Tanning beds and skin cancer.

Yes we said it! The C word. The word no tanning salon wants to talk about.

It’s no secret that tanning in excess can cause skin cancer. Here at Bodilight we take our responsibility as a provider of indoor tanning solutions very seriously and don’t hide or sugar coat this fact. Whilst we put in limitations on sunbed use (both in number of minutes and frequency of use) we need you, our customers to also know the risks and manage yourselves appropriately.

We can’t stop the people who use multiple tanning salons in an attempt to bypass the restrictions we place and we rely on people to fill out the disclosure forms honestly. We recently had to ban someone who had recently recovered from skin cancer but who attempted to lie on our forms in order to gain access to the beds. This is so serious and thankfully our staff were able to pick this up on this occasion. Once diagnosed with a melanoma (skin cancer) you are nine times more likely to develop a second cancer. If you are in one of the high risk groups, you should avoid the sun and sunbeds as if your life depends on it, because it may well do.

So how does skin cancer occur?

Ultraviolet rays can be carcinogenic. Our sunbeds at Bodilight deliver less of the UVB rays that cause burning but also deliver a concentrated does of UVA. This is very similar to being in the afternoon sun on the beach in the Mediterranean so should be treated with the same caution as you would on holiday. It’s the damage caused by over exposure to these rays that can cause the cells to mutate and form skin cancers.

It can take 24-48hrs for the exposure to develop and so we recommend waiting at least 24 hrs between visits in order to see how your skin is reacting and always build up your minutes slowly.

Keeping an eye on changes in your skin is vital and regular tanners should get an annual skin check. People with fair skin, blonde or red hair and blue or green eyes are also more susceptible to burning.

People under the age of 35 are also more susceptible, so we recommend that younger tanners are particularly careful.

The right creams not only help maintain your tan but they can also reduce the signs of ageing associated with the sun. Look out for our creams with Vitamin D. They also keep the skin hydrated which also helps prevent damage and ageing.

We recommend moderate use during the summer as a tool to build a base tan and prevent burning when you go on holiday or if you are out enjoying the great British Summer (!). We also advise people to use beds in the winter when there is less natural sunshine and the benefits of UV light can be enjoyed without over exposure.

Amazingly we see the exact opposite. In our experience people are using sunbeds more in the summer and even when the sun is out in the UK. Sounds counterintuitive but it’s true. Why not go out and enjoy some natural sunshine and save the indoor tanning for the colder months?

As a family run business we want everyone to tan right at Bodilight and avoid over exposure. Everything in life is about moderation and light therapy is another one of those things. Be safe, be smart, be informed and look after yourself. You only get one body in this life so look after it.

Tan right @ Bodilight