Diabetes and Tanning If you are undergoing treatment for lupus or diabetes or are susceptible to cold sores, be aware that these conditions can be aggravated through exposure to ultraviolet radiation from tanning devices, sunlamps, or natural sunlight. In addition, your skin may be more sensitive to artificial light or sunlight if you use certain medications, for example, antihistamines, tranquilizers or birth control pills. Your tanning salon may keep a file with information on your medical history, medications, and treatments. Make sure you update it as necessary. Protecting Yourself Limit your exposure to avoid sunburn. If you tan with a device, ask whether the manufacturer or the salon staff recommend exposure limits for your skin type. Set a timer on the tanning device that automatically shuts off the lights or somehow signals that you’ve reached your exposure time. Remember that exposure time affects burning and that your age at the time of exposure is important relative to burning. Knowing your Tanning Lotion Some suntanning products don't contain sunscreen. It only takes a few bad sunburns to raise the risk of skin cancer, and skin damage builds up over years even when no burning occurs. This is why sunscreen, which blocks UVA and UVB, is recommended. The FDA has expressed concern about suntanning products without sunscreen, and encourages consumers to check the labels for SPF protection. Sunscreen is regulated by the FDA as an OTC drug. Look for products with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or more. The higher the number, the better the protection. Sunscreen should be liberally applied to skin 30 minutes before going out in the sun, and then every two hours after that. Tanning Salons It's true that most sun lamps emit mainly UVA radiation, and that these so­called "tanning rays" are less likely to cause a sunburn than UVB radiation from sunlight. But, contrary to the claims of some tanning parlors, that doesn't make them safe. UVA rays have a suspected link to malignant melanoma, and, like UVB rays, they also may be linked to immune system damage. Tanning Safely We urge you to find out more about self tanning. You can self tan with a Sunless tanning lotion. Sunless tanning lotion is a tanning lotion that gives you that great tan without the dangers of UVA and UVB! Find out more about Self Tanning!