Do Spray Tans Cause Cancer?
Are spray tans dangerous?
Are Spray Tans the Healthiest Way to Get Tan?
Not at all. Everybody knows that natural tans can be harmful to your skin because of ultraviolet (UV) rays. Tanning beds also are harmful to skin because they also have ultraviolet rays and radiation in them. Ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer over time, so many people opt out of those two options and go with what they think is the healthy alternative, spray tans. Little do they know that spray tans are just as dangerous because they contain a chemical called dihydroxyacetone (DHA). DHA is one of the leading causes of lung cancer.
Spray Tan
Causes lung cancer
Tanning Bed
Causes skin cancer
Natural Tanning
Causes skin cancer
How Does DHA Cause Lung Cancer?
Every time people get a spray tan, they inhale DHA. It then enters your lungs and gets into the blood stream. Now this can only be harmful if you breathe it in all the time. People who get spray tans on a regular basis are at a very high risk for lung cancer. The chemical will build up in the lungs and than develop cancer. Even though spray tans will help avoid skin cancer, they can cause lung cancer, which is no better.
FDA on Spray Tans
In 1977, the FDA, (Food and Drug Administation), approved the usage of the chemical dihydroxyacetone to be used in tanning lotions. This was a safe way for people to get tan, and they could do it themselves. All people had to do was rub the lotion on their skin and they would get a tan soon after. The FDA has never approved of spray tans. When they said yes to DHA in 1977, they did not think that the chemical would soon be flying around in the air in a tanning box for people to breathe it in. They would not have approved the usage of DHA if they knew that spray tans were going to take place. Dihydroxyacetone is not healthy for anybody to breathe in, and the consequences of inhaling it could potentially be deadly.
Protection
If for some reason you have to get a spray tan, there are some things you can do to make the experience a little safer. You can...
- Wear nose clips
- Hold your breathe
- Cover your eyes
- Keep your mouth closed
These steps will help prevent DHA from entering your lungs.