor Tanning Increases Melanoma Risk by 74 Percent." The Skin Cancer Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
"Shining Light on Ultraviolet Radiation" The Skin Cancer Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
"Sunless Tanners and Bronzers." U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. 23 Oct. 2006. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
"Sunless Tanning: A safe alternative to sunbathing." Mayo Clinic. 27 Feb. 2010. Web 21 Mar. 2011.
"Sunscreen Video" The Skin Cancer Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
"Sunscreens Explained." The Skin Cancer Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
"Tanning Intervention With the Cast of "Jersey Shore"! " The Skin Cancer Foundation. Web. 20 Mar. 2011.
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