It's fairly common knowledge that UV rays from tanning can cause skin cancer. A new study now also shows that exposure to UV light from tanning beds changes brain activity. Like alcohol, tanning can become addictive. Physicians released their findings in the Addiction Biology Journal.
Subjects were tested using regular tanning beds and sham beds with UV ray filters. Subject brain activity was measured in response to UV- filtered and non-filtered tanning beds, with researchers randomly switching filters. Subject brain activity demonstrated reward effects, similar to those of mood-altering drugs and alcohol, in response to the UV lights. Without knowing which was which, subjects also expressed fewer positive feelings and less desire to tan in the non-UV lit beds.
Living on Lake Michigan, tanning addiction comes as no surprise to me. Sun worshipers coat our beaches all summer long. Some spend hours every day, laying in the sun. They frequent tanning salons in winter. There are some who use tanning beds even in summer.
Salons tout tanning beds over direct sunlight, advertising that this method of tanning is safer than exposure to the sun. Mayo Clinic says that tanning beds are no safer than sun tanning. UV rays are UV rays, no matter what the source. In fact, tanning beds actually increase risk of skin cancer because they use UVA rays. UVA rays are directly linked to melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
I have friends that are tanning addicts. One woman has not actually tanned so much as developed a body-covering of freckles. Freckles have long been associated with skin cancer. Tanning makes them prematurely old, with shriveled, dry skin and masks of wrinkles. Time spent in the sun has added 15-20 years to their faces. Even young women and teens look older when they tan. Tanning addicts, barely out of their teens already show facial wrinkles. UV ray addiction explains why they continue to tan, despite the evidence in the mirror that it detracts from their looks.
Addiction explains too, why people, knowing the skin cancer risks, continue to frequent tanning salons. In fact, doctors say that some patients will have melanomas cut out and go right back to tanning. This behavior mimics the smoker who continues to smoke after bouts of emphysema or having a stoma placed in his throat.
Will these new addiction warnings reduce the amount of time spent in tanning beds? It's not likely. If the threat of skin cancer doesn't prevent tanning, neither will fear of addiction. In fact, that's the nature of addiction: misuse and abuse the addictive substance.
Parents have the best chance to prevent tanning problems, by disallowing and refusing to pay for tanning salon visits. Parents should limit their children's exposure to sunlight, especially in the afternoon when sun rays are the strongest. Educating children about sun dangers helps. So does setting a good example of moderation with regard to sun exposure.
Marilisa Kinney Sachteleben writes from 22 years parenting four children, 25 years teaching and decades in health research.
craigs the beach hawaii peyton manning v for vendetta bear grylls fedor emelianenko
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.