With spring break five weeks away, students are preparing for beaches and other outdoor adventures by getting a head start on their tans.
Tanning salons have become increasingly popular throughout the years, with beds popping up all over Baton Rouge and even in some health clubs and apartments.
Angelina Chauvin, a public relations junior and Planet Beach employee, said the Highland Road store sees a definite increase between the months of February and August.
“Everything drops off a little around midsummer when people start tanning outside, but typically we’re really busy during March, April and May,” Chauvin said.
Chauvin said most of Planet Beach’s clients want to use tanning beds to get a base tan before going out in the sun because it serves as a natural defense against sunburn.
Timothy Honigman, a physician at the Student Health Center, disagrees. He said most physicians will not recommend going to tanning beds because ultraviolet rays are harmful in general.
“Tanning can cause premature aging, dryness and most importantly, the risk of skin cancer like melanoma,” Honigman said. “It looks good at first, but in the long run, it’s harmful.”
He said the main reasons for advising against tanning beds are control of cleanliness and UV exposure.
“There’s no way to know who monitors the beds and how often they clean them,” Honigman said. “I’ve had someone come in one time with [a skin disease] from lying in a bed that wasn’t cleaned in between people.”
Honigman said there is not much difference between getting UV rays indoors or outside because tanning is harmful whether it is artificial or natural.
An article from the Department of Health and Human Services titled “Darker Side of Indoor Tanning” said exposure to the UV radiation from sunlamps can increase your risk of skin cancer.
Chauvin said the positive effects of tanning range from treating skin conditions, such as psoriasis and acne, to providing health benefits, such as lowering heart rate.
Honigman said he has heard of dermatologists sending patients to tanning salons for skin treatments, but it is rare.
A’Dair Williams, a biology junior, said she has used tanning beds but does not go regularly because she has heard it can damage her internal organs.
Katie Cormier, a mass communication junior, has used artificial tanning for sorority formals or before going to the beach, but she never tans her face to prevent skin damage. She said she does not think going to tanning beds every once in a while is harmful to her health.
“I don’t have a history of cancer in my family, but I still wouldn’t go every day,” Cormier said.