May 21, 2009 4:45 pm US/Eastern
Doctors: Bottled Tan Safer Than Tanning Beds, Sun
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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To avoid this damage, some people turn to sunless tanning products -- creams, lotions, gels and sprays.
KDKA
With summer fashion, the sun-tanned look for some is an important accessory.
But sunbathing and tanning beds can be damaging to the skin causing wrinkles, sun spots, or even worse, cancer.
"We see a lot of teenage girls come in, and their moms will even ask, 'Is it okay if she goes to the tanning bed, just for prom,'" says Dr. Robin Gehris, a dermatologist at Children's Hospital. "And I always remind them it's not going to be any less damaging because you're doing it just for prom."
Tanning, either outdoors or indoors, will expose you to damaging ultraviolet rays. To avoid this damage, some people turn to sunless tanning products -- creams, lotions, gels and sprays.
The active ingredient is a chemical called DHA.
It reacts with the dead cells in the outermost layer of skin, making them darker. The coloring doesn't wash off, but gradually fades as the cells are naturally shed.
"It will combine more with areas of calluses, and thickened dead skin, so if you don't exfoliate first, you will have your calluses turn orange and the rest of you turn brown, which is kind of unappealling," Dr. Gehris points out.
If done right, it can look nice, but your nose may think otherwise.
"Any odor that patients have on their skin, usually goes away over a couple of days, and the tanning, the darkening effect, lasts a little bit longer than that, up to 10 days."
To avoid looking orange, Dr. Gehris recommends using the lower strengths of 3 to 5 percent, and work your way up from there. And then don't be fooled by your deep, dark look.
"I think the biggest misconception is just because you're tan looking, you're less likely to get a burn, and that is not true."
Sunless tanners do not have sunscreen in them, so they won't protect your skin from sun damage.
Be sure to use a sunscreen, too, with an SPF of at least 15.
Sunless tanners have been FDA approved, which means they have been extensively studied for safety and effectiveness.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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