Tanning beds are often marketed as a controlled, luxurious way to get color. Before you decide whether they belong in your routine, it helps to know what health agencies actually say about them.
How health agencies classify tanning devices
In 2009, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, placed UV-emitting tanning devices in Group 1, its highest category: carcinogenic to humans. Before that, sunbeds and sunlamps had been classed as probably carcinogenic.
According to IARC, a combined analysis of more than 20 studies found that the risk of skin melanoma rises by 75 percent when use of tanning devices starts before age 30.
What the FDA lists as risks
In the United States, tanning beds and booths are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration as radiation-emitting devices, not as cosmetics. The FDA lists the risks of UV exposure from these products as:
- Skin cancer
- Skin burns
- Premature skin aging
- Eye damage, both short term and long term
The FDA also requires sunlamp products to carry a warning that they should not be used on persons under the age of 18.
The base tan myth
A common reason people give for using a tanning bed is to build a base tan before a vacation. The FDA puts the protection from tanned skin into perspective: the extra melanin in tanned skin provides a sun protection factor of only about 2 to 4, far below the minimum recommended SPF of 15. A base tan is not a substitute for sunscreen, shade or protective clothing.
If you want color without UV
Sunless tanning gives the look of a tan without UV exposure. Professional spray tans and at-home self tanners both rely on DHA, which works on the surface of the skin. They have their own precautions, which we cover in How Spray Tanning Works, but they do not involve ultraviolet radiation.
Questions worth asking yourself
- Do I have a personal or family history of skin cancer?
- Does my skin burn easily? See Understanding Your Skin Type.
- Am I taking any medication that could make my skin more sensitive to light? A pharmacist or doctor can tell you.
- Could a sunless option give me the look I want?
If you have concerns about your skin, a board-certified dermatologist is the right person to ask.