By now it is known that an unwary sun exposure without precautions can favor the onset of malignant tumors of the skin such as melanoma, spinocellular carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
In 2009, the World Health Organization published scientific evidence, obtained on the basis of an international series, which identifies the entire ultraviolet spectrum as a class 1 carcinogen (that is, the maximum risk) for human beings. On the basis of these results, therefore, even the tan with artificial UV radiation, obtained with lamps or sun beds, increases the risk of developing a skin tumor.
Since 2011, in Italy, a ministerial decree prohibits the use of tanning devices for children under 18, pregnant women, those who have previously developed a tumor and those who have fair skin and do not tan or they burn easily with sun exposure.
Excess is always negative
Although the devices for obtaining an artificial tan are of different types, the intensity of the UV emitted can be up to 10-15 times higher than that of the midday sun at our latitudes. If we consider the same unit of time, therefore, the dose of artificial ultraviolet radiation received by the skin during a typical tanning session is considerably more intense than that of exposure to sunlight.
Clearly, the risks of developing a skin cancer increases significantly with the increase in the number of tanning sessions and if the use of sun beds begins before the age of 30.
