The tanning industry is a thriving, largely unregulated $2 billion industry.

Researchers on The New England Journal of Medicine Journal Watch Dermatology Board reviewed the evidence. (more…)

In a recent post on the National Psoriasis Foundation discussion board, a patient stated that the dermatologist recommended “that I use a tanning bed as this is far more convenient and less costly than using light box therapy.”

This lead to divergent views on the role of tanning beds in psoriasis treatment.

Here’s what we know. (more…)

In the ‘70s, commercial tanning beds were introduced. In less than 3 decades, over half of adults in northern Europe reported using them.

Now, growing evidence of health risks is leading to restricted access to indoor tanning, worldwide. (more…)

Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia, studied the effects of sunless tanning products on tanning behaviors. (more…)

Medical New Today reports that the youngest legal age for using tanning beds has gone up from 14 to 18 years in California now that Governor Jerry Brown signed a new bill into law. (more…)

Everyone knows, or should know, that exposure to UV radiation — from the sun or artificial sources such as sunlamps in tanning beds — increases the risk of developing skin cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI).

Here are other risks to consider. (more…)

People who say they’re addicted to tanning act like alcoholics and drug addicts.

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, in Dallas, think they know why. (more…)

Researchers at the University at Albany, State University of New York report the prevalence of addiction to indoor tanning among college students and its association with substance use and symptoms of anxiety and depression. (more…)

Researchers at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, report the risk.

And the tanning industry disputes the findings. (more…)

According to this article on Breitbart.com, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has elevated sunbeds for tanning to its highest cancer risk category. (more…)

Vitamin D, of course.

A PubMed search revealed 146 studies in humans during 2008 for a dizzying list of conditions. (more…)

That’s the latest recommendation from the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

But what about natural sources like sunlight or indoor tanning devices? (more…)

Using a scale of 1 to 4 stars, the proposed regulation will help consumers identify the level of UVA protection offered by a product. (more…)

The American Academy of Dermatology and the American Medical Association have called for a ban on the sale and use of tanning equipment for nonmedical purposes. And the FDA and Centers for Disease Control encourage people to avoid the use of tanning beds and sun lamps.

The tanning industry say that dermatologists have a “political agenda,” and that indoor tanning is actually good for you.

What’s the truth?

(more…)

Now that new UVA blockers are being marketed, it’s not surprising to see more research in this area. The UVA sunscreen issue has been discussed here and here.

Now, results from new research.

(more…)