Sunbeds & UV radiation

1. Introduction on sunbeds

The cosmetic purpose of using sunbeds is to achieve a tan. A recent study showed that a significant tanning effect can be achieved after 6 exposures (over two weeks) and that the tan increases steadily with further exposures.

Commercial sunbeds were developed in the 1970s and came into widespread use in the 1990s. The full health effects of tanning with artificially produced UV radiation are not yet known and, because skin cancer takes a long time to develop, it will take several years before the role of sunbeds in inducing skin cancer becomes clear. More...