Tanning occurs when your skin darkens from exposure to ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation, either from the sun or from a commercial tanning machine or lamp. UVA radiation goes through your skin to the lower layers, where it triggers cells called melanocytes to produce melanin, the brown pigment that causes your skin to tan.

You get a sunburn when you’re exposed to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, which burns the upper layers of your skin. Melanin helps prevent your skin from burning.

However, even if your skin tans without a burn, you are still being exposed to both UVA and UVB radiation. You are not protected from skin cancer, wrinkles, sun spots, eye problems, or damage to your immune system. UVA radiation can also lead to melanoma, which is the most deadly form of skin cancer. Melanoma can spread from your skin to your body’s other organs and to lymph nodes near the site of the cancer.

Melanoma can occur anywhere on the body but is most common in the areas frequently exposed to sunlight. Skin cancers are usually treated by excision, which means cutting the tumors out.

UVA damage is also the main factor in premature aging. The majority of wrinkles are caused by exposure to the sun. UVA rays also contribute to cataracts of the eye.

To protect yourself from sun damage from either tanning or burning, stay out of the sun between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, wear protective clothing, wear wraparound sunglasses that provide 100 percent UV protection, and avoid sunlamps and tanning beds. You should also check your skin for changes in the size, shape, color, or feel of birthmarks, moles, and spots. Such changes can be an indication of skin cancer, which can be cured when detected early.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States.
  2. Darker-complexioned people tan more easily than lighter-skinned people because the melanocytes in people with darker skin produce more melanin.
  3. You can get a suntan or sunburn at any temperature.
  4. Up to 80 percent of Americans under age 25 think they look better tanned.