Who would have ever thought that indoor tanning would accrue such an incessant barrage of scrutiny. Pick up a newspaper and there’s some politician trying to make a scapegoat out of tanning beds because they emit harmful UV light. The irony is, these same politicians are directly responsible for the depletion of the UV filtering ozone layer by allowing harmful pollutant factories to operate. The hypocrisy is dumbfounding, and the fact is indoor tanning extends beyond just tanning beds. Indoor tanning can offer tan lovers safe alternatives to suntanning and UV radiation exposure. Unfortunately you won’t read about these safer alternatives because goods news rarely makes the headlines.
A Dark Indoor Tan
What’s Safer Indoor Tanning Or Suntanning?
The question should be which UV light is safer, the one emitted by the sun or the UV light emitted by tanning bed lamps in tanning salons. The answer is they are both harmful to the skin and both can cause skin damage. Would it be wise for a person to suntan on the beach all day for an entire week? Would it be wiser if another person visits a tanning salon daily for an entire week also? Everything that we know isn’t good for us requires moderation, whether it’s coffee, or tanning indoors or outdoors. This is common sense that is all too often dismissed and as a result we arise at heated debates and finger pointing.
Yes it’s true that some tanning equipment is more UV potent than others. This is where regulation might be justified. Most standard UV lamps are perfectly fine especially if you use a good hydrating tanning lotion before commencing a tanning session. It’s about moderation, consistently deviating from moderate UV light exposure will put anyone at risk, indoors or outdoors.
The Alternatives That Indoor Tanning Provides Tanning Worshipers
Indoor tanning can afford a person something that sunlight can’t and never will – 100% UV free tan. I guess the critics missed that one, but thankfully constructive discourse on tanning exists. The makers of indoor tanning products having been sitting idling the past several years. There are countless sunless products that come in creams, lotions, sprays, gels and other textures, all of which provide a sunless UV-free tan. Certain tanning lotions also contain bronzers, tingle and accelerators. These ingredients can help a person build a base tan quicker, meaning less time on a tanning bed and less time exposing your skin to UV light.
There will always be safer alternatives as long as a person follows reason. Using scare tactics isn’t constructive at all and critics were sincere they would address the dilemma in its entirety. Address the depleting ozone layer, address the production of tanning lamps that use ridiculously high percentages of UV power. Also address the recent phenomenon of over tanning teenagers, ask their favorite perfectly tanned Hollywood stars and role models to be more responsible. The issue is not with indoor tanning, it is an issue with society in general. We are led to believe that tanned is beautiful and darker tanned is gorgeous.
As adults it is our free choice to tan as we please and indoor tanning is often the only viable option to do so especially in areas that are deficient in natural sunlight. There are many ways that indoor tanning can improve and should improve. Demonizing indoor tanning isn’t the answer and the faster critics accept this reality the better it is for all tan worshipers.