Newsbeat guide to... sunbeds and tanning

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Page last updated at 10:02 GMT, Thursday, 17 January 2013

E-mail this to a friend

By Amelia Butterly
Newsbeat reporter Woman on a sunbed

Nine out of 10 sunbeds in England do not meet British and European safety standards, new research suggests.

The levels of ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted by 400 sunbeds were on average two times higher than recommended limits, say the British Journal of Dermatology.

Researchers say the number of skin cancers will rise if nothing is done.

Sunbed manufacturers say regulation is making them safer to use.

What are the risks of using sunbeds and is there anything you can do to be safer using them?

How do sunbeds work?

Sunbeds work by exposing the skin to ultra-violet (UV) radiation, similar to that found in sunshine.

This releases a chemical called melanin, which causes the skin to tan.

However, while sunlight contains a mix of UVA and UVB radiation, sunbeds produce mainly UVA radiation, which penetrates deeper into your skin.

It is estimated that 20 minutes on a sunbed can be equivalent to approximately four hours in the sun.

A model alongside an image of her damaged skin detected by the UV scanner

Scanners can reveal the damage done to skin by tanning

What are the risks?

Doctors say using a sunbed is not necessarily safer than tanning in the sun.

The NHS says avoid sunbeds if you:

have fair, sensitive skin that burns easily, or tans slowly or poorly
have a history of sunburn, particularly in childhood
have lots of freckles and/or red hair
have lots of moles
use medicines that make skin sensitive to sunlight
have a medical condition that is made worse by sunlight
if someone in your family has had skin cancer
already have skin badly damaged by sunlight

They also say the risks from UV rays are greater the younger you are. It is now illegal for people under the age of 18 to use sunbeds.

Prolonged exposure to UV rays increases your risk of developing malignant melanoma, which is the most serious form of skin cancer.

According to the NHS, the rays can also hurt your eyes, by causing problems such as irritation, conjunctivitis or cataracts, especially if you don't wear goggles.

Damage can also be done to your skin, including causing wrinkles, loss of elasticity and premature aging.

Sunbed manufacturers say they are getting safer to use and that the recent studies are out of date.