Spring Break
Everyone's free to wear sunscreen
Dermatologist encourages using common sense in the sun, discourages use of tanning beds
Sara Norgon
Issue date: 4/30/07 Section: Money/Health
Summer's coming up, and that means sun, sand and swimsuits.
A sun-kissed glow is something students like to have before the summer season. Senior Angie Linduska, an employee at The Tannery, 427 Water St., said the company's busiest time of year is during the spring, especially right before spring break.
"With weddings and prom, we stay pretty busy," she said, adding one of the more popular packages is 300 minutes for $60.
Tanning - or "fake baking," as some refer to it - is a way to get the look of a tan without spending hours outdoors in the heat.
Sophomore Nikki Housner said she has a sun allergy and uses tanning beds to get a "base color" before going on trips, so the harsh sun isn't such a shock to her skin.
Dr. Nyles Eskritt, a dermatologist at Plaza Dermatology in Stevens Point, warned of some of the side effects of using tanning beds.
"They play more of a role in wrinkling the skin and thinning and aging the skin," he said, adding he doesn't recommend them.
Eskritt said there are different types of rays that cause the skin to tan. UVA, or long-wave ultra violet rays, which he said are most common in tanning beds, are responsible for aging the skin and causing wrinkles and sun damage.
"The UVA that you get at the tanning beds just darkens the pigment in the skin," he said, adding there is currently no proof linking exposure to UVA rays with skin cancer.
The more harmful UVB rays are the ones that have been linked with skin cancers, he said, including melanoma, which can result in death.
Linduska said The Tannery has different types of beds, including the Turbo bed - which doesn't have UVB rays, so it is gentler on the skin. She added they always recommend clients use a lotion when tanning.
"(Lotions) are important in keeping the skin moisturized," she said. "You'll get a better tan and a more even tan."
She explained that some of the lotions available include SPF protection or bronzers.
A sun-kissed glow is something students like to have before the summer season. Senior Angie Linduska, an employee at The Tannery, 427 Water St., said the company's busiest time of year is during the spring, especially right before spring break.
"With weddings and prom, we stay pretty busy," she said, adding one of the more popular packages is 300 minutes for $60.
Tanning - or "fake baking," as some refer to it - is a way to get the look of a tan without spending hours outdoors in the heat.
Sophomore Nikki Housner said she has a sun allergy and uses tanning beds to get a "base color" before going on trips, so the harsh sun isn't such a shock to her skin.
Dr. Nyles Eskritt, a dermatologist at Plaza Dermatology in Stevens Point, warned of some of the side effects of using tanning beds.
"They play more of a role in wrinkling the skin and thinning and aging the skin," he said, adding he doesn't recommend them.
Eskritt said there are different types of rays that cause the skin to tan. UVA, or long-wave ultra violet rays, which he said are most common in tanning beds, are responsible for aging the skin and causing wrinkles and sun damage.
"The UVA that you get at the tanning beds just darkens the pigment in the skin," he said, adding there is currently no proof linking exposure to UVA rays with skin cancer.
The more harmful UVB rays are the ones that have been linked with skin cancers, he said, including melanoma, which can result in death.
Linduska said The Tannery has different types of beds, including the Turbo bed - which doesn't have UVB rays, so it is gentler on the skin. She added they always recommend clients use a lotion when tanning.
"(Lotions) are important in keeping the skin moisturized," she said. "You'll get a better tan and a more even tan."
She explained that some of the lotions available include SPF protection or bronzers.
Be the first to comment on this story