UV Tanning
No tan is a safe tan!
Tanning retailers cannot permit access to tanning beds for youth under the age of 18. Do you know of a tanning retailer selling tanning to minors? Let us know.
Banned tan
Tanning myths
Base tans are bs
Tanning beds are out
Indoor tanning causes cancer
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies indoor tanning devices as Class 1 human carcinogens – in other words, indoor tanning causes skin cancer. Class 1 includes other known causes of cancer like tobacco and asbestos.
Exposure to UVR from the sun and from tanning beds is the main risk factor for all types of skin cancers.
Research shows a 59% increased risk of melanoma among those who reported using indoor tanning before the age of 35 compared with those who did not use indoor tanning. The younger the age when indoor tanning begins and the more frequent the use, the greater the risk.
Exposure from tanning beds is entirely avoidable.
So bad it’s banned
Regulations in Saskatchewan
In Saskatchewan regulations ban owners and operators of tanning facilities from permitting youth under 18 years of age from using UV tanning equipment. These regulations exist to protect youth from the risk of developing skin cancer.
Specifically, the regulations:
Require owners/operators of tanning facilities to register with the health authority;
Prohibit owners/operators of tanning facilities from permitting youth under 18 years of age from using UV tanning equipment in a tanning facility;
Enable owners/operators of tanning facilities to request proof of age documentation;
Require owners/operators of tanning facilities to post signage regarding age restrictions and health risks;
Prohibit the advertising of UV tanning services to persons under the age of 18
It’s safer, and other lies you’ve been told
Myth busting
Tanning indoors in a tanning bed Is safer than tanning outdoors.
Indoor tanning is NOT a safe or healthy alternative.
Indoor tanning beds, tanning booths and sun lamps all expose you to intense UVR to tan your skin.
The sun also emits UVR. But indoor tanning devices emit much higher doses of UVR than the sun. In fact, the UVR exposure from an indoor tanning device is stronger than the midday sun with a UV index of 13 to 15. And that’s extreme! Protection is needed outside when the UV index is 3 or higher.
While reducing UV overexposure from the sun can be sometimes challenging, UV exposure from indoor tanning is completely avoidable.
The occasional tan is ok
Indoor tanning is NOT healthy or safe in moderation.
Every trip to an indoor tanning session increases the risk of developing skin cancer. And the risk goes up the longer and more often someone uses an indoor tanning device. Building up a tan over time does not make it healthy. A tan is a sign of skin damage. Every exposure to UVR counts.
A base tan will protect me from sunburn
A base tan doesn’t prevent sunburn.
Getting a base tan is more like pre-damaging your skin. Any indoor tanning activity is only adding more UVR exposure and skin damage before going out into the sun for even more exposure.
A tan offers only SPF 2-3. That little bit of protection is nowhere near what you need and not worth the damage to get it.
Skip the base tan
Base tans are BS
A base tan doesn’t prevent sunburn.
Getting a base tan is more like pre-damaging your skin. Any indoor tanning activity is only adding more UVR exposure and skin damage before going out into the sun for even more exposure.
A tan offers only SPF 2-3. That little bit of protection is nowhere near what you need and not worth the damage to get it.
Always use a minimum of SPF 30 when using sunscreen. And it’s not all about sunscreen either! Don’t forget all the other great and stylish ways to keep your skin healthy and protected.
You may think that as long as you don’t burn at the tanning salon, your skin is safe. But a tan, whether you get it on the beach or in a tanning bed, is a sign of skin damage. A base tan is simply adding UVR exposure and skin damage before even going outside in the sun.
A base tan doesn’t prevent sunburn.
A tan offers only SPF 2-3. That little bit of protection is nowhere near what you need and not worth the damage to get it.
Always use a minimum of SPF 30 when using sunscreen. And it’s not all about sunscreen either! Don’t forget all the other great and stylish ways to keep your skin healthy and protected.
Don’t use UV tanning equipment or deliberarly try to get a suntan, and avoid getting a sunburn.
Remember: there’s no such thing as a healthy tan.
View sources
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer. Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2014.
Boniol M, Autier P, Boyle P, Gandini S. Correction: Cutaneous melanoma attributable to sunbed use: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2012;345:e8503. View
Canadian Cancer Society’s Advisory Committee on Cancer Statistics. Canadian Cancer Statistics 2014.Toronto, ON: Canadian Cancer Society; 2014. View
Colantonio S, Bracken MB, Beecker J. The association of indoor tanning and melanoma in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2014;70: 847-57.
Saskatchewan Cancer Agency. Cancer registry data; unpublished
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer.Washington, DC: U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General; 2014. View
Canadian Partnership Against Cancer. The Second National Sun Survey (NSS2). 2006: unpublished manuscript.