The second you step into a tanning bed, your skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation that damages DNA within seconds and can significantly increase the risk of skin cancer, yet many young adults, especially women, continue to abuse tanning beds despite the ongoing list of evidence about the dangers.
Scientists say the risks begin almost immediately after the ultraviolet rays hit the skin.
Sanjay Premi, an assistant professor in the Molecular Medicine Program at Moffitt Cancer Center, studies how ultraviolet radiation damages DNA and contributes to skin cancer development.
“So two kinds of things will happen in response to direct UV exposure,” Premi said. “One is direct DNA damage where ultraviolet radiation will damage the DNA directly just by hitting it.”
Premi explained that this type of damage can lead to DNA bases to bond incorrectly, which creates mutations that cause cancer if the body doesn't repair them on their own.
“The direct DNA damage happens within picoseconds.” Premi said.
Another unknown about the indoor tanning trap is there is a second level of damage scientists call oxidative stress. Ultraviolet radiation can trigger the creation of reactive oxygen molecules in the skin, which then damages cells and disrupts normal biological processes.
“That oxidative stress does a ton of things,” Premi said. “One of those is indirect DNA damage.”
The most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma, which accounts for a smaller percentage of total skin cancer cases but causes the majority of deaths.
Premi said melanoma is especially dangerous because it can quickly adapt to treatments.
“Melanoma develops drug resistance very quickly,” Premi said. “It adapts to therapies and continues to grow.”
Presley Allen, a college student who frequently uses tanning beds and works at a tanning salon, said many people her age still view tanning as part of their beauty routine.
“A lot of people just simply like how they look with a tan.” Allen said.
While most people are aware of the risks tanning beds carry, that knowledge does not just stop them from going, especially in this generation when everything is about your appearance.
“They know it’s bad for you, but they still do it, myself included,” Allen said. “Most people are just thinking about how they look right now.”
However, researchers say this gap between obsessive indoor tanning behavior, and the knowledge of the risks is not uncommon.
Kim Walsh-Childers, a professor who has done indoor tanning research and studies health communication said cultural ideas about beauty have always played a role in how tanning is viewed.
“Tan skin was associated with wealth because it suggested someone had the time and resources to spend time outside at the beach or playing sports rather than working indoors.” Walsh-Childers said.
Because of those correlations, tanning has often been portrayed as part of an “attractive” lifestyle.
“It’s much more a part of the beauty or lifestyle trend,” Walsh-Childers said. “The idea of protecting one’s skin is often talked about more in terms of beauty like preventing wrinkles rather than protecting yourself from skin cancer.”
According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, more than 80 percent of melanoma cases worldwide are linked to ultraviolet radiation exposure.
Premi said awareness is especially important for younger generations who may stray away from the biological damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.
“I think young people should understand how these wavelengths damage DNA,” Premi said. “Even a short amount of time in a tanning bed can cause damage.”
So, if you're gearing up to buy your tanning bed membership for your spring break trip, it's crucial to know what exactly is happening to your DNA before you get that tan.