Home Tanning Beds: A Convenient Way to Get a Tan?

People who are into tanning must think that home tanning beds are the best thing that ever happened to them. And why not? If you can have the golden skin that you've always wanted without having to step out of your door, then it is indeed a great thing. But medical associations have warned users of home sunbeds to be careful not to overexpose themselves to the ultraviolet rays produced by this indoor tanning equipment.

Home tanning beds give off a milder dose of UV rays compared with those used in tanning salons. Sunbeds manufactured for personal or home use are relatively smaller in size and have lower wattage lamps than their salon counterparts. But medical associations have argued that this does not mean that they are safer than the ones used in tanning salons. The debate regarding the risks of using indoor tanning beds has not spared even the models manufactured for home use. On the contrary, these for-home-use products are considered by some as more dangerous since their use cannot be monitored as effectively as those available in tanning salons.

The market for indoor tanning equipment has escalated to become a billion dollar business. This is mainly due to a large portion of the world's population's belief that being tanned is something to be aspired for. This belief has been largely influenced by French fashion designer Coco Chanel's statement that tan is a fashion look. A lot of people around the world, especially young girls, have taken this statement to heart and taken advantage of every development that could help them acquire the desired skin coloring.

Sunbeds, both those used in tanning salons and at homes, work by inducing the skin to produce additional melanin in response to the UV rays produced by the beds. This increased production of melanin results in the darkening of the skin or the development of a tan. Medical societies have asserted, though, that this process is not healthy since the darkening of the skin might be due to DNA damage which can eventually lead to skin cancer. Medical researchers have also warned that tanning beds do not work for everybody. As asserted by the opponents of indoor tanning, fair skinned people will not get tanned from using sunbeds but will only get burned or develop freckles.

Despite these assertions, more and more people are purchasing home tanning beds or patronizing tanning salons to acquire a tan. Although home sunbeds range in price between $1,000 and $3,000, not a small amount by any measure, consumers continue to purchase these indoor tanning products in the hope that they will achieve their dream of having golden skin.