People generally love to have a great tan. That bronzed look says to many that you have time to spend in the sun, relaxing, gathering rays, which is turn seems to say “success” to many because you have the kind of leisure time to do that. A good even tan makes you look healthy. But is a tan really healthy? It CAN be but it needs to be done correctly so that underneath that killer tan you are not doing damage to your skin.

Tanning occurs when the skin produces additional pigment (coloring) to protect itself against burn from these ultraviolet rays. Natural sunlight and the ultra-violet lamps in tanning beds produce these UV rays. With tanning beds you can avoid sun’s harmful effects from the mildest ones to the harshest such as wrinkles, freckles, skin discolorations, and even skin cancer.

In reality, a tan indicates a skin “problem”. There is still the opportunity to be concerned about skin damage when using a tanning bed, but there are several steps you can take to minimize that risk. You don’t want the trade-off for a great tan to be premature aging of the skin or wrinkles, but the proper use of a tanning bed with knowledge of what you are doing can minimize (although not eliminate) the hazards and risks.

The UV rays used by the tanning bed lamps have been found to enforce the production of vitamin D in the skin. This works in the same way that direct exposure to the sun’s rays will. The UV rays, particularly the UVB type, are responsible for stimulating the production of melanin, which is a naturally occurring skin pigment.

The type of tanning bed that you typically see in both residential and commercial places like a tanning salon are horizontal tanning beds. These range in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on various factors such as the intensity of the UV lamps, and extra features such as a fan to keep you cool while you are tanning, and even a radio or CD player so you can listen to music while you use it.

Whether a commercial or residential model, tanning beds emit a mixture of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation to produce a bronzed look on white skin. In other words, the ultra violet light used by the UV lamps in a tanning bed is almost exactly the same kind of ultra violet light that comes from the sun. What this means is that the same risks can occur. Yes, without proper protection, you can get a sunburn from tanning bed use, and it will be every bit as painful.

For optimal results, your best bet is to talk with the professional at the tanning salon, or for a residential model, read the owner’s manual from front to back before you even plug the unit in. Understand the proper usage and the proper length of time to use it. You can maximize your tanning efforts by the use of various tanning lotions, which also have the added benefit of helping to protect your skin to the maximum level possible.