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Answer to Question #2531 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"Category: Suntanning The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field: Q
I had a malignant melanoma about 9 1/2 years ago and have been in the sun since then quite often and also to a dermatologist for follow-up visits. I have not had any problem since then. I was abusing my exposures years ago by spending 1 hour and 15 minutes in the tanning bed three times a week and four times a week in the sun for a total of 4-5 hours. I was wondering which was more dangerous to your skin with regard to melanoma, the sun or the tanning beds? What is the comparison? Is 1 hr in the sun like lying in the tanning bed for 1 hour?
A
I am sorry to hear of your history. But it is good to be a survivor! As to comparing solar UV (ultraviolet) versus tanning beds, it is not possible to make the quantitative comparison you ask for. Both sources expose the body to UVA and UVB, the two portions of the UV spectrum associated with increased skin cancer risk. The relative mix of UVA and UVB can vary among tanning facilities. And the exposure versus risk equation is not defined precisely enough to say how much the risk varies as the mixture varies. The most general truism I have heard is that it is reasonable to expect qualitatively similar health effects from tanning beds as from solar UV exposure.
Gary H. Zeman, CHP, ScD
Answer posted on 9 April 2003. The information and material posted on this Web site is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Web site. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.
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