UK Doctors Advise Against Tanning Beds
Excerpt by Richard Woodman, Reuters Health

People should stop using sun beds because of the dangers of ultra-violet radiation, the British Medical Association (BMA) said on Friday.

The "Sunbeds" report, from the BMA's Board of Science and Education, calls on the Government to regulate sunbed use in light of research showing that some people are having more than 100 such tanning sessions a year.

"We really need a public health campaign to educate people about the dangers of sunbeds and also myths about tanning," the BMA's head of science, Vivienne Nathanson, said in a statement.

She added: "It's ironic, people use sunbeds because they think they'll look better and yet they will probably end up looking old prematurely and possibly getting skin cancer."

The report said the risk of skin cancer appears to be greatest for the young, with the chances of developing a tumor increasing by up to 20 percent per decade of sunbed use before the age of 56.

Other health risks included premature aging of the skin and damage to the cornea, as people often did not wear protective goggles. There is also increasing evidence that sunbeds have an immune-suppressing effect.

The BMA noted that ultra-violet radiation is sometimes used to treat psoriasis and eczema.

"However, in these circumstances a dermatologist records every dose after each treatment and a lifetime total is recorded as a safety measure. This careful dosing does not happen with tanning salons or when people have sunbeds in their home."

Reference Source 89

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