Benefits of Using Tanning Beds - Research Paper Example

Argument on Tanning Beds Introduction Tanning beds are beds that discharge ultraviolet lights. Development of the paramount indoor tanning beds were done in 1906 and did not have anything to do with acquiring the tan which was perfect. These tanning beds were created by Heraeus which was one of the research companies in the medical industry. The tanning lamp was mainly used for medicinal purposes. Patients who had various diseases such as rickets and disorders from lacking calcium in the body used these tanning lamps. It was used to determine if the sunlight increases would assist in developing bones that are strong and improve the ability of the body in producing calcium. According to Hergen and Dougherty (Pp. 1), in the 1970’s, the uses of tanning beds changed from being used for medicinal purposes to cosmetic uses. A researcher and scientist from Germany called Fredrick chose to make use of sunlight that was artificial on athletes. He thought that the artificial sunlight would help in increasing the ability of athletes but this ended up with creation of tan athletes. This tan became one of the popular accessories in fashion and enabled Fredrick to invent one of the first tanning indoor beds. These tanning beds have improved in technological ways as there are features such as radios and air conditioning in them. Tanning salons are mainly used by nearly thirty million Americans. Among girls in the age of eighteen and nineteen, one of the girls in a group of four girls has tanned indoors for a minimum of three times. This is because of the marketing of radiation termed as a carcinogen to adults. This radiation is advertised by the high school newspapers that are being used by salons in advertising. This tanning by the teenagers now and then is a physical obsession. The tanning has accusations of being dangerous, marketed to teenagers and being addictive. A large number of women population use tanning beds so that they may become young again(Hergen and Dougherty, Pp. 1). Benefits of Using Tanning Beds There are several purposes of using the tanning beds. One of the reasons is privacy. One does not display around his or her nakedness while the skin is watery from the cold winter. During this winter period, one of the benefits of using the tanning bed is the tan that is year round regardless of the winter season. Different from the direct sunlight, tanning beds are used nowadays to control amount of ultraviolet rays and the amount gotten is distributed to the various sessions of tanning beds. The other benefit of using tanning beds is its accessibility. When they became popular among the people using it, salons also increased their popularities. The salons of tanning beds are not hard to find at anyplace a person is travelling (Mathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon, Pp. 1). One of the popular and best ways of retaining a tan during winter is by using tanning sunbeds. Even though using these sunbeds creates controversies, people still go on and use them. Men and women like to use tanning beds because they keep them warm during the cold and long winter season. According to theMathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon (Pp. 1), warmth has a positive outcome on one’s attitude. The tanning beds assist people suffering from seasonal affective disorders. The tanning beds give vitamin D to one’s body. The vitamin D is in charge of helping the bone in a body to absorb calcium and keeping the bone strong. On the other hand, vitamin D helps in fighting cancer. Indoor tanning beds may help people in getting vitamin D during the winter as there is no sunshine. The populations with fair skins have a high risk in getting photodamage either from artificial or sun tanning and have a low risk of insufficiency of vitamin D if there is occurrence of photosynthesis (American Cancer Society, Pp. 1). This comprises of Caucasian females who visit the tanning salons very often. Tanning beds that have high pressures and discharge primarily radiations from UVA, are responsible for a marginal production of vitamin D that mainly needs exposure of the skin to UVB radiation. People with skins that have no abilities in achieving tans are not supposed to use these tanning beds. In addition, the tanning industry has recommended various salons not to offer indoor tanning to the population with fair skin, hair and eyes (Mathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon, Pp. 1). Production of up to ten thousand IUs of vitamin D in ten minutes can be produced by the human body. This is because of the sunlight exposure. A large number of the populations who have indoor lifestyles do not receive more benefits gotten from vitamin D. Many of the tanning beds available worldwide use bulbs which have the same rays and create the same amounts of vitamin D like the sun does. A tanning tool for high pressure is not suitable for production of vitamin D as it has a low ratio of UVB compared to UVA.One of the benefits issued by these tanning industries of tanning indoors moderately than outside tanning is the extent of mechanism contained in a tanner. The industries go ahead and explainthat if someone needs to have a suntan and diminish risks of obtaining sunburns, tanning beds gives a good environment for delivering the are alike amount of ultraviolet rays in a certain time period (Mathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon, Pp. 1). The amount of ultraviolet rays that come to the ground differand the longer one is tanning, it will result in deep exposure. In addition, there are no proofs that are provided by an environment that is safe. Concerning indoor tanning, the food and distribution agency prohibits the use of words such as safe. Indoor tanning gives an environment that is controlled in obtaining a tan. There are studies conducted showing that people using indoor tanning are more likely to be burned and feel pain from skin damages when undergoing the sessions of indoor tanning. Artificial tanning gives and produces vitamin D(Mathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon, Pp. 1). Phenotype of the skin which is measured by using the Fitzpatrick scale, affects the response of the skin to the ultraviolet radiation. Are these Tanning Beds Healthy? Despite the medicinal evidence describing that one being exposed to the ultraviolet rays may lead to skin cancer, the business of tanning beds are increasing in numbers by close to two billion dollars annually. This is a very enormous sum of money that people in the world are currently spending so that they may acquire a tan that is even. The people in this tanning business suggest that the tanning beds are safe and good for usage by people. In their arguments, tanning is just the skin darkening after it has been uncovered to the ultraviolet rays. Despite people who are fair skinned burning from the rays exposures, these tanning beds assist in the production of one’s body melanin found in the skin (Mathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon, Pp. 1). This melanin sources brownness on the skin that helps in protecting the skin from the damaging ultraviolet rays. These tanning assessments are not agreed by everyone. There are certain groups opposing the tanning beds and are not endorsing the uses of these tanning beds. They argue that the melanin produced by the skin is one of the skin damages caused by the damaging ultraviolet rays. There are massive clinical studies and researches that have occurred about the sun effects on the skin of a human (Gallagher, Pp. 562). They basically give an assumption that the damaging ultraviolet rays are the main causes of the various skin cancers available. These skin cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma termed to be the deadly cancer and the basil cell sarcoma. These ultraviolet rays openly destroy the DNA in a body therefore leading to mutations. After destroying the DNA, oxygen molecules that are activated are then produced. These oxygen molecules also destroy the DNA alongside other cellular arrangements. On the other hand, the exposure may top up to immuno destructions that actually deactivate the natural defenses of cancer in a body. Due to this fact, it may lead to less usage of tanning beds.Gallagher (Pp. 563) asserts that despite the fact that skin cancer is one of the main threats of using tanning beds, there are other side effects of the ultraviolet rays contact and uses of tanning beds. Elongated and constant sun rays exposures that are either natural or artificial may lead to the thickness of the skin. Also, the skin may be leathery and wrinkled due to these rays. Even though the skin may age with time passing, the exposure of the sun and the tanning beds speed the ageing of the skin and no one wants his or her skin to age. Another argument and side effect to be put into consideration before using these tanning beds or sunlight exposures is the eye destruction. According to Gallagher (Pp. 565), various studies conducted by researchers show that escalated disclosure to the damaging ultraviolet rays may upsurge the chances of one developing cataracts. Even thought these cataracts may be eradicated surgically, they are part of severe conditions in the body. These cataracts are not the merely problems of the eye caused by this exposure of sunlight. The damaging ultraviolet rays may increase the chances of pterygium development, growth of tissue on the white part of the eye, degeneration of the macula and retina damages. People are advised to be wearing protecting eye trappings when in the sun or the tanning bed due to the side effects accrued when one is exposing the eye to the rays (Gallagher, Pp.566). Tanning Beds Policies Despite the growth of the tanning bed business, there have been campaigns by the medical population of educating people on the ultraviolet effects on the skin. The campaign is needed due to the growth of the skin cancers reported yearly. In addition, the tanning bed trade is becoming more common despite the warnings and side effects of the tans. According to a research done, the population that spends most of its time on the tanning beds is the young females (Hergen and Dougherty, Pp. 1). To them, the tan is one of their top priorities. In a case whereby one goes on to tell a teenager to put into considerations the repercussions of tan in future, the teenager will not listen to what he or she is been told. Why Will People not attend to the Tanning Salons? Introduction of substitute methods such as sunless lotions used in tanning and sprays on tans have been in the market in the current years. They have increased their popularity due to the results they display instantly, they are not time consuming and they do not destroy or have effects to the body. People will change from using these tanning beds due to the dangers of their usage. Risks of Young People Using Tanning Beds Children who are using these tanning beds have bigger risks due to the biological exposure to the ultraviolet radiations. Different studies made have revealed that artificial tanning exposures to the population under the age of thirty have risks of melanoma. The studies goes on to assert that the shorter the exposure, the lesser the peril and vice versa (Swerdlow, Pp. 90). Melanoma exposure is more increasing in the females between the ages of fifteen to twenty nine than the males. A study done in 2002 confirmed that there are many children who are using these tanning beds. This is because they have friends who are tanning, the children believe that there is no problem in getting burned as long as they get a better tan and tanning is attractive and healthier to the children as they will not have a whitish skin (Swerdlow, Pp. 92). The children have developed Tanorexia which is an inability of one not declining using the artificial tanning. This Tanorexia affects the children who mostly use indoor tannings and are not able to stop that habit. These tanning industries are mainly targeting children by using media outlets, offering free trials of tans, discounts and good marketing approaches. Conclusion There are four levels of tanning beds. The population using these tanning beds should be aware of the beds they are resting on. The first tanning bed level is for the newcomers in tanning. It discharges adequate ultraviolet rays. The second level has bulbs that are bright and releases more ultraviolet rays. The third level is good for people having a base tan and would like to retain it. In addition, the last and fourth level has bulbs of high quality and it is mainly used by the population needing a quick tan. There are quite number of reasons why a greater population is currently using these tanning beds. One of the reasons is because this population has no time in going to the beach as they are busy. The other reason may be that tanning beds make people tan faster than sun tanning. Works Cited Gallagher, Robert. Tanning beds, sunlamps, and risk of cutaneous malignant melanoma. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2005;14:562–6. Swerdlow, Anderson. Do tanning lamps cause melanoma? An epidemiologic assessment.J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998;38:89–98. Hergen, Amber and Dougherty, Paul.“American Health and Beauty.” Tanning Beds are a Hotbed of Trouble. (2009). Pp. 1. Web. 25 April 2012 Mathews Chiropractic & Day Spa Salon. “chirodayspasalon.” Tanning Specials! (2012). Pp. 1. Web. 25 April 2012 American Cancer Society.“American Cancer Society. “Cancer Facts and Figures 2006. (2006). Pp. 1-2 Read More