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14 October 2008

Answer to Question #3406 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Suntanning

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

What parts of a tanning booth tans the body, how do they work, and what are the dangers that they cause? How are they proven to be unsafe for usage?

In tanning booths it is the ultraviolet (UV) light bulbs that emit the UV radiation. This artificially produced UV radiation is similar to that which comes from the sun; both produce tanning in the skin. UV radiation has been associated with an increased risk of skin cancer by epidemiological studies that have looked for the causal factors among groups of people who have contracted skin cancer. Also laboratory studies on cell cultures and on laboratory animals have provided a scientific basis to support the conclusion that UV causes an increased risk of skin cancer. Major scientific and medical organizations have concurred in the conclusion that UV radiation causes an increased risk of skin cancer and recommend limiting your exposure to UV—both from natural sunlight as well as from tanning booths. For more details please peruse the other suntanning questions and answers on our Web site.

Gary H. Zeman, ScD, Certified Health Physicist

Answer posted on 19 February 2004. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.