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Health
A Beautiful Brown, at What Cost?
by Naunidhi Kaur
October 23, 2005
Eva
Robertson, 30, is a fair-skinned redhead with moles all over her body.
For several years now, she has been heading out of Toronto every summer
to a rented cottage at Blind River, Ontario to get that oh-so-desirable
tanned look. One day she noticed that the mole on her back had grown
bigger and changed shape. The mole had also become darker. Soon, it
became itchy and started bleeding.
Robertson has been diagnosed with melanoma, a type of skin cancer, and
is currently undergoing chemotherapy. "For the first few weeks I could
not believe that I had skin cancer. All my life, melanoma has been
something that happens to other people," she says.
Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canada. According to
the World Health Organization (WHO), in the US, one in three cancers is
skin-related, and is a result of people's quest for the dark, tanned
look. While basal and squamous are more common and treatable forms of
skin cancers, melanoma is considered potentially deadly.
According to Canadian Dermatology Association (CDA), a national
dermatologist group, 2005 will see 30 per cent more cases of skin cancer
in Canada compared to just 10 years ago. An estimated 76,000 new cases
of common skin cancers are expected. CDA has projected that more than
60,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with basal cell skin cancer. Although
it is the least dangerous form of skin cancer, if left untreated, basal
cell carcinoma can eventually cause disfigurement.
The numbers from neighboring USA are even more dismal. Community-based
voluntary health organization American Cancer Society says that 60,000
new cases of melanoma will be detected in 2005.
CDA attributes this rise in preventable skin cancer to excessive sun
exposure. During summers, in their enthusiasm for the elusive suntan,
people tend to get careless about the use of sunscreens. This is
particularly worrisome in view of the fact that the ozone layer - which
filters out harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sunrays - is
anywhere between one to eight per cent below normal levels.
Meanwhile, for North Americans, a sun-tanned skin remains firmly
established as a sign of success, power and energy. The popular myth is
that when actresses like Jennifer Aniston and Jessica Simpson, and
models like Gisele Bundchen and millionaire Paris Hilton, maintain the
brown and beautiful look all year round, it cannot really be harmful.
Fashion magazines and television shows continue to parade the bronzed
look as a sign of success and vigor. The result is that there are always
people willing to risk cancer for the tanned 'outdoors look'.
Those seeking the tanned look throughout the year are at double
jeopardy. Post-summer, North Americans head to salons that offer tans at
an affordable price. "Hey you snowflake, look in the mirror. Get a quick
tan." Slogans like these, put out by tanning salons, are not uncommon in
Toronto. "Indulge yourself guilt-free with a Hollywood tan," they
prompt. Toronto alone has more than 40 tanning salons.
In the US,
the tanning salon market is now a US$ 5 billion industry, growing from
fewer than 10,000 outlets in the early 1990s to about 50,000 today.
According to American Academy of
Dermatology (AAD), an international body of dermatologists, 26 per cent
of young people under age 25 had used a tanning bed in the US in 2004.
Of that number, more than half were young women.
Tanning salons promise customers an everyday golden-brown skin, or a
quick skin makeover for a wedding, reunion or other special event. The
most popular device used in salons is a clamshell-like tanning bed. The
customer lies down on a Plexiglas surface with goggles for eye
protection and relaxes as the body is tanned from both above and below.
The rapidly-growing tanning industry assures customers that artificial
UV radiation is a safe way to tan, and that it provides a number of
health benefits as well - including much-needed Vitamin D. However,
scientific research proves that artificial UV radiation is as dangerous
as natural UV radiation.
Alarmed at the growing number of cancer cases and the popularity of
tanning salons, WHO issued a public warning in North America in March
2005. In its statement, WHO said, "Growth in the use of sun beds,
combined with the desire and fashion to have a tan are considered to be
the prime reasons behind this fast growth in skin cancers." It issued a
warning that no person under 18 years of age should use tanning beds.
WHO's warning could not have come sooner. Sun beds emit levels of UV
radiations many times stronger than the mid-day summer sun.
According to WHO, some of the main consequences of excess UV exposure
include skin cancer, eye damage and premature skin ageing. Making a case
against tanning salons, WHO reaffirmed what research had already
explained. A study done in Quebec, a Canadian province, in 1999
discovered that 26 per cent of tanning bed users in Canada had
experienced adverse effects, including burns.
But are people aware of these facts? In May 2005, AAD conducted a survey
in the US, where people were asked whether or not they look better with
a tan: 61 per cent of women and 69 per cent of men aged 18 and older
said they do. In fact, the majority of women (54 per cent) and men (60
per cent) even believed that people actually look healthier when they
have a tan. When asked whether they know about factors that contribute
to an increased risk of skin cancer, more women than men knew that
getting a tan from the sun could be dangerous (94 per cent vs. 89 per
cent). It seems that despite knowing the link between suntan and cancer,
a majority of the people in the US associate tanning with health and
beauty.
That said, there are safer tanning alternatives to the UV radiation.
While the CDA is firm on its altruistic position that "no tan is good
tan", many are choosing the middle path and heading to spray-on tanning
salons. These salons use a plant-based dye, dihydroxyacetone, to give
customers a fake tan that stays for about a week, and does not rub off
on clothes or come off when toweling the body dry.
American Cancer Society continues to urge people to "Slip, Slop and
Slap" - slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, and slap on a hat before
venturing out in the sun. In a world increasingly obsessed with body
images, it remains to be seen how many people will take these
suggestions seriously.
By arrangement with
Women's Feature Service
Comments by David J. Weslake, P.Eng.
Top
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The Week of October 23, 2005
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Partnership Reviewed
by Dr. Subhash Kapila
The New York Times on a Roll
by Gaurang Bhatt, MD
Cikhandi Syndrome by J. Ajithkumar
The Law: Congealed Colonialism
by Arvind Narrain
Putting Off Pregnancy
by Nitin Jugran Bahuguna
A Beautiful Brown, at What Cost?
by Naunidhi Kaur
Natural
Calamities and Vastu
by Niranjan Babu Bangalore and
Raman Suprajarama
The Tearful Jerks by Soma
Guru
Claiming the Top Spot for Women
by Sudeshna Sarkar
The Witty Side - A weekly column by
Melvin Durai
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