Artificial tanning: what are the risks to the skin?

The light emitted by tanning booths gives off more UVA and UVB rays than the sun. However, while UVB rays remain on the surface of the epidermis and are responsible "only" for sunburn, UVA rays penetrate deeper and reach the dermis, where they stimulate the generation of free radicals. These reactive molecules attack and damage DNA, potentially causing genetic mutations and leading to skin cancers.

The risk of developing cutaneous melanoma represents the main danger associated with artificial tanning. Indeed, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified UV tanning beds as "carcinogenic" and estimated that exposure to artificial UV rays before the age of 30 increases the risk of developing melanoma by 75%.

A study was indeed conducted in 2012 by Public Health France, which concluded that approximately 4.6% of cases of skin melanomas, that is to say 347 annual cases were attributable to the use of tanning beds. Furthermore, this institute estimated that between 19 and 76 of the deaths that occurred that year were attributable to the regular practice of artificial tanning.

In the same vein, artificial tanning accelerates premature skin ageing due to thedamage to cells and certain fibrous proteins by free radicals. This results in the formation of wrinkles and sagging of the skin surface. It is also worth noting that the effects of repeated artificial tanning can be more visible and severe compared to sun tanning.

The intense UV rays emitted by artificial tanning booths aim to stimulate the synthesis of melanin. However, this production is not always evenly distributed. It happens that clusters of melanin deposit in certain areas of the dermis or epidermis, thereby causing brown spots. Without exposure to artificial UV rays, they often naturally appear around the age of fifty and highlight a lifetime of sun exposure. Tanning booths accelerate this process and can lead to the development of brown spots much earlier.

In summary, artificial tanning concentrates and amplifies all the dangers posed by sun exposure. While tanning beds are discouraged for everyone, some people are particularly at risk. These are the lightest skin types, naturally less protected from UV rays.

Biologically, this can be explained by the low proportion of certain pigments such as melanin, haemoglobin, or carotenoids in these individuals. Furthermore, the type of melanin they synthesise (pheomelanin) is lighter and less protective. Therefore, tanning booths are highly discouraged for people with fair skin.

We also recommend that individuals with a high number of moles avoid artificial tanning. Indeed, these individuals are predisposed to developing cutaneous melanoma and a session in a tanning booth could only exacerbate this already significant risk.