Although tanning beds have become increasingly popular over the last ten years or so, there is a great deal of danger associated with them. Many people may be aware of the harmful effects of tanning, yet have the classic mentality that it won't happen to them. Other people just can't imagine themselves being old enough to have a disease such as cancer. However, the fact is that everyone gets old, and skin cancer is becoming more and more common among adults as young as 20. While spending a moderate amount of time in the sun is essential to a person's health, extended periods of time spent baking in the sun, especially without the use of sunscreen has many harmful effects. The little amount of time that is spent in a tanning bed has even greater effects on a person because of the high levels of ultra-violent rays.
Spending time in tanning beds contributes to premature aging of the skin, including wrinkles, age-spots and dryness. More seriously they can cause cancer of the skin because the high intensity rays that cause breaks in DNA and mutations in cells. The carcinogenic agents found in tanning bed rays also lower your immune system. There is also an increased risk of sun burn while using tanning beds, which can be painful and increase your risk of skin disease. If you are heart set on having a tan all year round, you should consider using the spray on or gel tanners, which are completely safe and the color can last up to a week. However, you should stay away from the oral ingestion of tanning pills, because they have recently been linked to liver disease.
