Sun Exposure: Shocking Truth About Sunbeds and Why You Should Never Use Them

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The dangers of sun exposure, both from that big ball of heat in the sky and from artificial sunbeds, is a tale as old as time. But still, as soon as there's a change in the weather, we're as fast to strip off as those Garth Brooks tickets were to sell out, choosing to ignore the stark reality of sun damage.

This, dear Beauties, must change. With so many options on the market now for fantastic false tans, we really have no excuse for harmful sun exposure; nothing good can come of it.

Sure, you might come back from a holiday with what you consider to be a 'healthy glow', but in reality, when you tan your skin, it's anything but. And of course we all think it's great when the sun decides to finally grace us with its presence, our mood collectively improves and life seems a little bit easier, but what we're quick to forget on these delightful days, however, is just how sinister the sun can be.

The problem, first and foremost, is that we can't see the damage occurring. But even if you've already obtained a light tan, you've successfully damaged your skin cells. If you've fallen asleep in the sun and fried yourself to a lobster-like effect, you've absolutely damaged your skin cells.

And if you continue to expose yourself to harmful rays, you're looking at a whole plethora of problems including premature wrinkles, brown spots, leathery skin, moles and the most common cancer in the world and Ireland - skin cancer.

As per the Irish Cancer Society, 9 out of 10 skin cancer cases are caused by exposure to the sun and that's in a country where, on most days, we forget the sun is even up there. What looks like health and vitality today will be a big regret tomorrow.

And if you're using sunbeds? Well, you're really asking for trouble. What many of us will find shocking, is that the amount of UV radiation you get from a sunbed can be as much as 15 times higher than what you would get from the midday Mediterranean sun.

In an attempt to curb this issue, with sunbed usage having become a worrisome issue, the government has introduced a ban on the use of sunbeds by under 18’s and has put a stop to incentives such as offers of ‘2 for the price of 1' deals. In due course, hopefully we'll see the end to sunbeds entirely and a massive reduction in skin cancer reports.

If you do plan on soaking up the skin, we cannot stress the importance of sun cream enough. Nothing less than factor 15, not ever. Not even if you've already got a strong colour. Try to seek shade at regular intervals throughout the day, and avoid long periods of sun exposure. And if you do find yourself in the sun for a while, sun hats and sunglasses (proper ones that actually block out the UV rays) are a must. Dress to protect your skin, not to expose it.

If you're still eager to tan your skin, though, faking it is the only way to go. It won't damage your skin, it won't increase your risk of skin cancer and you won't have to bake yourself under harmful UV rays for hours in order to achieve a natural looking skin tan.

If you want to know more about the dangers of sun bed usage and sun exposure, there's plenty of info from the Irish Cancer Society and the Department of Health here and here.

Do you use a sunbed? Or have we left those dark tans back in the dark ages where they belong? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.