These days, tanning is taken very lightly. It is portrayed as a beauty enhancement. No one ever states the dangerous side affects. The tanning industry has grown immensely in the last decade. Right along with the growing industry the rate of skin cancer is also increasing. Young teenage are tanning more and more everyday and they are never truly told the future side affects that they might encounter. Let me give you a little idea of what consequences you might face later on in the future if you should decide to tan in a tanning bed. I'll call this..............THE DARKER SIDE OF TANNINGIf you are one of the millions of Americans that wishes for a year-round tan, you might choose to climb into a tanning bed where you are surrounded by UV light from above and below your body. Many older models of tanning beds use short-wave ultraviolet rays (UVB), while the newer models use the long-wave rays (UVA) proven to be less harmful than UVB, according to the Federal Trade Commission.While salons claim UVA rays are safe, experts suspect they may provide a link to malignant melanoma. The UVA rays penetrate deeper, weakening the skin's connective tissue. Over-exposure to these long-wave rays also cause premature aging in the skin, giving it a wrinkled, leathery appearance, and can impair the immune system. Research also shows that over-exposure to UVA can damage your eyes. The retina becomes damaged and the lens of your eyes become clouded, causing cataracts. A tan is often mistaken as a sign of good health. In reality, a suntan is an indication of the skin's response to recent skin damage. This pigment is designed to act as a shield which, when present, serves to slightly decrease skin damage from further UV light exposure. Skin aging and cancer are delayed effects that don't usually show up for many years after the exposure. Unfortunately, since the damage is not immediately visible, young people are of...
