Tanning=Skin Damage

Q:  I will be going to Mexico for vacation in a couple of weeks. My friends are all going tanning before leaving because they say it will help to protect them from burning while on vacation.

Is there really any benefit to or protection from getting a base tan prior to sun exposure?

A:  A tan is caused by melanin, the body's natural sunburn preventer. Melanin gives color to our hair, skin, and eyes, and also absorbs some of the ultraviolet (UV) rays that cause sunburn and skin damage. The body produces extra melanin in response to sun exposure, darkening the skin.

So in a way, a tan might protect you from getting a sunburn during brief exposures to the hot Mexican sun. But read further.

Doctors often tell patients "there is no such thing as a healthy tan." That's because a tan is a sign of exposure to UV rays, and those rays over time can cause skin damage or skin cancer. Skin cancers are often associated with having bad sunburns as a child; but can also be caused by significant sun exposure over a period of time.

A tan caused by a tanning bed could be just as cancer-inducing as a tan caused by the sun, since it also exposes the skin to UV rays. (It is important to note that "sunless" tanners, usually applied as a lotion or gel, darken the skin but do not induce melanin and therefore do not offer any protection from sunburns.)

Rather than getting a "base tan" prior to going to Mexico or any warm and sunny place, I would recommend you protect yourself from the sun while vacationing. This includes using sunscreen with high SPF and wearing protective clothing.

Hats with wide brims, long-sleeved shirts and foot coverings are important to help prevent burns. Also try to avoid being exposed during the time of day with the most direct sunlight.

Wearing sun-protective clothing and sunscreen may seem cumbersome and less than glamorous while on vacation, but bad sunburn can ruin one. I've seen many people have their vacations spoiled by a second- or third-degree sunburn.

Even if you are one of the "lucky" ones who always get the perfect tan, years from now, the wrinkles, age spots or skin cancer from chronic sun exposure won't seem so glamorous.

Deidre L. Faust, MD, is a Staff Physician (Internal Medicine) at the Medical College of Wisconsin's Plank Road Clinic. Her column appears in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

For more information on this topic, see the HealthLink articleTreatments Save Lives When Skin Cancer Is Detected Early.

"Dear Doctor" is a compilation of patient questions answered by doctors from the Medical College of Wisconsin.