Beauty is really skin deep! How else does one explain the craze among the dark-skinned people to become fair and the craze among the fair-skinned ones to become dark? While cosmetic enhancements like tanning give us a sense of beauty and better looks, they are potentially life-threatening! You might simply say, “Oh! I know about the dangers of skin cancer from tanning salons”. But skin cancer is only one among the different ways in which a tanning salon could turn into a suicide chamber. Here are some startling facts:
1. Your eye-protection itself can be your undoing
Sometimes, a device meant for protection could itself turn into a source of danger! Though there is nothing as a “safe tanning” in artificial methods, those salons that claim to be safe adopt the usage of safety glasses. These glasses are washed in a disinfectant solution before each use. Did you know that even the slightest carelessness could lead to conjunctivitis? And in a world where it is considered human to err, this could lead to serious ‘Pink eye’ problems. This bacterial infection can get more severe on tanning beds because the comfortable temperature within aids the bacterial growth. Painful, sore eyes are not a risk worth taking for something that is only skin deep!
2. Tanning can cause irreversible damage to breasts
There are extra reasons for women who wish to get a tan. While most wish to tan without the use of a bra, it would affect them in ways they did not imagine before. Some areas of the body, by virtue of being covered always, do not get exposed to the sun. The skin under the breasts is one such area. Tanning without a bra can cause wrinkles and premature aging of these delicate skin areas faster than the skin elsewhere on the body. The result would be breasts that sag way beyond their years – definitely not a price to pay for a darker body! The nipples are by themselves darker and they get tanned into a dark shade, the likes of which you might never have seen before. And do not be under the misconception that the nipples cannot burn. Beware!
3. A small error in the salon and you could die
Another kind of bacteria, the Staphylococcus, is deadlier than the other one for in 50 percent of the cases, it is resistant to the administered antibiotics. This bacteria can get into your system even through the slightest of cuts or injuries if the salon bed has not been perfectly disinfected. And the scary part is that the bacteria is potent enough to even kill a person!
4. Tanning salons are deadlier than the most harsh sun
Tanning beds prove to be more dangerous than actual sunbathing. When under the sun, one receives the infrared waves along with the ultraviolet ones. These infrared waves cause an external burning on the skin that forces one to move out of the sun. Thus, the external burning, saves one from internal burning. Since the tanning salons do not have infrared as part of their radiations, one does not even realize the burning that is happening internally. As you relax without discomfort, you are actually getting cooked from within.
6. Most of the pro-tanning advice are myths
People flock to tanning salons for fashion and beauty purposes. Add to this the fact that there are so many myths about tanning that attempt to make it look attractive. The next few statements here are all myths – Tanning is not harmful if done only once in a while. Without tanning, the body gets starved of valuable Vitamin D. Since the skin does not feel any heat or burning, there is no damage actually happening. In case tanning turns out to be problematic, it can be stopped at will.
7. No complete escape from skin cancer if you visit a tanning salon
Skin cancer is a stark reality that stares you in the face, even if you use sunblock creams! There are two types of UV rays – A and B. Not all lotions and creams block both these types. Even those that do, afford protection only for a short period. Even if you slather yourself with sunscreen from about half an hour before you tan and keep re-applying the same after every two hours, you are still not safe from skin cancer. Now you can imagine the damage!
8. The real ‘dark’ side of tanning salons
And now, we go into the ‘darker sides’ of the tanning process. Did you know that tanning has been scientifically classified along with drugs, alcohol and tobacco as an addictive substance? And that when you tan, you are technically indulging in substance abuse? It has been found that those used to tanning find it so hard to kick the habit. And if you feel that it is not true, why not try kicking away the habit now?