TANNING BEDS – SAFE OR UNSAFE? There’s a lot of controversy surrounding tanning beds these days. Are they truly safe or not safe is the question that everyone wants answered. Do tanning beds contribute to the factors that cause skin cancers and lots of other types of cancers? There are a lot of questions - and surprisingly few good answers. What I have been able to establish from research and what all of the skin and health experts have to say on the subject is that tanning beds are safer than tanning outside in the sun, the main factor is that ten minutes in a tanning bed will give you the same result as being out in the sun for three hours - as far as tanning goes - without the three hours of damage and burn that the sunshine would cause to your skin. There are two different types of tanning beds - the kind that you laying down, and the newer ’standing-up’ tanning bed, which gives you a much better result and even tan. Tanning bed costs vary a lot, and can even be purchased for as little as $250 for smaller, lower quality beds. The larger and better quality beds can run up to 5000 dollars or even more. But are they safe? Yes and no. If used as directed, they are relatively safe and there will be no need t o worry. You must wear eye protection glasses to protect your eyes from the ultra violet rays, and you must also use the tanning lotions that are specifically designed for indoor tanning. Failure to take these precautions can -and will - result in retina damage, a higher probability of skin cancer or other skin related diseases, early wrinkles, and even sunburn. It is also important to start off slow when you first start using a tanning bed. Start by using the lowest settings, with the minimum amount of time spent in the tanning bed, and get your tan in a gradual way. The lower the settings are, and the less time you spend in the tanning bed, the healthier your skin will be. This is a good reason to own your own tanning beds, instead of using the ones at tanning salons. The number of trips you will need to make to your local salon, and the number of sessions that you will need to pay for to get the tan that you really want can add up. In fact, it can even end up costing more than what it would cost to buy your own new tanning bed. When looking at this expense, tanners are also tempted to ’speed up the process’ which usually results in damaged and unhealthy skin.