With the onset of summer, cases of sun damage to skin keep cropping up. However, indoor tanning, which is being used by more and more women, is also responsible for damage to skin, and poses serious risks of cancer and skin disorders, including premature aging. Herbally Radiant has been highlighting regularly the risks from indoor tanning.
Stapleton was surprised to note from a study of college-aged women, how much peers were involved with tanning. They talk with their friends about tanning, compare their tans and go on tanning dates together. The key point of interest was how women have internalized tanning as a really important part of the way they need to look and who they are, and how they present themselves to the world.
It can be helpful to show UV photos or give information about the sun damage appearance, but it doesn’t always deter tanners. For example, a study showed an appearance-focused intervention was effective at reducing tanning among women with lower prior knowledge of appearance risks, but its effects were less powerful for those who already knew about these risks. It is believed that the potential for long-term risks may not deter frequent tanners who have a powerful investment in the immediate benefits of tanning.
On the possible web-based intervention with an app component, it is hoped to make women think about their reasons for tanning, and get them to reconsider. Is it really worth the risks? Are there other ways to get the benefits they feel they gain by tanning? More information can be sent to them regularly through the app or twice-weekly text messages to keep things fresh in their mind.
It is disappointing to note that tanning beds are available at nearly half of top US colleges. University administrators need to be made aware of serious health risk from indoor tanning and advised that there is no place for tanning beds on campus.
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