The FINANCIAL — Doctors in Georgia worry that the number of patients damaged by UV radiation is increasing.
There is no legislation regulating indoor tanning among teenagers and adults. Studies show that an hour of exposure at the same UV intensity – whether it is in an hour long block or four 15 minutes sessions – can still cause the same level of cellular damage to the skin.
IARC (the International Agency for Research on Cancer, a section of the United Nations World Health Organization) has classified UV-emitting tanning devices in the group 1, highest risk class for cancer along with tobacco smoking and asbestos. Analysis shows that the risk of melanoma is increased by 75% when the use of tanning devices starts before the age of 30. These findings reinforce current recommendations by the World Health Organization to avoid sunlamps and tanning parlours and to protect yourself from overexposure to the sun.
The world rate of skin cancer has tripled since the 1970s.
UV (ultraviolet) radiation emitted by solariums significantly increases the risk of all types of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and the deadliest form, melanoma. UV radiation can also induce sunburn, scarring, pre-cancerous lesions, Bowen’s disease (hard, scaly skin), eye damage (i.e. cataracts), photoaging (i.e. wrinkles), and suppression of the immune system which may increase the chance of infection or disease.
In spite of such recommendations and the high risk factor the use of indoor tanning is increasing. The number of solarium users in the world had doubled in the past decade.
“Sun rays and exposure to UV radiation is necessary for the production of vitamin D in the skin,” said Raibul Todua, Head of the Skin, Soft Tissues and Bone Tumours Department at Tbilisi Cancer Centre. “The first artificial indoor tanning was used in polar zones, which don’t receive much sunlight throughout the year. Consequently vitamin D as well as melanin is not produced naturally in the skin. But later tanned skin became a sign of fashion and solariums have begun to be used just for aesthetic purposes.”
“When natural as well as artificial UV radiation is more than the norm, it causes mutation of skin cells. Cells aren’t generating the same type of cells, but completely different ones and lots of cancer ones too,” Todua added.
UV radiation is especially dangerous in a person’s early years. In some countries, like Australia, Britain and the USA, indoor tanning is strongly forbidden under the age of 18. According to the latest publication by Cancer Research UK, a solarium is able to produce UV radiation up to 5 times the strength of the midday sun in an Australian summer. Individuals who have used a solarium before the age of 35 have been shown to have a 75% greater risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
“The organism of a teenager hasn't finished forming,” said Maia Maridashvili, dermatologist at the Institute of Skin and Venereal Diseases. “It’s still unprotected as it hasn’t completely formed its immunity. That’s why teenagers are in the high risk group. UV radiation influences inner organs also, and especially those under the age of 18.”
Solarium centres in Tbilisi Ergoline and Medi told The FINANCIAL that they don’t allow all teenagers under 18 to get a tan at their solarium. They have some limitations for adults as well.
“A teenager can use the tanning devices at our centre if she/he has their parents’ permission. For adults 60 minutes per year is completely safe. We advice our clients to tan in a solarium every second day rather than daily,” said Ani Gulisashvili, consultant at Ergoline, one of the most popular solarium centres in Tbilisi with 30-40 clients daily.
“Indoor tanning following the correct instructions is completely safe,” she believes.
Ana Kilasonia, administrator of Medi, said that they allow clients to get a tan for 13-15 minutes, and on the first day for only 3-5 minutes. She underlines that getting an indoor tan following the full recommendations doesn’t damage one’s health.
“It is not just indoor tanning, but natural tanning causes almost the same results too,” said Maridashvili. “It’s strongly forbidden to sunbathe without special cream or lotion that includes an SPF (Sun Protective Factor). Such lotions insure the skin’s safety from dermatological problems however they can’t protect the skin from cancer, which is much more dangerous.”
“I want everyone to be aware that use of a solarium is not recommended by doctors at all and natural tanning is only allowed for minutes rather than hours,” she noted.
“A person who has been in a solarium once is more likely to get melanoma than a person who sunbathes yearly but according to international health recommendations,” Gagua said.
In the regional climate of Georgia sunbathing is safe in the morning till 11 AM and after 6 PM in the evening. Both natural and artificial tanning is much more dangerous for people who tend to get moles and freckles. The other potential risk group is people with blond hair, light skin, and light coloured eyes.
“It’s exactly for their appearance that Australians, Englishmen, French, Swedish and Norwegians tend to get melanoma,” Gagua said. “But there is a second reason also. In Australia and New Zealand UV radiation is stronger, as that land is under a big ozone hole.”
There is no concrete case of melanoma caused by tanning in Georgia. But still it is quite risky. Raibul Todua has had lots of patients with dangerous moles which is the first stage of melanoma. Maia Maridashvili said that lots of patients come to her for help with a sunburn that has already developed in to a deep ulcer.
Natia Abramishvili has had experience of sunburns. She was sunbathing in the middle of the day and got such a serious burn that she fainted.
“I have lots of freckles and moles on my body, especially on my back. It looks so terrible. I feel shy about showing it and so I rarely wear t-shirts which show my back,” Abramishvili said.
“To save yourself, use sun protecting creams daily. Cover your head with a thick material. Ordinary tent fabrics can’t protect one from radiation. If you definitely want to sit on the beach in the middle of the day, do it under a wooden or stone structure. Even a tree’s shade can’t protect you,” advised Todua.
“In recent times time more and more people have been ignoring the dangers to their health in the pursuit of “beauty”. It is said that one must make sacrifices for beauty, but not that much. A tan is not worth risking your health so completely,” Maridashvili believes.
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