Tanning beds have been in use for many years, and the controversy continues over whether they should be allowed or they should be banned. There are many pros and cons to using tanning beds, and consumers need to arm themselves with the facts before they decide to use one or to avoid them all together.
Making an informed decision can be difficult because many time the information you find in regards to them are contradictory. Of course, it depends on who is doing the reporting. Tanning bed manufacturers want you to think that they are very safe and only offer a minimal risk.
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| What are Tanning Beds Pros and Cons? |
Tanning beds offer our society a means of maintaining beauty by having skin that has a beautiful color to it. Ask anyone who has ever gone to the pool with pale, pasty white skin how self conscious they felt. Tanning beds are also very fast and convenient. You can get a deep golden color by spending 10 or 15 minutes of your lunch hour at the local tanning salon. You can do it in the evening as well if it fits your schedule better, so you don’t have to worry about trying to get some free time while the sun is still blazing in the sky.
For some people, taking the time to tan gives them amazing self confidence. It also gives them some time in their day to unwind and relax. This is time spent focusing on pampering themselves rather than taking care of someone else. Tanning beds also help the body produce more Vitamin D that helps keep your bones, teeth, and joints very healthy.
In fact, some studies conducted show that a person’s mood significantly improves when they use a tanning bed. It makes them feel good about themselves. It can also motivate them to do other things to look good including eat a balanced diet and exercise more often.
Tanning beds are a safer alternative to the harmful rays of the sun. This is because you can get a faster than so you spend less time being exposed to the UV rays of the tanning bed than you do direct sunlight. Yet some research indicates that using tanning beds can help the body create melanin which will help prevent the skin from burning when exposed to UV from a tanning bed or direct sunlight.
However, research has shown that using tanning beds can have negative effects on your vision, and your health. Tanning beds can lead to your retina or cornea being damaged. They have also been linked to causing cataracts. The UV levels can be up to 100 times stronger than from direct sunlight. The verdict is still out on whether using goggles to protect your eyes while using a tanning bed is sufficient.
Your skin can age rapidly if you use tanning beds for too long of a period of time. The UV rays from tanning beds can also lead to various types of skin cancer just as sunlight can. In some cases it can lead to cancer that can be cured and the individual dies. Most people don’t realize that tanning beds can be dangerous.
Of course many people take the attitude that nothing is going to happen to them if they use a tanning bed. They may be right, but it is a risk that you really need to think about before you take it.
As long as people are willing to continue using tanning beds, manufacturers and tanning salons will continue to market them. It is important to gather all the facts about tanning beds, both the pros and the cons, so that you can make an informed decision about if using them is worth it or not.