Outdoor sun safety tips
Avoid excessive sun exposure, particularly between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun’s rays are at their strongest.
Use sunscreen safely and effectively. Apply sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15. Apply enough sunscreen with each application. Reapply sunscreen every two hours while outdoors, especially if you are swimming.
Wear a hat to cover your head and appropriate eye wear that protects against UV rays.
Recent findings about tanning released by the Centers for Disease Control and headlines about a mother accused of taking her young daughter to a tanning booth have put the dangers of indoor tanning in the national spotlight.
The CDC last week released findings that showed indoor tanning is “not uncommon” for adults in the United States. The report indicated that indoor tanning was most common among women, whites and young adults. The highest rates of indoor tanning were among white women ages 18 to 25. More than half of white women who reported indoor tanning said they tanned indoors 10 or more times in the previous year.
According to the CDC, melanoma incidence rates are increasing and are higher among young white women than among young white men, which may be due in part to their increased rates of indoor tanning. The CDC said indoor tanning before age 35 increases the risk for melanoma by 75 percent.
Despite health risks, there are still almost 22,000 tanning salons in the United States, serving an estimated 28 million customers, according to IBISWorld, an industry research firm.
Indoor tanning among minors has raised recent legal concerns, too.
A New Jersey mother is accused of causing skin burns to her young daughter by taking her into a tanning booth.
Patricia Krentcil has pleaded not guilty to a second-degree child endangerment charge. She told The Associated Press her daughter, who was 5 at the time of the alleged incident in mid-April and has since turned 6, got sunburned by being outside on an unseasonably warm day.
This case and the CDC’s recent findings have given health advocates a new reason to speak out against the dangers of indoor tanning. Here is what they want you to know:
Short-term and long-term effects
Tanning beds deliver UVA and UVB rays to any exposed skin and mucous membranes, including the eyes, according to Dr. Kara Shah, the medical director for the Division of Pediatric Dermatology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, who has a special interest in moles, melanoma and sun safety for children.
Some tanning beds produce UV radiation that is 10 to 15 times more intense than UV radiation produced by the sun between its strongest hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., said Dr. Melissa King, pediatrician and “Dr. Mom” blogger at Dayton Children’s Medical Center.
UVA rays contribute to chronic skin damage, and UVB rays may lead to immediate sun burns; both types of rays contribute to the development of skin cancer, Shah said.
“There’s no safe exposure in a tanning bed or tanning salon,” she said.
In addition, using tanning beds may lead to damage to the eyes, including cataracts and blindness, premature wrinkles and age spots, King said.
“Unfortunately, we’re in a time when rates of skin cancer, including melanoma, are on the rise,” she said. “And we know there’s no such thing as a healthy tan.”
State regulations
According to Ohio law as of May 2012, if a patron is under 18 years old, an operator of a tanning facility must receive the written consent from the parent or legal guardian of the patron before a tanning session.
The written consent must be signed at the licensed location, and must indicate the number of sessions consented to, which will become part of the patron’s record. The minor patron is then allowed to sign the patron card on his or her own for the remainder of the consented sessions.
Legislation has been introduced in Ohio that would prohibit minors under 18 years old from using a tanning bed, unless prescribed by a physician.
Shah and King said they support this legislation.
Children do not understand the long-term ramifications of using a tanning bed, according to Shah. The habits children develop when they are young are likely to continue as they grow older, she said.
King said health dangers from sun exposure are cumulative in nature.
“It’s a lifelong risk,” she said of sun exposure. “So there’s a need to limit exposure at all stages, but starting at an early age. ... It adds up.”
Parents’ tanning habits may have a significant effect on children’s behavior, too.
In fact, a recent study indicated that children of women who tan indoors are more likely to be indoor tanners, too, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. The study showed that young women whose first indoor UV tanning experience is with their mothers are more than 4.6 times more likely to become heavy tanners, the foundation said.
Tanning salon perspectives
Lisa Ferguson, owner of Baja Tan Co., located at 4111 Hamilton Middletown Road in Fairfield Twp., said her salon follows Ohio law’s tanning restrictions for minors. She said about 40 percent of her clients are minors under the age of 18 years old who have obtained parental consent to use a tanning bed.
“It’s important that the parent makes that decision for the child,” she said of using tanning booths.
Ferguson said she believes state law should allow patrons ages 16 and older to make that decision on their own. If teens want to tan, going to a tanning salon, a controlled environment, is better than tanning outside in the sun, she said.
According to Ferguson, patrons at her salon must follow proper safety procedures. For example, she limits the amount of time a customer who is new to the salon or who does not have a base tan is allowed to spend in a tanning bed.
“I’m very cautious about that, and I’ve trained my girls,” she said. “It’s important to me that my customers don’t burn.”
Ann Albert, owner of Panache Style & Tan, located at 115 S. Burnett Road in Springfield, said her store offered tanning for 22 years, but discontinued it about two years ago, mainly due to the “hassles” that come along with following strict state regulations.
“It’s really not good for anyone,” Albert said of using tanning beds. “People abuse it. I’ve told people that tanned every day, ‘You’re ruining your skin if you tan every day.’ I’ve lost customers like that.”
Albert said when she did offer tanning to minors, they always had to have their parent’s consent first. Her business also displayed a sign making the state law clear.
“A child’s skin is so delicate,” she said. “Why would you want to put them in a tanning bed? That’s abuse.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2122 or Jacqueline.Boyle@coxinc.com.
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