It may come as a surprise to many people that tanning bed use
is regulated by the FDA. The government has determined,
based on evidence provided by the manufacturers, how long
a session should be, how often you tan and what
a tanning salon can tell you about tanning.

A tanning bed is a medical device approved for cosmetic use only.
Tanning salons can't tell you about the positive effects of UV
exposure. However, physicians have no such restriction on discussing
medical claims regarding UV exposure. They don't even have to
provide evidence to back their claims.

Tanning salons can't tell you that exposure to UV light
(the type of light produced from tanning beds) actually
has health benefits. Some of these benefits include:

UV light is how the body produces vitamin D. This is pointed
out by Dr. Michael Holick of Boston University here.
Harvard researchers found that exposure to UV light
increases production of a protein that is known to fight cancer.
Even as early as 1940, researchers knew that people who spend
time in the sun were less likely to die of cancer than those
that spent their time indoors.

Doctors claim that vitamin D requirements can easily be met
by oral supplements, but a recent study published in the
Oxford Journal of Rheumatology points out that low vitamin D
levels are common in people taking 800IU of oral vitamin D3
(the amount recommended as the upper limit.)

Now, if a doctor knows these benefits exist, why are they telling
you to slather on sunscreen on every exposed part of your body?
They don't want you to get melanoma, right? Well what about
the study from Brigham and Women's hospital that clearly
states that, "the risk of melanoma does not change significantly"
based on where you live. If you live in Atlanta, you obviously
get more UV exposure than if you live in New York. But you
don't have a greater risk of melanoma. Yeah, that makes sense, right?

There are many, many research articles referenced in these forums.
They all point to the positive effects of moderate, regular UV exposure.
Your tanning salon can't tell you that tanning is good for you.
It's against the law and they will get in big trouble for telling
the truth. It is up to you to discover the truth for yourself.

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