Introduction
California used to have a law where anyone between the ages of 14 and 17 needed to have their parent’s permission in order to use a tanning bed. Now a new law prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using a tanning bed at all, regardless if they have their parent’s permission or not.
But why would the state government ban tanning beds?
Understanding Tanning
The sun emits two types of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB. UVB is what causes you to get a sunburn, while UVA causes you to tan. The UVA rays penetrate your skin and produce melanin, which is the pigment that produces the brown tan.
Problem With UVA Light
Though UVA light will give you that tanned glow, it can cause two serious problem, cancer and premature wrinkling.
Cancer- When the UVA light penetrates the skin, it goes all the way to the bottom layer of the skin called the dermis, where your blood vessels and nerves are.
When this happens, it damages your immune system preventing your body from fighting off diseases such as skin cancer, called melanoma.
While the instance of cancer for all types is falling, it is rising with melanoma cancer. And the age a person is developing this type of cancer is falling, from the 50s to early 20s and late teen years.
A recent study has shown that ten tanning sessions over a two-week period can seriously affect your immune system, leaving you susceptible to melanoma cancer.
Wrinkles- When the UVA light reaches the dermis, it damages the connective fibers such as collagen and elastin fibers.
Collagen fibers give your skin its strength, while elastin fibers give your skin its elasticity.
When the collagen fibers and elastin fibers breakdown, because of exposure to UVA light, they are breaking down at a faster rate than the normal aging process. This will cause your skin to lose its strength and flexibility resulting in premature wrinkling.
Dermatologist are so concerned with UVA light and its effect on your skin, that they highly recommend you wear a sun-blocker 365 days a year to prevent cancer and premature wrinkles.
Conclusion
California’s new law prevents people under the age of 18 from using tanning beds, is designed to keep young people from developing skin cancer and prevent premature tanning.
If you want a tan, use the beach because the earth’s sun has less UVA light than tanning beds. But the best and safest way to get a tan is to use a liquid tanning solution.
Jimmy C has been studying skin care for many years. Being a victim of acne in his younger days, he has researched this subject to help people prevent and stop acne. He has also studied many aspects of caring for the bodies skin and keeping it youthful and free of irritants. For more information on caring for acne or other facial blemishes and keeping your youthful appearance go to his web sites at skin care or acne.