• Sunbeds aren't a safe alternative to tanning outdoors. Like the sun, sun beds give out harmful UV rays which damage the DNA in our skin cells and can cause skin cancer.
• Sunbeds are estimated to cause around 100 deaths from melanoma every year in the UK.
• Sunbeds also cause premature skin ageing, which means that your skin becomes coarse, leathery and wrinkled at a younger age. So when the tan fades, the damage remains.

 

People with fair skin that tends to burn are at higher risk of problems from sunbed use than those with darker skin. Young people also have delicate skin and are more likely to damage it by using sunbeds.

You should NEVER use a sun bed if you:

 

• are under 18
• have fair or freckly skin
• burn easily
• have a lot of moles
• have had skin cancer in the past
• have a family history of skin cancer
• are using medication that increases your sensitivity to UV.

 

Skin damage from sunbeds is just as big a problem for young people

You can't always see the damage that UV does straight away as it builds up gradually. But every time you use a sunbed you are damaging your skin, making it look worse in the long run. Using sunbeds for the first time before the age of 35 increases the risk of developing melanoma skin cancer by 75%. Surgical treatment for skin cancer can result in serious scarring.

 

Sunbed tanning is no safer than sun tanning

Sunbeds are not a 'safe' alternative to sun tanning. The main cause of skin cancer is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Like the sun, sunbeds give off UVA and UVB rays. While sunburn is mostly caused by UVB, both types of UV can cause DNA damage, which can lead to skin cancer.

 

What factor sunscreen should I buy?

We recommend that people apply a sunscreen with at least SPF 15 – the higher the better. We also recommend using a sunscreen that is ‘broad spectrum’, meaning that it offers protection against UVA and UVB.
An SPF15 sunscreen filters out 93% of UVB radiation, while an SPF30 sunscreen filters out 96%. 
No sunscreen, no matter how high the factor, can provide 100% protection. And no sunscreen, whether it’s factor 15 or 50, will provide the protection it claims unless it is applied properly. Therefore, it is crucial that you apply sunscreen generously and regularly.
Research has shown that people apply much less sunscreen than they need to. And, worryingly, many people burn more frequently when they use higher factors of sunscreen because they stay out in the sun for longer. There is a concern that higher factor sunscreens may lure people into a false sense of security.

Find out more on the Sun Smart website.

 

 

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