anning beds can ring up a steep bill — a whopping $343 million each year in medical costs in the US alone. Indoor tanning has long been tied to skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the US. It’s estimated that 30 million people — nearly 25 percent of whom are teenagers — head to tanning beds at least once a year. And the health care costs of the habit can add up, health economists report in a new study published Tuesday in the Journal of Cancer Policy. Tanning beds emit UV-A rays, which can damage DNA, and UV-B rays, which can burn the skin and increase the risk of skin cancer. Research has shown that indoor tanning before age 35 raises the risk of melanoma up to 75 percent. Health care researchers at the University of North Carolina focused on melanoma and two other types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The researchers looked at all skin cancer cases in 2015, and then applied data on indoor tanning prevalence and relative risk of skin cancer after using a tanning bed to those numbers.
They estimated that there were 263,600 cases of skin cancer in 2015 that could be attributed to the use of tanning beds. The researchers then summed up the average annual cost of treating patients with each type of cancer, which totaled more than $343 million each year. “Our findings highlight both the negative health and negative financial impacts associated with indoor tanning,” the authors wrote. The Food and Drug Administration has taken steps in recent years to rein in use of tanning beds. In 2014, the agency announced that manufacturers would be required to put a black-box warning on tanning beds that states they shouldn’t be used by anyone under 18. The FDA also classified tanning beds as moderate-risk products in 2014, giving health officials the authority to review tanning beds for safety before they hit the market. The Affordable Care Act aimed to reduce use of tanning beds, too, by implementing a 10 percent excise tax on indoor tanning services. A couple caveats: The new numbers are just an estimation — it’s impossible to nail down the cause of each individual case of skin cancer.
The results also don’t include costs associated with other health problems blamed on tanning beds, such as burns. But the study’s authors said they are hopeful that putting an estimate on the social costs of indoor tanning will help reduce use of the devices. The 10 Best Indoor Tanning Lotions for 2017 Recently, I had Dr. Joe Mercola on as a guest of the show. His views on alternative medicine are cutting edge – and often very controversial – garnering millions of online followers as well as the scorn of mainstream medicine. 7 Ways to Fight Osteoarthritis Arthritis comes in many forms, but none are more common than osteoarthritis, also known as OA and degenerative joint disease. Snack Cake, Near Death at 81 After a little more than 80 years, a staple of far too many junk food enthusiasts has gone to meet its maker. New Home Tanning Bed Owners Quick Start GuideYou are now the proud owner of one of the finest home tanning beds made. We understand that you are in a hurry to get started, and
probably have a few questions, so we created this booklet to help you get started. It is in Question and Answer format, so you can jump to any question you already have, or just browse the entire booklet. We assume you have already installed your tanning bed and have it connected to the proper power supply. If not, see your owners manual for instructions on these tasks. How do I clean my tanning bed? You should only use the UVA SunSystems brand acrylic cleaner that came with your SunMaster, Alpha Sun or Virtual Sun tanning bed. It is a concentrate, so you will put about a capful in a quart spray bottle. Follow the instructions on the bottle. Never use Windex or similar cleaners on your tanning bed, they will cause damage, and are more expensive anyway. Replacement cleaner is around $11 for a 16oz. bottle that makes over 16 gallons, costing you well under a dollar a gallon. How many minutes should I start out tanning?
Use the Exposure Schedule on the bed for a guide. Most people will start out around 5 minutes, and work their way up. Never stay in so long you actually get RED. The goal is a tan, and getting a burn (even slight burn) actually slows down theYou do NOT have to burn before you tan! Should children use the tanning bed? We believe that children under 16 should not use a tanning bed. still growing and they are most sensitive to overexposure to UV than an adult. obviously your responsibility to make these decisions and great care should be taken if you decide to allow your child to use a tanning bed. Under all circumstances, they should not use a tanning bed unsupervised. We would strongly recommend you encourage your child to wait until they are at least 16 years old before tanning regularly, inside Do I need to "warm up" the tanning bed? No, but you may find it more comfortable to warm it up if you have the tanning bed in a
cool place, such as a storage area, or any other area that does not have heating/cooling. A few minutes is usually enough. Do I really need to wear the goggles?Your eyes are very sensitive, and the UV your new bed puts out isWe usually ship your bed with Sunnies (the most popular brand) but there are many alternatives if you want something different. inexpensive and is very necessary. How often can I tan? Most people find that every other day is plenty to get and keep a great tan. tan outside on the same day you tan inside, and if you have to be outside, use SPF 15 orRemember, overexposure HURTS your tan, it doesn't help it. It is better to have less exposure, more often, than overexpose. How often do I need to change the lamps? Every 3 to 5 years, depending upon how heavy you use the tanning bed. and use a Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit (abour $25) when you replace the lamps to reconditionLamp prices range from $10 to $16 each, plus shipping.
How often should I clean the inside of the tanning bed? You should clean inside the bed, including the reflectors, the lamps and both sides of the acrylic using a Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit about once a year if you use it regularly, otherwise every two years. As a rule, you should clean inside at least ONCE between lamp changes, and at every lamp change. The entire process takes about an hour. Be sure to check your fans to see that they are working properly each time you How many times a day can my bed be run? Assuming you mean once per person, how many people can use the bed in a day? Your home tanning bed is NOT designed for commercial purposes (no timer port, no hour meter) but it uses the same electronics and lamps as a commercial bed, so it is designed to be used continuously. If you are using your bed commercially, you should instead buy a bed with the proper connections for commercial use. How often will I replace the acrylic shields and hydraulic
Only when they require it. Be sure to keep your tanning bed in the UP position when not in use to extend the life of the pistons. Also, clean your acrylics with UVA brand acrylic cleaner after each use, and the Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit once every year orYou can expect many years of use from these parts. How often will I replace the "lamp starters" and (Not all beds use these parts. SunMaster beds do not use these, for example) Lamp starters need to be replaced only when they fail to ignite the lamps, which would be in about 5 to 10 years in a home tanning bed. Buck Boost transformers should never need What if I need to make a warranty claim? Call 1-800-274-1744 and speak with our Service Department. shipping and the cost of the phone call for all warranty claims. What if I need parts or service out of warranty?We have parts for every tanning bed we have ever sold since 1985 and support every model we sell during its usable life.
parts replacements can be done by the tanning bed owner with ordinary tools. assist you over the phone in replacing parts for any tanning bed we sold, for the usable life of the product. Do I need to take special precautions with animals while I tan? When you tan, animals and other persons should not be in the room at the same time. This is to protect their eyes from the UV. Many animals (birds in particular) are very sensitive to UV, and care must be taken to prevent overexposure to their retinas. What is the total maintenance required? It differs depending upon usage, but below is a typical recommended schedule. Novus products listed are included in the standard Tanning Bed Rebuild Kit, about $25. After every tanning session: Clean the top and bottom acrylic with UVA cleaner/disinfectant (diluted) per the bottle Once a month: Use Novus #1 to polish the acylics to prevent buildup. Clean the exterior of the bed using warm water or your