Benefits of Tanning Bed and some Facts About Tanning Beds
Tanning bed benefits: Preventing Vitamin D Deficiency
The best benefit of using a tanning bed is that it helps your body produce vitamin D. Here’s why: when you’re in the sun, UVB rays from the sun trigger chemical reactions that help your body create vitamin D.
Because the light from a tanning machine is very much like sunlight, your body can also make vitamin D when you’re in a tanning bed. Vitamin D is one of the reasons that people get into a tanning bed. It’s a nutrient that helps the body fight off diseases and boosts energy levels. Some research has suggested, however, that getting too much sunlight might actually be harmful. Read on to find out why!
Tan Your Skin:
The second best benefit of tanning beds is that they can give you a healthy glow without exposing yourself to the sun’s harsh rays. Letting the sun bake your skin, or going to a beach where saltwater can burn you too, might seem like fun, but over time it can lead to skin cancer.
When you use a tanning bed or are in the sun, your skin builds up resistance so that when you go outside again, your body is less sensitive to the sun’s rays. On sunny days, people who get lots of vitamin D from their diet tend not to feel the harmful effects of the sun as much, which is why many people who work inside a tanning bed all day long still have healthy skin.
Natural Pain Relief:
One reason that athletes use tanning beds, in particular, is because UV light can help ease pain after sports injuries. Many doctors will recommend going into a tanning booth to help muscles recover after strenuous activity. Some knee surgeries might be scheduled for before noon, for example, so the patient can reap the benefits of a tanning bed right after waking up.
Cancer Prevention:
While getting your vitamin D is important, too much exposure to the sun’s harmful UV rays could lead to skin cancer.
Some scientists believe that using a tanning bed is just as bad for you as lying out in the sun. Your skin can become damaged, burned, and then start to peel off which could lead to something called “sunspots.” Over time, these spots breed cancer cells.
Others argue that when you use a tanning bed, you’re taking the UV rays that you’d normally get from being in the sun, and concentrating them into a much shorter amount of time. So while you might be exposed to fewer harmful rays, these rays are much stronger – so strong, in fact, that your vitamin D levels may spike dangerously high.
Despite the controversy over whether or not tanning beds are safe, most doctors agree that tanning beds do have benefits. Using a tanning bed is definitely better than baking in the sun, and many believe it’s much safer than going to a beach where you can get burned by saltwater or slimed by jellyfish!
Acne Treatment:
Yes, a tanning bed is a great way to fight acne. A tanning bed can help dry out your skin and kill off bacteria that can cause acne.
Some people with oily skin think that’s the end of it – if you’re not getting breakouts from using a tanning bed, then there must be something wrong with it! In reality, it’s just the opposite. The heat from the bed causes your pores to open up. This means they can breathe and get rid of all of that excess oil that can clog them in the first place!
Prevents Aging:
If you really want to fight off wrinkles, sagging skin, dark spots, and other signs of aging, a tanning bed is a way to go.
By exposing yourself (just your face) to ultraviolet light for two or three just minutes about five days a week, you can stimulate collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. More collagen means fewer visible signs of aging!
Healthy Weight Loss:
If you’re looking to lose some weight, a tanning bed is one of the best investments you can make.
UV light helps your body produce serotonin, which makes you happier and less likely to binge eat. In addition, exposing yourself to UV rays will help speed up your metabolism so that your body converts stored fat into energy and you lose weight more easily.
Relaxation:
Finally, if you can’t sleep or need to relax, a tanning bed is one of the best ways to help yourself feel calm.
The warm lights give off LED rays which stimulate your brain so that it releases melatonin – a natural hormone associated with relaxation. After using a tanning bed, you’ll feel more relaxed and will be able to fall asleep more easily.
Benefits of UV tanning:
production of Vitamin D, which has been shown to inhibit up to 70% of cancer cells. This is found naturally in only a few foods such as oily fish and eggs.
increased sex drive (we’ll let you research that one)- Our friends over at The Sunbed Association sets the record straight about UV tanning and sex drive. Sunbeds don’t increase libido. They actually decrease the body’s ability to produce estrogen, which can cause a drop in libido as well as memory loss and osteoporosis.
Tanning bed vs sun:
UV rays are stronger than sunbed UV rays. Sunbeds only emits 3% of the ultraviolet radiation that is emitted by the sun, whereas tanning outside can cause up to 80% of your maximum daily dose in just 15 minutes!
Tanning bed vs commercial spray tans:
When you lay under a spray tan machine, you are getting dosed with the same amount of DHA as if you were laying outside.
commercial spray tans are dosed at 10%, where tanning bed radiation is around 2% – 5%
the best protection against skin cancer is to not expose your skin to UV rays, however, there are many commercial sunscreens that protect against Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B rays. There are no commercial sunscreens that protect against UV rays emitted from a tanning bed
UV radiation is the main cause of skin cancer. The more you’re exposed to, the greater chance of skin damage and skin cancer – Tanned skin is damaged skin!
UV Rays Emitted From Tanning Beds:
Ultraviolet A: causes premature aging and wrinkling of the skin. Tanning beds emit up to 95% UVA rays, which can penetrate deep into your skin and cause DNA damage in the cells. This induces free radicals in the body, causing tumor development and cancerous growths.
Ultraviolet B: emitted by the sun. Tanning bed UVB rays are responsible for burning your skin, and it’s also the main ray that causes you to tan.
There is no safe way to bronze your body. Either avoid exposure completely or be smart about it! We all want a summer glow, so here are some tips for getting that healthy sun-kissed look without the harmful side effects.
Wear sunscreen! We recommend an SPF of a minimum of 40 with 10% zinc oxide for your face, neck, and body (you’ll thank us later)
Limit the amount of time you’re spending in direct sunlight, or seek shade if possible to prevent over-exposure. This is especially true during the warmer months of the year when your skin is most sensitive.
Get a spray tan! We offer organic, airbrush spray tans that are currently offered in over 200 salons nationwide. Remember to read our How to Apply Airbrush Spray Tan post for more information on the do and don’ts of getting an airbrush tan.
Good facts about tanning beds:
if you used a tanning bed as a teenager, your risk of developing melanoma is reduced by 78%
a study found that those who do not use sunbeds have a 2.7 times greater chance of contracting malignant melanoma than those who do
Ultraviolet A rays from the sun and UV radiation from commercial spray tans do not cause the same DNA damage that UVA rays from tanning beds do.
With all of these facts at hand, it’s clear to see that commercial spray tans are a safer alternative to UV tanning beds. If you’re looking for a natural sun-kissed glow without harmful side effects, then an organic airbrush spray tan is your best option. We all want to look and feel our best, so here at Air-Tan LA we’re dedicated to providing you with a safe and healthy tanning experience.