Better off not baking - inside or out
Just as tanning in the sun without protection can damage the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer, so can tanning in salons or under sunlamps. That's because artificial tanning sources produce ultraviolet radiation, a stream of invisible high-energy rays that act much like the sun.
Many people believe that getting a base tan from a salon is the best way to protect their skin, but most physicians disagree. "The concept of a 'healthy' tan is a fallacy and the idea of a 'protective' base tan is a misconception," says
Robert B. Sollitto, MD, a Virtua Health dermatologist.
For those who can't resist a tan, Dr. Sollitto recommends a broad-based sunscreen that contains a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 and that provides ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet A (UVA) protection. He says: "There's a growing body of information on the harmful effects of UVA radiation."
He also says to reduce the amount of time spent tanning, avoid the sun between 11 am and 2 pm when it's the strongest, wear protective clothing, and use adequate amounts of sunscreen.