Indoor Tanning Beds Are Safer Than You Think | Beauty

By stevelott
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There are many common misconceptions about sun tanning and indoor tanning at salons. One of the most prominent arguments from anti-tanning activists is that tanning leads to permanent skin damage. While there is partial truth to this statement there are various ways you can get a glowing tan and minimize the associated health risks.

When you tan outside in the sun, at the beach, pool or anywhere for that matter, you are subjecting your delicate skin to various UV rays which could be damaging in large amounts. Natural sunlight contains both UVA and UVB rays. UVA rays are not the rays you want if you're looking for a tan. They are considered by most as the "burn" rays and are responsible for burning your skin and turning it red after tanning. UVB rays are most responsible for the "tanning" effect on your skin and these are the rays you want to focus on. If all you received from the sun was UVB rays than you would have very little chance of getting burnt. It is always recommended to use sun block if you are going to be out in the sun for a while because of the damaging effect UVA rays can have on your skin.

High-quality indoor tanning beds are designed to only deliver UVB rays to the tanner (usually 95%+ UVB, it is hard to completely eliminate UVA rays). This enhances the "browning" effect of tanning and eliminates most, if not all, of the "burn" effect. Something to also remember when weighing the pros and cons of indoor tanning is that a normal indoor tanning session lasts for an average of 10 to 15 minutes. When you consider how long people usually stay out in the sun when at the beach or pool this is a small fraction of the time.

There is a huge variety of indoor tanning bed lotions on the market and these are very different from normal tanning lotions for use in natural sunlight. Indoor tanning lotions harness the power of the UV rays delivered by the tanning bed and increase the browning effect while simultaneously protecting your skin with natural oils and moisturizers. These lotions smell great, make you get a more thorough, even tan, and protect your sensitive skin from harmful damage. It is always advisable to tan in moderation, even when tanning indoors. This is the best way to prevent any long-term damage from tanning.

About the Author

Steve Lott is an indoor tanning hobbyist with a focus on the various tanning bed lotions on the market. He publishes articles and tanning lotion reviews on his blog.

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