Sun Tanning

Sun tanning is a relatively new fashion. And, unfortunately, it is a fashion that can kill you.

In the nineteenth century, sun tans were considered boorish and lower class. "Ladies" were especially careful to avoid sun exposure and to keep their skin flawless. However, as time passed and beach vacations became accessible, those who could afford such leisure showed their status with a suntan. Further, bathing suits changed to allow for swimming and while first seen as immodest, the bikini has been the preferred style for most young women since the 1940's.

Burning, peeling and freckles were all considered a normal part of sun tanning, and the early lotions were developed to help ease the discomfort. It was not until the mid-1940's that lotions to enhance tanning and help block burning were developed by Coppertone. Dark tans were enviable and a whole industry sprang up to help people absorb the sun's rays and enhance their sun tans. Lotions, metallic reflectors, outdoor lounge chairs, and sun mats all beckoned white America to get a tan.

By the 1960's, it was known that getting sunburned was not good for the skin. Sunburns can be painful and even debilitating, and people understood that it "weathered" or aged the skin. Unfortunately, it would take many more decades before people knew that tanning is also potentially life threatening.

During the last thirty years, the tanning tide has begun to turn. More information has been released about the dangers of a suntan and more people have begun to understand the importance of avoiding ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. Unfortunately, one long-term consequence of tanning is the rapidly increasing number of skin cancers diagnosed in the United States.  Today, there are well over 1 million new cases of skin cancer each year and someone dies of melanoma every hour.

Some people argue that a “base tan” actually helps protect against sun damage.  However, people with very fair skin (skin types I and II) cannot tan much and will damage their skin trying.  People with skin types III, IV, V and VI can gain a “base tan”.  However, for example, with skin type IV the base tan may increase the SPF of skin pigment from 0.5 to 2.5 – little protection against subsequent UVR damage, particularly when the damage done to acquire the base tan is considered.