Admittedly, it sounds pretty tempting to let the sun shine on your stomach at the push of a button. And in fact, the temptation to be tanned all year round attracts many people to the local solariums on a regular basis. These have been criticized for some time as doing more harm than good to our skin.
Absolute no go
for the skin Dermatologists generally advise against visiting the solarium. If the WHO had its way, they would even be banned completely. The reason for this is pretty obvious and has been scientifically proven: regular visits to the solarium promote black skin cancer. When you sit on a tanning bed, you expose yourself to enormous amounts of UV rays. The artificial UV radiation hits the skin completely unfiltered. These are primarily long-wave UV-A rays - exactly those that are responsible for promoting skin cancer. In contrast, there is short-wave UV-B light, which stimulates melanin production. In the solarium, the dosage is a thousand times higher than sunlight, and the rays penetrate deep into the dermis, where they hit elastic fibers and destroy them. The consequences can be fatal: the skin loses elasticity and the tumor defense system is suppressed. Free radicals are created, accelerated cell aging occurs and thus also black and white skin cancer. In addition, increased UV radiation leads to premature skin aging.
The argument with vitamin D
Many solarium operators advertise their devices by saying that thanks to artificial UV radiation, you can get vitamin D even in winter. This is certainly one of the reasons why it seems so tempting for some people to visit the tanning bed every now and then, especially in the cooler seasons. Understandable, because vitamin D ensures strong bones, strengthens the immune system, lowers blood pressure and is even said to prevent diabetes and depression. The body can produce it itself using UV rays. One thing is clear: Vitamin D is good for us and is important for us and our bodies. But, even if it's cloudy and gray outside, you don't have to visit a tanning salon to get your own vitamin D balance. The organism is able to store excess vitamin D from the sunnier months in order to supply it regularly. If you still suspect that you are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency, you can find out through a blood test from your doctor.