In order to supplement holiday sunshine many people now take to sun beds during the winter months. Thousands of sunbeds have been bought for private homes and many clinics have been set up by entrepreneurs anxious to cash in on the boom.If you are planning on using a sunbed then you should be aware of these facts:
1 There is no evidence to show that spending time on a sunbed improves health or helps to alleviate disease. The reports that do exist seem to be based on subjective evidence provided by happy customers rather than on objective and critical scientific research.
2 Lying on a sunbed is as dangerous as spending time in the sun. Apart from the risk of getting burnt there is risk of skin drying out, wrinkling being induced and cancer developing. There is evidence too that certain disorders, such as psoriasis, can be made worse by lying on a sunbed. All the rules about sunbathing should be obeyed.
3 Goggles must always be worn; otherwise you risk eye damage.
4 Only about one in three people get a good suntan from lying on a sunbed. The other two-thirds end up with either a moderate tan or no tan at all. It seems that there are differences between the suntan obtained from sunshine and the one obtained from a sunbed. People who normally tan well in the sun don't necessarily tan well on a sun bed and a sunbed tan won't prevent burning when your skin is exposed to the sun.