Tanning Salons and the Risk of Cancer

As summer becomes a distant memory and winter begins to creep in, people in attempt to keep their “summer/healthy glow” conventionally resort to using sunbeds to top up their tans.  But are they taking into account the harm they are doing to their skin and health?

Currently, it is estimated that around three million Britons use sunbeds on a regular basis.  The statistics reveal that 12,000 Britons develop malignant melanoma a year and the disease claims more than 2,000 lives.  This figure has more than doubled over the past twenty years.  
  

Recent news articles from the Daily Mail  and the Daily Telegraph have highlighted that sunbeds are even more dangerous than originally thought.  It was reported that UVA rays, the main type of ultraviolet light emitted from tanning devices and previously regarded as relatively "safer" than UVB, has actually been found to cause the type of DNA damage that can lead to cancer.

The Research

Light from the sun contains two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays, UVA and UVB.  UVB has generally been considered as the major carcinogen in sunlight.  However, scientists now argue that the effects of UVA needs further consideration as there are more UVA than UVB rays in sunlight.

In a recent study carried out by researchers from King’s College London and published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, compared the DNA damage caused by UVA rays to that from UVB rays.

Previously, UVA has been perceived as safer, compared to UVB which has been linked to burning and cancer.  However, the research, which builds on further studies, suggests that UVA is not harmless, and like UVB, can lead to changes in the cell that increase the risk of developing skin cancer. 

A total of 12 volunteers with healthy and similar skin tone were recruited for the research.  A small area of the volunteers’ skin was exposed to UVA and UVB, which was then later examined to assess the degree of skin redness.  The researchers also took pinch biopsies, which extracted skin from the exposed area, to evaluate the chemical changes to the DNA.   

They found that both UVA and UVB could cause similar types of DNA damage, but that UVA was recognised as affecting cells deeper in the skin, while UVB affected cells at the surface of the skin more.

Prof Antony Young, one of the researchers from King's College London, said:

"In the past UVA has been written off as not very serious to the skin...What we are saying is that UVA does cause significant damage to DNA in the skin especially in the base layer, and that is where the damage is important”

The World Health Organisation says “sunbeds – which emit a small amount of UVB as well as the UVA – are as great a cancer risk as cigarettes”. 

The Outcome

UVB has been identified as causing changes to our DNA and where our body’s natural mechanisms cannot repair the damaged DNA, such as in skin cancers, these chemical changes can lead to harmful mutations in the DNA sequence.  The recent evidence suggests that UVA may cause mutations in a similar way to UVB and is therefore not “safer” as previously believed and can thus lead to skin cancer. 

Sunbeds have a particularly high UVA output and evidence claims that these rays can be ten to fifteen times higher than the midday sun.  As such, people using sunbeds should take into account that there is currently no regulation to govern the type or strength of UV rays that is emitted from them.  Consequently, it is essential that whenever we expose our skin to UVA or UVB light, we use the correct factor sunscreen to protect us from ultraviolet rays.

Cancer Research UK have highlighted some recommendations to ensure you keep your skin safe and protected.  Click here for further information and for more information on sunbeds and their safety please click here.