It’s a way of our lifestyle - and traveling to the beaches is no longer the extent people will go to get the bronzed effect. With the advent of tanning beds and devices, now we can look fresh out of the Caymans for a lot cheaper price.

However, in theory, we do pay the ultimate price. Understood, it’s fairly common sense that tanning, whether it be in the sun or in a bed, can lead to some horrible repercussions in the future, such as skin cancer, eye damage, and other diseases in relation to our skin and eyes.

But where’s the truth? Are tanning beds more safe than natural sunlight, or vice versa?

A report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) strikes down many of the myths and advertising schemes associated with indoor tanning. First is the marketing ploy that tanning devices only use UVA rays, which are longer-waved and less harmful than the more intense UVB rays. The FTC, however, claims that yes, these UVA rays are longer, they penetrate deeper into the skin and "can weaken the skin’s inner connective tissue." Continued exposure can most definitely lead to the development of skin cancer.

Second is the claim that tanning devices allow individuals to tan without the same harmful effects of natural sunlight. The FTC claims that tanning beds "increase the damage caused by sunlight." It continues to explain that what tanning devices do is thin the skin, impairing the skin’s ability to heal, thus making the damage caused by the sun magnified. The end result is dry, leathery, wrinkled skin in an individual’s later years.

If these conditions show up in an individual’s later years, why aren’t people seeing the warning signs of tanning-related skin damages now? The answer is simply in the nature of skin cancer, and other skin-related diseases: the effects are delayed. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, 80 percent of skin damage is done before the age of 18.

All of these are scary ideas, so why do people continue to use these tanning facilities?

The answer lies within the stance of the Indoor Tanning Association, Inc. Their stance is that tanning in tanning devices is merely a chance to create a base tan - the body’s natural protection against sunburn in natural sunlight. The associations position states: "Moderate tanning, for individuals who can develop a tan, is the smartest way to maximize the potential benefits of sun exposure while minimizing the potential risks associated with either too much or too little sunlight."

Essentially, the decision is yours, for only you can determine how careful you would like to treat your skin and how valuable having a darker complexion is.

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