Tanning can be addictive

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

New experiments suggest that some people get more than a suntan out of using a sunbed.
Overfrequent use of tanning beds can lead to skin aging and skin cancer. So it is important to try to understand why some use beds more than is necessary to gain a tan. Previous research by a team at Wake Forest University has suggested that exposure to ultraviolet light may improve mood, by producing endorphins, the body's 'feel good' chemicals, in the brain.

A new study by the same team develops this idea. A small group of frequent tanners - who used beds eight to 15 times a month - and a group who tanned not more than 15 times a year - were given either naltrexone or placebo. Naltrexone blocks endorphins and is used in the treatment of addiction. The frequent tanners given naltrexone showed a reduced desire for tanning and a few actually showed withdrawal symptoms such as nausea or jitteriness. The findings suggest that tanning could be an addictive activity and those affected should perhaps consider safer ways of improving their mood.

Source
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology April 2006

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