Skin Cancer in the Tanning Industry

There is overwhelming and convincing evidence that ultraviolet radiation may lead to skin cancer. However, ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices remained popular in parlors and homes. Tanning salons is a big business with estimates numbering to 28 million Americans tanning indoors at about 25,000 tanning salons nationwide.

The concept of indoor tanning began to become attractive. Tanning was seen as socially desirable beginning in the 1920s when French designer Coco Chanel saw it as a fashion look. Early indoor tanning devices were plagued by safety problems because they emitted UVC and UVB regarded as the most damaging areas of the ultraviolet spectrum. Medical devices emitting UVA rapidly developed and immediately used for indoor tanning in the 1970s. The effects of UVA on human biology were less evident than those of UVB or UVC. These devices were believed to offer a “safe” tan.

Eventually, it became noticeable that exposure to UVA can cause similar problems as UVB, like sunburns, wrinkles (photoaging), and skin cancer. These devices proved ineffective at inducing a tan. Later on, the And so, the impression that UVA tan is “safe,”, which was highly advertised by the indoor tanning business, has disappeared. The disappearance of the idea did not die down because of scientific reasons but rather out of the market’s desire for darker and faster tanning which could not be induced by UVA. Developing indoor tanning devices using UVA and UVB was the next step.

The fact that skin cancer is caused by ultraviolet radiation provided that it produces an actual burn was admitted even by the indoor tanning industry. Industry spokespersons, however, pointed out that the pattern of sun exposure causes cancer of the skin, particularly melanoma and basal cell carcinoma, is inconsistent with indoor tanning practices. For a given amount of UV light, there is a disagreement on the difference between getting the energy in many small doses that causes tan against giving few big doses that produce a burn.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC): Studies in the epidemiology of humans does not give enough information regarding patterns of exposure. Patients were required to recall sun exposure habits from 40 years ago. With this in mind, the relationship between cumulative sun exposure and the development of squamous cell carcinoma seems likely. The greater exposure, the more prone to SCC even when exposure to the sun happens on a chronic low-dose basis as that of a regular tanner.

Melanoma: A somewhat different pattern is being followed by this form of cancer. Human epidemiology studies have concluded that melanoma is likely to develop with intense intermittent exposure to the sun leading to sunburn.

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC): It was revealed that basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma follow a similar pattern.

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Skin Cancer in the Tanning Industry