Prevention and detection are the keys to avoiding trouble. Simple steps, such as using sunscreen, wearing a hat, and avoiding the sun when its rays are the strongest, are easy ways to help. This message is particularly important for children and adolescents, since problems are commonly associated with excessive ultraviolet light (UV) exposure before the age of 18. Yet recent studies of young people suggest that the prevention message is not being heard, or worse, is simply being ignored.
In a recent survey of over 10,000 young people ages 12-18 from all 50 states, it was found that the simple use of sunscreen on sunny days was practiced by only 34.4 percent of youths surveyed. In addition, the survey discovered that 83 percent of teens had experienced at least one sunburn in the previous year, and 36 percent of those who were burned had experienced three or more sunburns.
The survey also found that natural sunlight wasn't the only significant source of UV exposure for teens. Approximately 10 percent of young people surveyed said that they had used tanning beds in the previous year. Of this group, young women were found to be most likely to use indoor tanning devices. This fact was supported by the results of a recent study of American attitudes about tanning conducted by the American Academy of Dermatology, which found that 26 percent of young people under age 25 had used a tanning bed in the past year. Of that 26 percent, more than half were young women.
"The incidence of indoor tanning salons is particularly troubling because it is so unnecessary," stated Dr. Spencer. "It's not associated with playing sports or other outdoor activities, but is practiced solely for cosmetic reasons."
Current evidence also suggests that the use of tanning equipment increases with age. According to a recent survey, approximately 7 percent of girls age 14 had used tanning beds in the last year, while 16 percent of girls age 15 had reported doing so. By age 17, the statistic increased to 35 percent of girls who had used tanning beds in the last year. In addition, a recent survey of college students at a midwestern university found that 47 percent of students had used indoor tanning beds in the last year. Of those surveyed, 90 percent also admitted to knowing that tanning is a risk, yet they continued to use tanning beds frequently.
Recent studies of the UV emission spectrum of tanning beds illustrate the similarities between tanning bed exposure and that of natural sunlight. Sunlight consists of two types of harmful rays -- UVA rays and UVB rays. UVB rays are the sun's burning rays, while UVA rays penetrate deeper into the dermis to cause skin damage. While the UVB exposure levels in tanning beds were similar to natural sunlight, the UVA levels were 10 to 15 times higher. These high exposure levels correspond to an overall UV index of 13. In comparison, an average UV index during a hot summer day is 8.5.
It is still uncertain as to what is the most influencing factor in a young person's decision to tan. When asked in recent surveys about their desire to tan, teens replied that they simply preferred tanned skin, they wanted to emulate friends that were tan, or they felt that receiving a sunburn was a good way to begin the tanning process.