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Teens Unaffected by ‘Healthy Tan’ Debate
May 14, 2008 09:41 AM
Faced with the risks—and the benefits—of UV exposure, teens largely ignore both messages. They’re motivated by the notion that a dark tan is attractive.
30-Second Summary
The Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) recently launched a campaign targeting teens and young women that advocates the health benefits of sun exposure while denying the risks of skin cancer. Skin and cancer experts have responded with hard facts on the risks of UV exposure, sparking a “healthy tan” debate. Teens, meanwhile, have largely ignored both schools of thought, and continue to visit tanning salons because they believe a tan looks good.
Capitalizing on recent studies that show a vitamin D deficiency in many people, the ITA focuses on the ability of UV light to help the body manufacture vitamin D and suggests that indoor tanning is a safe and effective way to get the necessary amount of UV exposure.
However, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) points out that UV radiation is the biggest contributing factor to the development of skin cancer, and UV levels in tanning salons can be up to 15 times greater than that of the sun.
Despite the well-documented risks, 2.3 million teens visit tanning salons each year, often saying that it makes them feel more attractive and healthy to have a tan. According to Dr. Russell Brenneman, a dermatologist, part of the problem with changing teens’ attitudes about tanning is that it may take years before the sun damage is apparent. Perhaps the biggest challenge, though, is changing how society perceives tanning. When the fashion industry decides that tanning is no longer attractive, teens are likely to follow suit.
Capitalizing on recent studies that show a vitamin D deficiency in many people, the ITA focuses on the ability of UV light to help the body manufacture vitamin D and suggests that indoor tanning is a safe and effective way to get the necessary amount of UV exposure.
However, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) points out that UV radiation is the biggest contributing factor to the development of skin cancer, and UV levels in tanning salons can be up to 15 times greater than that of the sun.
Despite the well-documented risks, 2.3 million teens visit tanning salons each year, often saying that it makes them feel more attractive and healthy to have a tan. According to Dr. Russell Brenneman, a dermatologist, part of the problem with changing teens’ attitudes about tanning is that it may take years before the sun damage is apparent. Perhaps the biggest challenge, though, is changing how society perceives tanning. When the fashion industry decides that tanning is no longer attractive, teens are likely to follow suit.
Headline Link: Medical factors not a motivator for teens
A recent campaign launched by the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) promotes sun exposure as a healthy way to acquire vitamin D and prevent cancer. Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy medical director of the American Cancer Society, says that ignoring the skin cancer risk posed by UV rays is “like recommending smoking to reduce stress.” Still, teens and young women seem largely unaffected by the “healthy tan” debate and continue to tan. “I know it’s bad,” one high school senior told Newsweek, but she visits a tanning salon several times a week because she believes it makes her “look really attractive.”
Source: Newsweek
Background: The pros and cons of UV light
The Indoor Tanning Association represents the $5-billion-a-year tanning industry. The ITA Web site promotes the “positive effects of UV light,” citing scientific research that points to “an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency” and states that “exposure to sunlight is the only way to help the body manufacture the vitamin D it needs.” The site asserts that indoor tanning is more responsible than outdoor tanning as it “minimizes the risk of overexposure to UV light because tanning devices in the United States are regulated by the FDA.”
Source: Indoor Tanning Association
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), UV radiation is the biggest culprit in the development of skin cancer, and UV levels in tanning salons can be up to 15 times greater than that of the sun. Melanoma, the most lethal of skin cancers, is the second most common cancer in women ages 20–29. To treat this epidemic, the AAD advocates for appropriate state or local regulation of indoor tanning facilities.
Source: American Academy of Dermatology
Opinion & Analysis: Changing perceptions of tanned skin
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, part of the World Health Organization, men and women who use tanning beds have a 15 percent higher risk of developing melanoma. Despite the well-documented risks, however, the Skin Cancer Foundation says that almost 2.3 million teenagers in the U.S. visit tanning salons each year. In response, the Foundation has launched a “Go With Your Own Glow” campaign to encourage teens to feel attractive with their natural skin color. Dr. Russell Brenneman, a dermatologist, points out that part of the problem with deterring teens from tanning is that it may take many years before the full extent of sun damage to their skin is apparent.
Source: The Muskogee Phoenix
The Sudbury Star, a newspaper in Ontario, Canada, asked “Charlotte,” a 15-year-old, why she likes to visit her local tanning salon three times a week. “I love that I look so much healthier,” she said. Dr. Lyne Giroux, a dermatologist in Sudbury, points out that “200 years ago, society viewed a tan as being indicative of hailing from a lower-class family.” Today, however, having a dark tan is associated with health and beauty. “It won’t turn around until the fashion industry (changes)—until white is out there,” says Giroux.
Source: The Sudbury Star
Related Topic: Growth of plastic surgery among teens
In March 2008, a Florida teenager died after undergoing breast surgery. Her death brought new attention to the steady growth of plastic surgery among young women, and a new focus on the risks associated with any surgical procedure.
Source: findingDulcinea
Reference: A guide to skin care
There’s more to skin care than washing your face and applying sunscreen. FindingDulcinea’s Skin Care Web Guide can help you learn how to identify sun damage to your skin and protect yourself from it in many ways.
Source: findingDulcinea
© 2009 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
