Bryan J. Michelow, MD., FACS

Bryan J. Michelow, MD., FACS

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tanning: How to Avoid the Dangers of Skin Cancer

While a bronzed glow is desired by many, the process to achieve this look can be deadly!

Whether you are catching rays outdoors or in a tanning booth, the ultraviolet (UV) rays are hard at work causing irreversible skin damage and premature aging.

Many believe that if they tan indoors for a shorter amount of time, they are limiting their risk; however, this is not the case.  People who regularly tan indoors are actually 74% more likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers, when compared to those that tan outdoors only (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015).

Tanning and Skin Cancer
Did you know that in today’s world, the risk of developing skin cancer from tanning is higher than a person developing lung cancer from smoking?

The three most common types of skin cancer are Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma.

The risk for developing skin cancer increases significantly with UV exposure (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015).

Melanoma, the deadliest of skin cancers, is on the rise in young adults and has become the most common form of cancer for those 25-29 years old. In addition, it is the second most common cancer for young people 15-29 years old.  On average, a person’s risk of developing a melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five blistering sunburns (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015).

How Do Sunless Tanners Work?
The safest way to achieve a tanned look is to use sunless tanning products.  

Sunless tanning products contain an ingredient called dihydroxyacetone (DHA) which is also known as glycerone.  Glycerone is a simple sugar, a triose, with the formula: C3H6O3. When the sugar interacts with the proteins (amino acids) that are naturally located in the outermost layer of your skin, the epidermis, it causes a chemical reaction that produces a tanned color ranging from yellow to brown.

Sunless tanning products contain DHA in concentrations ranging from 1% to 15%. Most products found in your local pharmacy range from 3% to 5%, with professional products ranging from 5% to 15%. The higher the concentration of DHA, the darker the skin color.

Lighter products are easier to obtain a more even tan but may require multiple coats to reach the desired depth of color.

Darker products produce a dark tan in a single application, but streaking may be a consequence.
The artificial tan takes 2 to 4 hours to begin appearing on the skin surface and will continue to darken for 24 to 72 hours, depending on formulation type.

Once the darkening effect has occurred, the tan will not sweat off or wash away with soap or water.

Since skin cells undergo rapid turnover and naturally slough off every 3-7 days, thus the tan will fade and will need to be repeated.  Exfoliation, prolonged water submersion, or heavy sweating can lighten the tan, as these all contribute to exfoliation of the surface skin cells that have been tinted by the sunless tanner.

Research has demonstrated that for 24 hours after sunless tanner application, the skin is especially susceptible to free-radical damage from sunlight. Therefore, it is recommended that for a day after self-tanner application, excessive sun exposure should be avoided and a sunscreen should be worn when outdoors.

An antioxidant cream may also minimize free radical production. Although some self-tanners contain sunscreen, the effect does not last long. Despite darkening of the skin, an individual is just as susceptible to harmful UV rays. A sunless tan, therefore, will not protect the skin from UV exposure.

A word of caution from a toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine: Inhalation of the fumes of the sunless tanners may enter the lungs and be absorbed into the body. The compounds may promote the development of cancers.

When used topically, sunless tanners have been approved by the FDA as safe.

Types of Sunless Tanners
There are many different types of sunless tanning products on the market. These products range from sprays, mousses, gels, lotions, creams, and cosmetic wipes that are available at your local drug store.

Professionally applied products include spray tanning booths and airbrush tan applications.

Common Tanning Myths 

  • Tanning indoors before you go on a big vacation is good so you can get a base tan.  MYTH!


The body’s response to UV injury is a tan.  Regardless of whether you tan before or on your vacation, you are injuring your skin!  You are still at high risk of burning regardless of how tanned you are prior to your vacation.


  • Tanning in a tanning bed is safer than tanning outdoors. MYTH!


Tanning beds are designed to give you significant levels of UV radiation in a much shorter time.  Tanning for 20 minutes in an indoor tanning bed is equivalent to tanning outdoors for several hours.  One indoor tanning session increases one’s risk for developing skin cancer by 20% and each additional indoor tanning session within the same year will increase your chance by an additional 2% each time (Skin Cancer Foundation, 2015).


  • Tanning is a great way to get your Vitamin D. MYTH!

While getting an adequate amount of Vitamin D is important to our overall general health, there are better ways to get it than tanning! The risks of tanning, to boost vitamin D, certainly do not outweigh the benefits.

Fortunately, we don’t live in Iceland and so we usually get adequate amounts of sunshine and Vitamin D from being outdoors. The safest way to ensure adequate levels of Vitamin D is through our diet.  Foods high in vitamin D are mushrooms, mackerel, sockeye salmon, herring, sardines, catfish, tuna, cod liver oil and eggs.

A daily multivitamin with vitamin D is also recommended.    


  • Can I still have a tanned torso?

The take home message is sun tanning is very dangerous.  The short term benefits of tanned skin are not worth the serious health risks that could result.  So, yes, you can be tan today, if you change your way.  Don’t delay, just change to a spray!


Vanessa Lelli, DNP, FNP-C
Bryan Michelow, MD