In case you missed the most awesome Twitter Party to date, Ban The Tan! I’ve compiled some highlights, facts, quotes and the myths that we discussed during the party. I was pleased that Donna Helm Regen was my guest host. She has a great passion for raising awareness about this preventable disease since she lost her daughter to Melanoma. The UV Skinz team also joined in on the fun! It was also so great to have Samantha Guild from AIM at Melanoma to support our Party and get the message out on how people can get involved with tanning bed legislation. It all came down to education! Educating our children and educating each other. Then doing it over and over and over again. Until the word is out there and people realize the dangers of tanning.
Enjoy the quotes–it was awesome to get some really true and candid Tweets!
#banthetan Quotes!:
- “Natural is certainly healthier.”
- “No tan is worth your life.”
- “Remember that tan = damaged skin; damaged skin = damaged DNA; damaged DNA = welcome mat for Melanoma.”
- “I like the shade myself. Pasty and proud!”
Thanks to Samantha from AIM we all learned some really interesting facts about Melanoma! If you would like more information on how you can support tanning bed legislation in your state feel free to email sguild@aimatmelanoma.org or call 916-706-0599.
Facts (Courtesy of AIM at Melanoma):
- Melanoma is the 13th most expensive cancer in the U.S. Costing $2.36 billion in medical expenditures in 2010.
- Only 32 states have statutes that regulate indoor tanning beds.
- CA, NY, NJ, PA, and are RI are considering legislation to ban minors under 18.
- Some sun beds emit UV radiation 5 times the strength of the midday sun.
During our discussion I posed some truth/myth questions to keep the convo going. Most everyone responded with the correct answers. Kudos to our followers who are up to date on their Melanoma and tanning bed facts!
Myths:
- “Tanning beds aren’t addicting, I could stop if I want to.”
While not everyone who goes tanning is an addict, a new study has shown that frequenters of a tanning salon may be suffering from a form of addiction. Tanorexia.
- “Getting a base tan from a tanning salon will protect my skin from sun damage.”
Tanning beds emit high intensity UV rays, which cause deep skin damage and over time are linked with the development of skin cancer.
- “Tanning gives my skin a healthy glow.”
There is no such thing as a healthy tan. Any change in your natural skin color is a sign of damage. Not only can tanning cause skin cancer, in the long run, too much exposure to the sun may change the skin’s texture, giving it a tough, leathery appearance.
- “I don’t go very often, so the rays won’t affect my skin.”
UVA and UVB rays are damaging to the skin – regardless of how often you are exposed. Even the person that tans once a month is risking aging their skin.
