A disorder that means a tanned person never feels like they are "tan enough" is a real issue; one that has garnered the street term, "tanorexia."
In a study published in the "Archives of Dermatology," behavioral scientists found that a subgroup of college students who tanned indoors showed telltale signs of a substance-related disorder -- meaning they were hooked on tanning the same way people are addicted to drugs and alcohol. These frequent tanners, or "tanorexics," were also "more likely to report moderate to severe symptoms of anxiety and depression than their peers who were not addicted to tanning or did not tan at all," says Time magazine.
All of the addicted students polled knew that they could develop skin cancer from using tanning beds, but 98 percent said the risk didn't prevent them from wanting to be more tan.
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Salons Don't Turn "Tanorexics" Away
"We didn't turn people away," says former tanning salon associate Carrillo. So a person could come in and use a tanning bed every day if they wanted to. "We would try and discourage people if they were already burnt, as burned skin doesn't tan, but some would still tan -- which I thought was crazy," she says. "Sometimes, we would have people sign waivers for liability if they wanted to do something that we didn't agree with, like tan for the max amount [of time] the first time they tanned," she says, but no one is ever flat-out denied, despite safety rules.
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The FDA Doesn't Highly Regulate Tanning Beds
Despite the fact that the ultraviolet radiation emitted during a tanning bed session is a proven human carcinogen, the FDA lists tanning beds in the middle of the three regulatory classes for medical devices, Class II. That means currently, beds are given the same regulation as powered wheelchairs and select pregnancy tests, says The Skin Cancer Foundation. So basically, tan at your own, very high, risk.
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Tanning Salons "Push to Sell"
For the most part, tanning salon employees work on commission, meaning the more tans and lotions they sell, the more they get paid. They try to sell the most expensive tan accelerating lotions, the highest UV intensity beds (which cost more then lower intensity beds), and multi-tan packages so customers are more motivated to tan more often, says Carrillo. "Also, when people would want a spray tan we would recommend that they get a base tan first from the beds, so it 'looked more natural,'" she says.
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They Convince You That If You're Tan, You Won't Burn
Tanning salons will tell a light complexioned person that they should tan indoors before going on vacation as the darker they are, the less likely they will be to burn in the sun. "This is totally false," says Dr. Bank. "While one might be less likely to burn in the sun if they naturally have a dark complexion like Middle Easterners, Hispanics, and African-Americans, someone that has naturally light skin can still burn no matter how many times they have laid in a tanning bed."
"It's a sales tactic," says Carrillo. "Only sunscreen will help you not burn," she says, "but it worked [to sell tanning sessions]!"
If you've ever set foot in a tanning salon, you've heard the hard sell. They push "tan accelerators" costing up to $90 a pop, a package of tans so your "glow doesn't go," and the promise that tanning beds are a "smarter" choice than baking out at the beach.
And apparently, you don't have to be a dummy to be sold. Approximately 7.8 million adult women and 1.9 million adult men in the United States tan indoors, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
That's a lot of willing customers allowing a business to knowingly, and quite happily, damage their skin.
So what is this, an alternate universe? What happened to the idea that the beauty industry was one that promoted youth and health? Spending time in a tanning bed practically guarantees you'll eventually deal with skin problems like photo damage, brown spots, fine lines, and wrinkles. Oh and hey, perhaps you've heard about this thing called melanoma, another not-so-lovely side effect of your tanning habit. Yeah, it's a deadly skin cancer that can spread throughout your entire body and kill you. Dead.
So why do Americans continue to subject themselves to the wrath of tanning beds and what are the secrets these tanning salons are keeping from us in order to keep business booming? Read on.
