CDC Says That Indoor Tanning Is No Longer Popular

People overlook the fact that a tan is only temporary whereas the risk of developing skin cancer is permanent.

A statistics created by CDC (The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) says that indoors tanning rates are dropping. It seems that this method of cosmetology has lost its popularity with 4.2 percent of the population using it compared to 5.5 percent as it was before.  The paper was published in the journal JAMA Dermatology.

According to the report the use of tanning beds declined between 2010 and 2013 by 1.3 percent.  It might not seem much in numbers, but this 1.3 percent is the equivalent of two million people who have stopped using such devices to get a tan.

Health economist Gery P. Guy Jr from CDC (Atlanta) says that they believe this change is due to the fact that people are becoming increasingly aware of how dangerous indoor tanning is especially since so many studies show that using tanning beds increases the risk of developing skin cancer. This means that the more you tan indoors the higher the risk of cancer. However the perception according to which indoor tanning is safer than sunbathing still remains even though there is not particular evidence to support this.

Even though this practice is on decline almost eight million women and two million men continue to do this. The study also suggests that the ones who use this method most often are young people. However, even in the case of young people the rates are declining. In less than three years the rates dropped from 11.3 percent to 8.6 percent.

Dr. Guy drew attention to the fact that people who practice indoor tanning are more exposed to UV radiation compared to people who go to beach and simply lie out in the sun.  He said that people overlook the fact that a tan is only temporary whereas the risk of developing skin cancer is permanent. He also added:

“Appearance-focused behavioral interventions stressing that indoor tanning can cause premature wrinkles and age spots have been shown to be effective in reducing indoor tanning. Colleges can discourage indoor tanning and restrict its use on campus.”

Health officials are trying to persuade people that indoor tanning is risky for their health especially for people who have fair skin. Some states are considering anti-tanning legislative measures, whereas others even think of banning indoor tanning salons.

Image Source: jhinskin.com