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N ew Y ork S tate D epartment of H ealth Tanning Hazards Inform ation S heet D ep artm ent regu lations req u ire that y ou b e p rov ided with the following inform ation so that y ou can m ake an inform ed ju dgem ent ab ou t indoor tanning and the u se of tanning facilities. What is “tanning”? Tanning is a result of skin injury and damage. It is the response when your skin is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The skin produc es extra pigment to protec t itself against the UV radiation and this pigment makes the skin look darker. What is UVradiation? UV radiation is a form of energy from natural sunlight or from a tanning devic e suc h as a sunlamp, tanning b ooth or tanning b ed that is not visib le to the human eye. It is c lassified as c arc inogenic to humans and c an c ause c anc er. What are al isk c dwith indotanning? thehe th r s assoiate or Health risks associated with tanning: F actors that p u t y ou at increased risk for dev elop ing skin cancer: • S kin c anc er • L ighter natural skin • B urns and injury to the skin and eyes • F amily or personal history of skin c anc er • P remature aging of the skin • H istory of sunb urn early in life • A llergic reac tions • S kin that b urns, frec kles, reddens easily, or is painful in the sun • W orsen existing medic al c onditions • B lue or green eyes and b lond or red hair • Immune suppression • C ertain types and/or a large numb er of moles Arindotanning dv e ethan tanning in natual nl e or eics safrrsuight? N o. The UV radiation produc ed b y indoor tanning devic es c an c ause the same damage to the skin as natural sunlight. E xposure to UV radiation, whether from an indoor tanning devic e or from natural sunlight, inc reases health risks for everyone. Avoidindoortanning if: • Y ou b urn easily and don't usually tan in natural sunlight. • Y ou get freq uent c old sores. UV radiation c an lead to c ommon light-sensitive ailments. • Y ou have medic al c onditions like lupus and vitiligo. UV radiation c an worsen • Y ou are immune suppressed. UV radiation c an b e more haz ardous. • Y ou eat c ertain foods or use c ertain c osmetic s or medic ations that c an make your skin b urn more easily. This reac tion is c alled —photosensitivity“. A sk the tanning fac ility operator or employee for a list of these items. Fopr ns w c o to xo the le V ri atior m r eso ho hose epse msevs tothehar ue ets oU ad n fo indoortanning devices: • A lways wear F D A c ertified protec tive eyewear. If you don't have your own F D A c ertified protec tive eyewear, req uest it from the tanning fac ility operator or employee. • L earn your skin type and understand the exposure limits rec ommended b y the manufac turer of the tanning devic e. • S eek medic al attention for severe b urns, allergic reac tions and unusual skin lesions or sores. • R eport any injuries or adverse reac tions to the tanning fac ility operator or employee. Revised 12/ 09