Is it ever safe to tan?

Post your skin cancer and sun safety related questions for our experts here.

Moderator: talkhealth

Locked
3 posts
Guest Posts
Posts: 796
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2016 4:12 pm
Quote

by Guest Posts on Thu Sep 15, 2016 10:07 am

Is it ever safe to tan?

Posted on behalf of our guest visitor, Joanna:
I am going on holiday next month and I would really like to be able to get a tan, is there any safe way to spend time in the sun, get a tan, and still protect my skin?
talkhealth team on behalf of a guest visitor

JustJayne01
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:56 pm
Quote

by JustJayne01 on Fri Sep 16, 2016 7:17 am

Re: Is it ever safe to tan?

I would say with all the information available there isn't a safe way to tan. As someone who sunbathed to the point of blisters in the 70s and 80s and even into the 90s, I would say don't do it! Protect your skin with the highest factor available and don't purposefully sit in the sun. You still get a tan walking around in it, so protect and don't spend too long just sitting, seek shade if you must sit out!

User avatar
wendygreen
Posts: 52
Joined: Wed Jan 15, 2014 8:23 pm
Quote

by wendygreen on Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:51 pm

Re: Is it ever safe to tan?

Hi,

Unfortunately the latest guidelines from National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) state that there is no such thing as a safe tan.

However, we all need to get the sun on our skin for up to 15 minutes daily to ensure we produce enough vitamin D - which is difficult to get from food alone. Always cover up or apply sun screen after that amount of time.

Eating foods rich in lycopene - e.g. tomatoes, pink grapefruits and water melons can also help protect your skin from sun damage - though you would still need to cover up/wear sunscreen after a few minutes of sun exposure. Cooked tomatoes provide lycopene in its most easily absorbed form - tomato paste is a particularly rich source. Lycopene is also more easily absorbed when eaten with some type of fat - e.g. from olive oil/cheese - which makes a great excuse for eating pasta or pizza (a whole wheat base & vegetable/seafood toppings are healthiest) as they often contain all three ingredients.

If you still really want a tan you could always go for a fake tan - there are plenty of natural looking ones on the market.
Wendy Green
Health Expert & Author - BSc (Hons) Health Studies
http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... _green.php

Locked
3 posts