Are Some Skin Types Less Prone To Tanning

Dangers?

Admittedly, some skins seem less vulnerable that they can tolerate more minutes under the onslaught of UV radiation. But some skins are so delicate that a few minutes of exposure is considered harmful already. Which type of skin do you have? Is your skin sensitive or practically invincible? The hard truth is that no skin is impregnable to ultraviolet radiation.

The skin of young people seems resilient and shows none of the harmful effects associated with tanning beds. This is because skin aging and skin cancers are delayed effects that become visible only after years of exposure. Another reason is that the damage wrought by overexposure to UV radiation is not immediately and obviously seen, especially among young people.

When a teenager (perhaps a sixteen-year-old) opts to tan herself, the UV radiation begins to inflict damage on her skin the moment she lies down on the tanning bed. If she tans regularly, about 80% of her skin is already damaged before she turns eighteen. As she reaches her middle age, her skin is leathered, dry, and wrinkled. She looks far beyond her time. And then, skin cancer develops.

People with darker skins appear to be more youthful and less prone to sunburns and blisters. This is because a person with dark skin simply has more melanin pigments in the epidermis. Melanin pigments are produced by the skin to protect itself from sunlight.

Thus, a person with more melanin pigments has some measure of protection than a person with less melanin pigments. But, the protection is not entirely intensive. Overexposure to sunlight or sun lamps can still wrought damage on people with dark skins. The damage just takes a little bit longer to become apparent and visible. People with dark skins can still suffer from skin cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise consumers to refrain from using tanning beds, tanning booths, and sun lamps. This is because no one can deny the fact that tanning may result to red blistered skins or excruciatingly painful sunburns.

Users of tanning beds and tanning booths should be mindful of the amount of time they expose their bodies to tanning bulbs and sun lamps. They should not take a look at the color of the skin and decide “just a little bit more”.

They should remember that tanning is not instantaneous and the tan a person eventually gets will appear after about 48 hours. Besides, the color of one’s skin is not really the major factor in determining whether you are beautiful, handsome, or otherwise. Tanning the skin is merely a fashion activity – a dangerous one.

Home Tanning Beds

Are Some Skin Types Less Prone To Tanning Dangers?

Are Some Skin Types Less Prone To Tanning

Dangers?