A is not B

by Rhonda Nordstrom at Rheal Day Spa in Rockland

I ran into an acquaintance I’m fond of in the coffee shop the other day. When I commented how great she looked, she said rather sheepishly, “I’m tanning.”

In response to the horror on my face she continued, “We’re going on vacation and I don’t want to get a burn as soon as I get there!”

Something told me to walk away without lecturing but I did squeeze in the thought that UV tanning is very, very dangerous.

Here’s what I wanted to say. The rays that burn skin, UVB, are not the biggest concern. It’s the UVA rays that show no immediate sign of the damage they are causing. If your tanning booth is emitting UVA rays you are endangering yourself to the possibility of premature aging and much, much worse, melanoma.

Yes, burning is bad but please beware what you cannot see.

To prepare for vacation, consider self-tanning products or getting a professional spray tan (get one at Rheal Day Spa)  – and pack lots of glorious sunscreen that blocks both UV A and B rays when sunbathing.

And then we have the paradox of needing unfiltered sunlight (UVB) on our skin in order to absorb precious vitamin D. The recommendation is 20 minutes per day in off peak sun hours or 10 minutes per day supplemented by omega3 fish oils

http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/living-well-usn/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d.html

A treatment center at Rheal Day Spa in Rockland