TANNING BEDLAM

Cosmetic tanning is a 20th century fashion craze.

THE HISTORY OF TANNING

Crimson White Ad

Before the 20th century, upper-class men and women alike powdered their skin to get a

paler complexion.

From Wikipedia

During the Industrial Revolution, working-class laborers moved from farms to factories and grew pale, while the upper-class

spent their leisure time outdoors and became tanned.

From the Guardian.co.uk

In 1906, ultra-violet lamps were invented in Germany by Heraeus, a

medical corporation.

Late 1929 ad

Tanning popularity sky-rocketed by the 1920’s.

1920’s ad

Since the 1920’s, ultra-violet lamps were also

advertised for their “health benefits”.

1929 ad

The sunlamps offered multiple benefits at once.

1941 ad

A Healthy Tan

1941 ad

Healthy Complexion and Teeth

1941 ad

Healthy Vitamin D

1941 ad

1932 ad

Job Listing for Sunlamp Salesmen

1931 ad

Children were repeatedly targeted by the sunlamp

industry.

1931 ad

1931 ad

1928 ad

1928 ad

1960 ad

Tanning by the Quarter

1935 ad

Sunlamp Brands Newborns to Prevent Hospital Mix-ups

1938 ad

In the defense industry during World War II, it was thought that workers could

be kept healthier while working longer hours if they

were given several extra minutes of sunlight with

sunlamps.

1940’s ad

1948 ad

A late 1940’s advertisement for the “ultra-violet ray lamp” in the Medical Journal of Australia.

1950 ad

Tanning for health remained a trend through the 1950’s.

However, beauty was gradually eclipsing health as

the main reason to tan.

1947 ad

1953 ad

1957 ad

1958 ad

The Evolution of the Sunlamp: the 1960’s…

1960’s ad

Tanning beds began replacing sunlamps in the early 1970’s.

From ONW Convergence Journalism

“Suntan Tuesday Taylor”, a 1977 fashion doll by Ideal

circa 1977

circa 1977

From the 1970’s to the present day, tanning beds have become a cultural addiction.

From the Crimson White

From the Crimson White

From the Crimson White

From the Crimson White

THE 3 BIGGEST MYTHS ON INDOOR TANNING

1. Indoor tanning is as safe, or safer, than sun-bathing

MythFrom Palm Beach Tan:

“…Regular exposure to sunlight can: strengthen bones regulate blood pressure reduce stress and tensionkeep hair, skin and nails strong and healthy.”

“Tan Fact: Our state-of-the-art tanning equipment is designed to replicate the UVA and UVB produced by the sun, while allowing you to control your exposure.”

FactFrom the Skin Cancer Foundation:

“When compared to people who have never tanned indoors, indoor tanners have a higher risk of all forms of skin cancer. A controlled dose of tanning lamp radiation is a high dose: Frequent tanners using new high-pressure sunlamps may receive as much as 12 times the annual ultraviolet A (UVA) dose they receive from sun exposure.”

Tanning and sun-bathing cause the same kind of harm to your

skin, but tanning beds allow for a deeper tan (and thus, more

harm) in a shorter time-span:

20 minutes in a tanning bed = 4 minutes of indoor tanning

Every time you tan, the epidermis (outer layer of the

skin) breaks, allowing UVA rays-- which causes melanoma and premature aging of the skin –

to get down deeper into the skin. From there, it shakes up the secretion and activation of

melanin, which is necessary for tanning.

2. Indoor tanning is a safe way to tan without sunburns or sunscreens

FactFrom the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention:

“Indoor tanning and tanning outside are both dangerous. Although tanning beds operate on a timer, the exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can vary based on the age and type of light bulbs. You can still get a burn from tanning indoors, and even a tan indicates damage to your skin.”

MythFrom the Indoor Tanning Association:

“Indoor tanning, for individuals who can develop a tan, is a smart way to minimize the risk of contracting sunburn while maximizing the enjoyment and benefit of having a tan…By taking into account the tanner’s skin type and the intensity of the equipment, this schedule helps to deliver a dosage of UV light that is designed to minimize the risk of sunburn. .. This kind of control is impossible outdoors, where variables including seasonality, time of day, weather conditions, reflective surfaces and altitude all make sunburn prevention more difficult.”

From Health Made Easy:

“In a news release issued by the Cancer Institute of New Jersey, study author Jerod Stapleton, a

behavioral scientist at the institute, said their findings reveal that indoor

tanning, which is promoted as a ‘controlled’ exposure to ultraviolet radiation “resulting in minimal risk

of burn, results in quite the opposite.” He said that in spite of these claims, the findings of their

study suggest that sunburn commonly occurs as a result of

using a tanning bed. “This is particularly worrisome given data

that suggest sunburns increase future skin cancer risk,” he added.”

3. Indoor tanning is a safe way to get Vitamin D

FactFrom the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention:

“Vitamin D is important for bone health, but studies showing links between vitamin D and other health conditions are inconsistent. Although it is important to get enough vitamin D, the safest way is through diet or supplements. Tanning harms your skin, and the amount of time spent tanning to get enough vitamin D varies from person to person.”

MythFrom VitaminDTanning.com:

“…tanning lamps that emit some UVB light - and most of them do - have been shown by peer-reviewed research to stimulate vitamin D production in the skin and elevate blood levels of vitamin D in the body. While it may not be necessary to develop a tan to produce sufficient amounts of vitamin D, and while dietary supplements are an alternative, UVB exposure is the body's natural way to produce vitamin D.”

INDOOR TANNING AND SKIN CANCER

Each year, there are 160,000 cases of melanoma worldwide and 48, 000 deaths occurring from melanoma.

In the United States alone, there will be 27,000 cases of melanoma this years and 8,900 deaths occurring from melanoma.

One third of those who contract melanoma will die of the disease.

But some of these melanoma cases could have been easily prevented from ever happening.

Studies have shown that an individual’s melanoma risk increases by 75% just by going to the tanning bed more than

ten times each year.

INDOOR TANNING AND SKIN CANCER

Indoor tanning beds are listed as a Group 1 carcinogen (cancer causing substance) by the International Agency for Research on

Cancer. To put this ranking in perspective, cigarettes are also listed as a Group 1 carcinogen.

INDOOR TANNING AND SKIN CANCER

Key Risk Factors:

- Light skin

- Family history

- Childhood sunburns

- Sensitive skin, including freckles

- Blue/green eyes

- Red/blonde hair

- Moles

A-B-C’s of Melanoma

- Asymmetry

- Border irregularity

- Color bleaching at lesion’s borders

- Diameter: ¼ inch

- Elevation

A Melanoma Lesion

2007 edition of the Crimson White

Advertisement from the American Academy of Dermatology

2009 edition of the Tuscaloosa News

INDOOR TANNING AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

Melanoma is the second most common cancer for young people between the ages of 15 and 29.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states that “people who begin tanning younger than age 35

have a 75% higher risk of melanoma.”

The most frequent indoor tanners are 18-29 year olds and those who have some degree of

college education.

INDOOR TANNING AND COLLEGE STUDENTS

Most college students have heard about the risks associated with indoor tanning, but they try to “rationalize” their habit

or addiction.

The largest defense of college students for indoor tanning is that they “look better when they are tanned”.

Many students admit that “tanning beds make them ill, but everything causes cancer these days”, and they insist that “tanning bed use is no more risky than lots of things that

people do”.

INDOOR TANNING AND ADDICTION

A study documented in the Archives of Dermatology discovered that addiction to tanning beds are a serious

problem, specifically among college students.

As many as 39% of college students could be addicted to indoor tanning.

With this addiction comes increased anxiety and increased alcohol and drug use.

But the most disturbing issue is that, in the same study, 100% of the college students said that they were aware of the skin

cancer risk involved with indoor tanning.

INDOOR TANNING AND ADDICTION

It is true that tanning produces endorphins, which is an incentive, whether consciously or subconsciously, for

people to tan.

However, these endorphins could actually be the center of the problem, because tanning beds release so many endorphins that tanning becomes an addiction.

This New Jersey woman was arrested and charged with second-degree child endangerment when school officials investigated a rash found on her

five-year-old daughter’s skin.

Although she pleaded not guilty and says that her daughter never went to a tanning salon, she herself admitted that she has visited tanning salons for

years and has tanned beyond the average tan-goer.

Every special occasion can be used by the industry as an excuse to get a tan.

INDOOR TANNING AND CULTURE

Even health and educational centers have not gone untouched by the tanning industry.

Article from the Crimson White on the opening of the new Student Health Center at the University of Alabama

Advertisement for the Opening Celebration of the Student Health Center

Among the prizes is a tanning bed certificate

An advertisement for sunlamps in a 1947 edition

of the Crimson White

A modern advertisement for indoor tanning from a

2012 edition of the Crimson White

From the University of Alabama’s Telephone Directory

Advertisement Targeted at University Students

Advertisement Connecting Tanning to UA Football

Based on a lecture by

Dr. Alan Blum, M.D.Director, the University of Alabama Center for the

Study of Tobacco and Society

for the University of Alabama’s Student Health Center, October 2012

Research conducted by Dr. Alan Blum and Courtney KaderbekSlideshow designed by Courtney Kaderbek

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Photographs

• Tanning Bed Photograph, from ONW Convergence Journalism– http://www.onwravens.net/ravendaily/2011/10/13/tanning-beds-banned-in-california/

• CotyTan Ad, from Duke University Libraries Digital Collections– http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/adaccess/guide/cosmetics/

• “Slot Machine Vends 25c Sunburns” Advertisement, from Modern Mechanix– http://blog.modernmechanix.com/slot-machine-vends-25c-sunburns/

• “Wanted: Men to Sell Sunbeams” Advertisement, from Modern Mechanix– http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jan/09/employment-law-market-changes

• Industrial Revolution Factory Photograph, from the Guardian.co.uk– http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/jan/09/employment-law-market-changes

• Marie Antoinette Painting, from Wikipedia– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Marie_Antoinette_by_Joseph_Ducreux.jpg

• Palm Beach Tan Christmas Advertisement, Palm Beach Tan.com– http://palmbeachtan.com/

• “The Positive Side of Tanning”, VitaminDTanning.com– http://vitamindtanning.com/vitamin_d__the_positive_side_of_tanning

• “Skin Cancer Myths vs. Facts”, SkinCancer.org– http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/myths-vs-facts

• “Basic Information About Skin Cancer, from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.com– http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/index.htm

• “Sunbed Tanning” from Palm Beach Tan.com– http://palmbeachtan.com/sunbed-tanning/

• “Sunwise” from Palm Beach Tan.com– http://palmbeachtan.com/sunbed-tanning/how-to-get-the-perfect-color/#sunwise-info

• DuPont Tan Ad– http://www.cracked.com/article_18772_13-wildly-irresponsible-vintage-ads-aimed-at-kids.html

• “New Sun Lamp Held in Hand Brands Babies”, from Modern Mechanix– http://blog.modernmechanix.com/new-sun-lamp-held-in-hand-brands-babies/

• Suntan Tuesday Taylor Photographs– http://phillycollector.blogspot.com/2010/03/bewitched-and-bewildered-by-boxes-part.html

• “Sunshine in a Tube,” from Modern Mechanix– http://blog.modernmechanix.com/sunshine-in-a-tube/

• “Healthful Sleep on an Ultra-Violet Ray Bed”, from Modern Mechanix – http://blog.modernmechanix.com/healthful-sleep-on-ultra-violet-ray-bed/

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• “Tuesday Taylor and Taylor Jones, more fashionable girls from Ideal!”, CrissyandBeth.com– http://crissyandbeth.com/Tuesday.html

• “The History of Tanning”, Paradis Island Tan– http://www.paradisislandtan.com/history.html

• “History”, Oracle Thinkquest Educational Foundation– http://library.thinkquest.org/15215/Foe/Tanning/history.html

• “The History of the Suntan”, Suntan.com– http://www.suntan.com/?factshistory

• “History of Tanning Beds”, Sunco Tanning– http://www.sunotanning.com/wolff tanning beds.htm

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• “Indoor Tanners Rationalize Risky Behavior”, U.S. News– http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/06/20/indoor-tanners-rationalize-risky-behavior-study-finds

• “Use of Indoor Tanning Devices by Adults – United States, 2010”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention– http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6118a2.htm

• “What Does Melanoma Look Like?”, Melanoma.com– http://www.melanoma.com/what_does.html

• “Tanning Hazards Information Sheet”, New York Department of Health– http://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/tanning/fact_sheet.htm

• “Skin Cancer Facts”, Skin Cancer Foundation– (http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts#indoor)

• “The Positive Side of Tanning”, Vitamin D Tanning.com– http://vitamindtanning.com/vitamin_d__the_positive_side_of_tanning

• “Burn Injuries Common among College Students Who Tan”, Health Made Easy.com– http://www.healthmadeeasy.com/health-news/burn-injuries-common-among-college-students-who-use-tanning-beds/

• “Basic Information About Skin Cancer”, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention– (http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/indoor_tanning.html)

• “Skin Cancer Myths vs. Facts”, Skin Cancer Foundation– (http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/myths-vs-facts)

• “Sunbed Tanning”, Palm Beach Tan– http://palmbeachtan.com/sunbed-tanning/

• “How to Get the Perfect Tan”, Palm Beach Tan– (http://www.palmbeachtan.com/sunbed-tanning/how-to-get-the-perfect-color/#sunwise-info)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

• “FAQs”, Indoor Tanning Association– http://www.theita.com/?page=FAQs#responsible

• “N.J. Tanning Mom: ‘I love to tan,’ but didn’t burn my daughter in a salon bed”, NJ.com– http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/05/nj_tanning_mom_i_love_to_tan_b.html

• “N.J. Tanning Mom Reportedly Banned from Tanning Salons”, ABC News– http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/05/n-j-tanning-mom-reportedly-banned-from-salons/

• “College Tanning Bed Addicts: Why?”, CBS News.com– http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-37241947/college-tanning-bed-addicts-why/

• “Young People May Not Perceive Tanning as a Particular Danger”, Dermatology Associates of Plymouth Meetings, P.C. (from the Archives of Dermatology)– http://plymouthmeetingdermatology.com/young-people-may-not-perceive-tanning-beds-as-a-particular-danger/

• “Reasons for Tanning Bed Use: a survey of community colleges in North Carolina”, PubMed.gov– http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22860315