Now that prom and spring season have approached, some people are feeling the need to run to the nearest tanning salon. There are many different ways that people may decide to tan. For example, there is tanning in a tanning bed, spray tan in a machine or professionally done, tanning lotion bought from a store and applied manually or just sun bathing.

     “I tan because it’s the best 20 minutes ever and you end up with a perfect brown glow. Tanning is great because you feel better when your dark and it gets you in mood for summer. It’s better than spray tan and the personal tanning lotion is because with those you turn orange, but with tanning beds it looks more like a natural tan,” Brooklyn Colvin, 11, said.

     Even though it may not be safer than spray tanning or using tanning lotion, the tanning bed is a better choice than lying in the sun. According to Vanderbilt.edu, a tanning bed is safer than the sun because the lights bulbs in the bed produce 40 % less UVB than the sun. UVB rays are waves of ultra violet light that penetrate the skin causing it to tan and sometimes burning. 

     “I tan in preparation for boating season. I want to do it gradually, and not go out on the water and get burned,” Vice- President, Garry Ferguson, said.

      However, there is more bad than good from the tanning beds. Also, according to Vanderbilt.edu, since UVA rays penetrate deep in the skin they can destroy skin fibers and damage elasticity which could lead to premature aging and wrinkles. An abundance of UVA rays can ultimately lead to skin cancer like malignant melanoma. Also, according to a study in Sweden, people who use tanning beds more than ten times a year are 7 times more like to likely to develop malignant melanoma than those who do not use tanning beds. The study also concluded that melanoma risks are increased by 300% for those using tanning beds occasionally, and that the risks increase by 800% for those who use tanning beds more than 10 times a year.

     “Anything is access is bad. Apples are suppose to be healthy for you, but if you eat too many of them you will get really sick, so always use moderation when tanning. Do not go overboard,” said Pruitt.

    If one is to tan in a tanning bed, he or she should always take safety precautions when doing so.  To avoid extreme harm being done to the skin a person could safely tan by moisturizing their skin on a daily basis to keep the tan longer and limit the number of trips to the tanning salon. Always wear eye wear to protect the eyes from damage to the cornea and retinas and causing conjunctivitis and corneal infections. Another important safety tip is to only tan once a week to save the skin from over exposure, according to nutralegacy.com, a tan or burn can take up to 48 hours to appear on the skin.

    “I tan because I am going a cruise and I want to get a base coat so I don’t burn when I’m out there,” said nurse, Rhonda Pruitt.