Many people are warned about the dangers of indoor tanning and its ability to increase the risk for skin cancer. In the UK, the British Association of Dermatologists is the leading authority on professional skin care. The association doesn’t recommend anyone to use sun beds or sunlamps. Many people ignore the warnings, and over time, develop addictions to tanning.
Studies are now showing that tanning addicts develop changes in their brain that are similar to those found in drug addicts.
Tanning Similar to Alcohol Addiction
Researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Texas completed a study to determine the effect that tanning has on the brain. They found that tanning produces changes in the brain, similar to what would be found in chemical addictions.
Participants in the study were split into two groups. One group would tan and be exposed to ultraviolet lights found in a tanning bed. A second group also tanned in a tanning bed, but the lamps were fitted with filters. These filters prevent ultraviolet lights from reaching the participants.
None of the participants knew if they were being exposed to UV lights, or if the lights were being filtered out. They also were given a compound, which allows the researchers to observe which parts of the brains were being stimulated.
The participants that were exposed to UV lights had increased blood flow in certain parts of the brain. This blood flow mimicked the same pattern that is found in alcoholics and drug addicts.
Dr. Bryon Adinoff was the lead researcher. Dr. Adinoff says, “Using tanning beds has rewarding effects in the brain so people may feel compelled to persist in the behavior even though it’s bad for them.”
Risks of Tanning
Despite the warnings about tanning, many people persist in tanning, and others develop tanning addictions. The American Cancer Society says that over 2 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer on a yearly basis. The rates for skin cancer outnumbers the rates of breast, colon, lung, ovaries and pancreas cancers, all combined.
Doctors warn that too much UV light exposure can lead to an increased risk of cancer. While this can come from the sun, tanning beds also produce a similar to effect.
Studies show that when people under the age of 30 tan at least 10 times a year; they increase their chances of developing malignant melanoma by 8 times.
Psychological Symptoms of Tanning Addiction
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center did a study with 421 college students in New York. They found that some people who tanned exhibited the same psychological symptoms of addiction that alcoholics produced.
They found that participants that frequently tanned also were more likely to experience depression and anxiety, when compared to those that didn’t tan.
All the participants that regularly tanned had admitted that tanning could increase the risk of skin cancer. 98% of the regular tanners admitted that the risk of cancer wasn’t enough to keep them from tanning.
78% of the regular tanners stated that at one point, they attempted to tan less or to quit completely, but were unable to. 78% also said that they felt guilty about the amount of tanning they were doing.
Sources:
Tanning Addiction: Indoor Tanning Changes the Brain
Tanning Addiction: Inability to Quit
Tanning Addiction: Similar to Alcoholics and Drug Addicts
Tanning Addiction: Skin Cancer Rates