“THE GOLDEN RULE OF RESPONSIBLE TANNING”: SUNBURN IS THE ENEMY!
How Do Indoor Tanning Salons Teach Sunburn Prevention?
The indoor tanning industry is at the forefront in educating people how to successfully avoid sunburn over the course of one’s life.
• Studies have shown consistently that once a person begins tanning in a professional salon, they are less likely to sunburn than they were before they started tanning.
• Studies have also shown that indoor tanners are less likely to sunburn outdoors as compared to non-tanners.
Consider: In recent years, sunburn incidences in the general population has been steadily increasing while sunscreen usage has been declining. And according to the American Academy of Dermatology, the sub-group most likely to sunburn is older men. In contrast, sunscreen usage outdoors among indoor tanners is increasing.
We believe that teaching people to strictly avoid the sun may be making them more likely to sunburn when they do go outside for summer activities – and everyone does go outdoors at some point. Consider:
1. Tanning is your body’s natural defense mechanism against sunburn, and indoor tanners have activated this defense against burning – a tan essentially multiplies the ability of sunscreen worn outdoors to do its job. That’s one reason non-tanners are more vulnerable when they inevitably do go outdoors.
2. At professional indoor tanning facilities, tanners are educated about how to avoid sunburn outdoors, encouraged to use sunscreens appropriately and advised to properly moisturize their skin.
3. When you also consider that the majority of people who sunburn are male, according to the AAD, and that 65-70 percent of indoor tanners are female, clearly, it’s non-tanners who are doing most of the burning outdoors.
In the war against sunburn, tanning salons are part of the solution! Those who abstain from sun exposure completely are more likely to sunburn when they inevitably do go outdoors, even if they attempt to protect their skin with sunscreen.
