Skincare and Vitamin D ProTanning Campaign Skin Care Hype

Does indoor tanning really provide an adequate amount of vitamin D Is tanning a safe and essential practice Skincare-News.com's latest article, "Pro-Tanning Campaign HYPE: Vitamin D and Sunscreen," looks at direct quotes from dermatologists and skin cancer specialists in order to clear up the truth.

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The vitamin D debate

- ITA's claim: "A recent study in the prestigious Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences determined that the risks of not getting enough UV light far outweighed the hypothetically minute risk of skin cancer. That's because getting a healthy tan naturally produces vitamin D, which has been linked to significantly decreasing your risk of contracting internal cancers like lung, kidney, or liver cancer."

Why it's questionable: While vitamin D is beneficial to the body, as of yet, there isn't conclusive research that shows vitamin D actually prevents cancer. According to the National Institutes of Health: "Well-designed clinical trials need to be conducted to determine whether vitamin D deficiency increases cancer risk, or if an increased intake of vitamin D is protective against some cancers. Until such trials are conducted, it is premature to advise anyone to take vitamin D supplements to prevent cancer."

- ITA's claim: "(Dermatologists) are beginning to realize that we need a little sunshine every day. The problem remaining is that people living north of 37 degrees in cities like San Francisco, St. Louis, or Richmond can't get enough sunlight during the winter to produce the minimum amount of vitamin D necessary to prevent deficiency. That's why indoor tanning beds are a great way to get a healthy dose of vitamin D (and a tan, while you're at it)."

Why it's questionable: Is the ITA claiming that they manufacture their tanning beds exclusively to those who are vitamin D deficient If this were true, why is summer the time that people seek out tanning beds, when UV rays are plentiful And a more important question: Do tanning beds even provide a good source of vitamin D In Skin and Aging, dermatopathology expert Bernard Ackerman, M.D., explains: "The sun is obviously more beneficial to man than the UV radiation from the bulbs in a tanning bed. The sun is effective in the generation of vitamin D. That's not the casefor the bulbs in a tanning bed."

The bottom line: Dermatologists aren't arguing that vitamin D is insignificant; they're simply advising the public to seek out a safer way to acquire it. "I don't think there's a dermatologist who would argue with the fact that people need more vitamin D, but the best way to get it is not to go to a tanning booth," Sherrif Ibrahim, M.D., Ph.D., explains to Skin and Aging. "You can get plenty of incidental sun exposure walking from the supermarket to your car, and advocating a known carcinogen when completely safe alternatives [foods and supplements exist, is negligent," he adds.

The war on sunscreen

- Smart Tan's claim: "While sunscreen is an excellent product that has an intelligent usage in the fight against sunburn, overuse of the product may have serious consequences as well. Because most women wear foundation products daily, their make-up may be preventing them from producing vitamin D much of the year. And because women are more likely than men to develop osteoporosis, making up 18 million of the 25 million Americans afflicted with the disease, they would stand to benefit even more from an increase in vitamin D production."

Why it's questionable: Smart Tan is correct that women need sunlight, but its claims that sunscreen use leads to vitamin D deficiency is misleading. "For vitamin D purposes, people can get all the UV exposure they need from six to 15 minutes of incidental sun exposure daily," according to Modern Medicine.

In fact, some people need even less; Newsweek writes, "Someone with very fair skin needs only about five minutes in the sun without sunscreen, (three times a week between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.), to achieve optimal levels of vitamin D."

The bottom line: Because most of those who suffer from vitamin D deficiency (those with darker complexions and the elderly) are highly unlikely to use tanning beds, it seems that the ITA offers little in the way of a solution to this alleged deficiency.

In addition, the amount of UV rays that the ITA suggests people seek out is far higher than the amount an individual actually needs to receive their daily, healthy dose of vitamin D. For the average individual, 15 minutes a day of sun exposure, a few times a week, provides the proper amount of vitamin D.

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About SkinCare-News.com -- "Your Source for Intelligent Skin Care"

Skincare-News.com is the online source for consumers seeking intelligent beauty and skin care news, advice, tips and articles. Founded in 2005, SkinCare-News.com features articles, news items and frequently asked questions on skincare and beauty related issues. SkinCare-News.com is located in Sacramento, California, but receives visitors from all around the world. For more information, visit http://www.skincare-news.com.

Skincare and Vitamin D ProTanning Campaign Skin Care Hype

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