Did you know 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70? For redhead skin, the risk of skin cancer is astronomically higher. One of the leading causes of skin cancer is tanning.
Have you ever wondered how and why tanning beds are still legal in the US, especially for minors? Even one blistering sunburn in childhood more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma later in life. Skin damage builds up over time starting with your very first sunburn. The more you burn, the greater your risk of skin cancer. Scary enough, subsequent damage can occur even when there is no obvious burn.
Here’s everything we know about why tanning beds are available to minors and legal themselves:
US regulations are not as strong as other countries
Tanning bed regulations in the US are far behind those in many other countries. France started restricting tanning bed use in the 90s, while other countries like Brazil followed suit in the early 2000s. Some countries like Australia banned commercial tanning beds completely by the mid-2010s. Now, most countries have some sort of law in place for adult tanning, and most have banned the use of tanning beds by minors.
Here in the United States, the laws vary from state to state. As of 2021, 44 states plus the District of Columbia had tanning bed restrictions for minors with about half of those banning tanning bed use for those under 18 completely. For adults over 18, there are some restrictions regarding the wait time between tans or the amount of tanning an individual can do in a week, but these rules vary by state.
Tanning brings in money
So why is tanning still legal? Like most things, the answer is money. The tanning industry makes millions of dollars each year and similarly to cigarettes, people don’t want to stop even though they know it’s a known cause of cancer. Even now in 2022, there is still outcry for nationwide tanning restrictions or bans but because the issue is left up to the states we may not see that happen anytime soon.
Why some redheads use a tanning booth
Out of the entire population, redheads are some of the fairest and most sensitive-skinned humans. Many of us are bullied for our pale skin and turn to the tanning booth to get some kind of “color”. For many, the skin only gets red and peels. It’s awfully sad and not only causes premature aging, but skin cancer too.
Did you ever do this? What are your thoughts?
RELATED POSTS:
READ: Skin Cancer Risk For Redheads Is Equivalent to 21 Years In The Sun
READ: How Redheads Can Get a ‘Healthy Glow’ Without UV Tanning
Rock it like a Redhead!
