By now most of us heard that sun tanning is unhealthy. The medical and aesthetic consequences of excessive sun exposure (whether artificial or natural) are serious and can needlessly harm both your health and your appearance. Sun tanning can also interfere with recovery from cosmetic treatments like Toronto BOTOX®. Here are ten of the top reasons for why sun tanning so unhealthy and dangerous.
1. Dry Skin
Tanning takes a toll on your skin, decreasing moisture and leaving the skin thinner and drier. Dry skin is unpleasant in both look and feel and can be avoided by reducing sun exposure.
2. Wrinkles
Sun tanning can lead to a breakdown in elastin and collagen levels — two proteins that skin cells need to maintain a youthful look. Without these, wrinkles quickly form.
3. Age Spots
Age spots are also a common consequence of tanning. They manifest as brown or reddish spots on the face and body and can last a lifetime.
4. Uneven Pigmentation
Years of tanning often make themselves known in permanent pigmentation changes. Excessive sun exposure can lead to uneven skin texture and the development of reddish, blotchy areas or heavy freckling.
5. Decreased Immune System
One of the least known phenomena related to tanning is a decrease in immune system functionality. Without a properly functioning immune system people are much more likely to fall victim to any number of illnesses.
6. Sunburns
At one time or another you’ve problem suffered from a sunburn. Whether mild or severe, sunburns leave lasting damage to your skin that can lead to aesthetic conditions (like some of the ones mentioned above) or more serious medical issues like skin cancer.
7. Dehydration
The moisture taken from our bodies during tanning doesn’t just leave our skin dry — it also affects the rest of us. Dehydration is a serious concern in cases of excessive sun or UV ray exposure and can become severe enough to cause sunstroke.
8. Premature Aging
The sum total of sun tanning’s effects is one of premature aging. Wrinkles, age spots and a drastic reduction in skin texture, moisture and tone quality all add up to create a prematurely aged look.
9. Melanoma
Malignant melanoma can occur as the result of sun tanning and presents itself as an irregularly shaped mark on the skin.
10. Other Skin Cancers
The most frightening problem associated with sun tanning is the development of skin cancer, a disease that cuts many lives short every year. Aside from the development of melanoma, frequent tanners also put themselves in risk of contracting basal or squamous cell carcinomas.