Tanning Terror

When I think of skin health, the first thing that comes to mind is 

Tanning Beds.

My aunt (let's call her Jane) had skin cancer most likely from tanning bed use four different times. Four. Different. Times!

Why would "Jane" keep tanning? Here are a few ideas I've come up with:

1. Social pressures and vanity can be more valuable to her than the possible    health risks.

   Here is a picture I saw on a wall of a hair salon/tanning facility this past weekend:

Because Life is TOO short to be PALE...

What an ad huh? Kind of convincing? Make you want to get a tan? 

Tanning beds not only can cause skin cancer (melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma) but they can also cause premature skin aging (wrinkles), toughen the texture of skin, and cause cataracts and certain cancers of the eye.

2. She had the "it won't happen to me" attitude.

Well, in the United States alone, there are over 400,000 cases of skin cancer associated with indoor tanning. 400,000! AND JUST ONE indoor tanning session can increase your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67% and basal cell carcinoma by 29%

Guess what? It can happen to you!

3. Maybe she thought indoor tanning was a safer alternative to sitting in the sun.... #false

• A tan is just your skin's response to the damage and injury of the UV rays.
• Getting a base tan does very little to protect you from future burns.
• Even if you don't burn after a tanning session, damage from the UV rays has been done.
• 

So, I don't know why Jane continued to tan indoors even though she had skin cancer    4 separate times but I do know that she is not alone. It is easy to think of Jane and say "wow, how ridiculous - she obviously needs to quit tanning." BUT how many of you tan indoors? how about regularly?

My hope for this post is to raise a little awareness of the REAL dangers of indoor tanning and possibly create a small decrease in tanning bed users :)

Now that we know some of the statistics and dangers associated with tanning beds - the next post will be concerned with different ways to care for your skin. <3<3<3

References

American Academy of Dermatology. (2016). Indoor tanning. Retrieved from  https://www.aad.org/media/stats/prevention-and-care

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015, August 25). Indoor tanning is not safe. Retrieved from  http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/indoor_tanning.htm

Introduction

Hello! 

My name is Molly Mihlbachler.

I have been involved in several aspects of the health field throughout my life. My mom owned a home care agency my entire childhood, I worked as a CNA, worked for an eye doctor, and am currently a dental hygienist getting my undergraduate degree in community health. I have a passion for prevention. I was also once featured on Jimmy Fallon for his #FallonCostume contest, so I guess you can call me famous too :)

As for this blog, it will contain posts about skin health. I chose this topic because there are so many aspects to skin health and I know several people (family, friends, and a co-worker) who have all had some sort of skin condition. I would like to anonymously blog about each of their experiences and treatment and discuss prevention. Hope you enjoy!