Britons remain unaware of sunbed risks

10 May 2013

Many women using sunbeds in Britain are not concerned with the health risks, according to recent research.

A survey of more than 2,000 women found that 37% of respondents admitted to using sunbeds. The study, which was carried out by discount website myvouchercodes.co.uk, found that only a third of those sunbed users were concerned with the potential health risks associated.

“It is slightly concerning to see how many British women use sunbeds whilst being fully aware of the risks,” said Mark Pearson, the chairman of myvouchercodes.co.uk.

However, indsutry experts believe sunbed use within certain restrictions is perfectly safe. “It’s burning that causes the damage, not tanning,” says Gary Lipman, chairman of the Sunbed Association, which aims to promote safe guidelines for sunbed use across the industry.

The survey found that 42% of participants used a sunbed a monthly basis and 35% claimed to use them at certain times of the year. Some 8% admitted to using sunbeds on a weekly basis. However, guidelines from the Sunbed Association (SA) state that weekly sunbed use is not necessarily too much.

Lipman told Professional Beauty that his organisation’s recommendations are to never have more than 60 tanning sessions a year, never more than three times in a week and to always leave 48 hours between sessions.

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Business, Sunbeds, Tanning

Date: 16 May 2013 16:24
Name: Jenny Banham
Comment: StudioTracker Salon Software will help salon owners promote safe tanning. Studiotracker software will prohibit the use of allowing under 18 year olds onto the sunbed and also will flag up and restrict the use if someone tries to use the sunbed more than once in 24 hours. Furthermore the client contact information will require the software user to select the clients skin type, ensuring this is kept a track of and that the clients skin type coincides with their sunbed usage. The software will also keep log of the beds tube usage to ensure they are properly maintained.
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Date: 14 May 2013 08:12
Name: Gilly Sandilands
Comment: @ Mr Carter - as it would appear you only recently joined the anti-sunbed bandwagon, perhaps you haven't had time to read all the papers that demonstrate no causal link between responsible sunbed use and skin cancer. Gary Lipman has not "got it completely wrong". 60 sessions per year comes from a European Standard which is based on an exposure limit of 15 kilojoules per square metre per person per annum. In addition, research shows that the majority of sunbed users take less than 20 sessions per year. Today's sunbeds emit no more than 0.3W/m2 - the equivalent exposure to the mid-day Mediterranean summer sun. Is Mr Carter therefore going to campaign for a ban on sunny holidays; lazy sunny afternoons in the garden or in the park? I doubt it because that too would be ridiculous. Responsible tanning
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Date: 11 May 2013 10:14
Name: Mark Carter
Comment: Gary Lipman is completely wrong stating that it is okay to have 60 sessions on a sunbed every year. UV radiation can damage the skin's cellular DNA, too much UV radiation produces genetic mutations that can lead to skin cancer in later life and the effect is cumulative over time. You do not need to burn to damage your cellular DNA. The tanning industry is simply doing what they need to do to survive in the face of mounting evidence that they are causing cancers for which there is no effective cure.
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