Although very controversial, tanning beds are more popular than ever. Adults and teens alike keep returning to a tanning bed over and over again to produce a darker skin tone in order to look more attractive and healthy.

Tanning beds generate the most business during the gray, cold months of the year when sun exposure is limited and not very practical. The draw of tanning beds has always included the promise of healthy, golden skin tones during the winter months, but new studies show that the benefits of UV exposure may be more than skin deep. Maintaining a tan may be the conscious reason people return to a tanning bed, but research shows that a stronger, less obvious reason that might keep individuals returning to bronze their skin. People who tan may not be aware of it, but they are more likely to feel better during the dismal months of the year due to their exposure to ultraviolet light.

While a tanning bed can improve a person’s self-image and confidence due to the bronzing effects on their skin, the emotional benefits of tanning are thought to contribute to an overall improved mood and outlook of tanners. The urge to continue with tanning may not lie in an individual’s physical appearance, but in the rewarding impact that exposure to UV light is thought to have on a person’s emotional state. Clinical studies show that over 90% of subjects who were exposed to two different tanning facilities where only one featured UV lights chose to return to the facility with the UV lights. The reason behind the choice was said to be the tranquil feeling the subjects experienced after tanning under the UV lights.

Tanning is basically a process in which skin pigmentation darkens as a result of exposure to ultraviolet light. The skin becomes darker when a person uses a tanning bed because the pigment known as melanin is increased in the skin. The body produces melanin in an effort to protect the skin from absorbing dangerous solar radiation. Using a tanning bed can produce this healthy pigment in the skin and it can be done in a healthy way. When using a tanning bed, a person can still get a tan when protecting their skin with sunscreen and limited the amount of exposure the skin has to the tanning bed bulbs.

Although there are some risks involved when using a tanning bed, some dermatologists actually recommend that their patients use a tanning bed to help relieve skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and acne. Other benefits from using a tanning bed can include an increase in calcium deposits in the bones, an increased production of vitamin D and controlled conditions in a tanning be prevent burning, which is where much of the potential danger in any kind of tanning lies.

While using a tanning bed is suspected to cause skin problems, it is difficult to isolate a tanning bed as the reason for any problem. While there are both critics of tanning beds and those who support the use of a tanning bed, tanning is ultimately a personal decision. Whether a person is considering visiting a tanning bed after a recommendation from their dermatologist or because they simply want a healthier glow, tanning can be relatively safe with the proper precautions and limited time under the bulbs.
 

Article by Jen Rey | This site is for sale. Please email offer to jenrey@jenrey.com

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