Tanning Reseach Paper

An analysis of the risks and warnings of the use of indoor tanning beds reveals strong evidence that it can be dangerous for your health, and therefore, I believe their use should be restricted, especially for adolescents and young adults. A closer look at this issue exposes a definition of indoor tanning and tanning beds, the age groups of people that are tanning the most, and the reasons young people are tanning so obsessively. Furthermore, I investigated the health risks related to indoor tanning, and the influence of young women's attitudes toward tanning after receiving educational materials about its negative effects.

Indoor tanning involves the use of a sun bed, which is a device you lay down on, lined with bulbs that give off ultraviolet radiation used to give you a cosmetic tan. Sunlight gives off two types of ultraviolet (UV) light: UVA and UVB. UVA has longer wavelengths, go deep into the dermal layer of your skin, and can lead to long-term damage of the skin. UVB rays are shorter wavelengths, affect the outer layers of the skin, and are sometimes called "burning rays." They are considered more dangerous of the two rays. Tanning beds give off 93% to 99% UVA radiation, which is three times the UVA radiation given off by the sun (Carruth). Tanning beds have been around since the late 1970s. However, they did not become popular until the mid 1980s. Friedrich Wolff, a scientist from Germany, first introduced North America to the now, extremely popular, tanning bed. The most popular place to tan is a tanning salon. Usually, the salons will sell packages, which allow their customers to come and tan for a certain number of times. Some salons sell the packages by the number of sessions, while others sell them by the number of minutes (Houston).

The practice of indoor tanning is most popular among young girls. The American Academy of Dermatology reports that 70 percent of indoor tanners are female, between the ages of 16 and 29. However, both men and women, young and old, go to salons every day in pursuit of a "healthy looking glow" (McReynolds).

There are a couple different reasons that people tan. One, being that indoor tanning is addictive for many people. Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure from indoor tanning beds and the sun causes a release of endorphins. Endorphins are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus and are like a "natural pain reliever" or "feel good chemical" produced by the brain. According to a new study in Archives of Dermatology, the same people that are hooked on tanning may also have substance abuse and anxiety problems. In a study at a Northeastern university, of 421 students interviewed, 229 reported they had tanned in indoor salons. Of the 229 students who reported they had tanned, 160 fit into the category for being addicted. The same 160 students that were considered addicted to tanning, also reported alcohol, marijuana, and other substance