Beware sunbeds if you want to avoid skin cancer

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Sunbed users are at increased risk of skin cancer from unregulated facilities, according to a new study.
Sunbeds are popular because they give you a tan - and even a mental lift - when the weather is gloomy. But the ultraviolet light that gives you the tan can also raise the risk of skin cancer. Dr Harry Moseley, a medical physics expert at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, says that the ultraviolet light outputs of sunbeds have increased over the last ten years, putting users at increased risk of skin cancer.

He led a survey of sunbeds in two areas of Scotland, testing 133 sunbeds in a wide range of premises, from tanning studios to sports centers. As many as 83 per cent had ultraviolet light outputs that exceeded the limit laid down by the British and European standard. Comparing the results with a similar survey carried out in 1997 showed that the risk of developing skin cancer from a sunbed is now between two to three times greater. There has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of unregulated privately-operated sunbeds, and more sunbeds with high power lamps. Many of the sunbeds in this survey were coin-operated and unsupervised, without limit on age or number of sessions. There is a need, says Dr Moseley, for more regulation of the sunbed industry and more education on the dangers of ultraviolet light among the public.

Source
Society for Radiological Protection meeting 30th January 2007

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