Dangers+of+Spray+Tanning


 * The Hidden Dangers of Spray Tanning

By Alina O'Donnell **  Everyone knows that lying beneath the scorching sun for three hours or in a cold metal bed for fifteen minutes is dangerous, but what about that quick blast of dihydroxyacetone? Getting a spray tan seems just as harmless as rubbing on some glow-inducing moisturizer. When asked if she thought spray tanning was a safe practice, 12th grader Carrie Fippinger confidently answered “yes of course!”

What was once thought to be the “safe” tan is now giving doctors a reason to worry. We often forget to consider the other 44 mysterious ingredients emitted by the machine. Do we really know what potentially dangerous chemicals are hidden in this beauty treatment? Only 11% of all substances used in cosmetics have been tested and approved by FDA. The rest of the mysterious concoction is left to cosmetic companies' discretion. In the 1970’s the government approved the use of dihydroxyacetone for rubbing directly onto the skin, but never for being inhaled or absorbed into the body’s mucous membranes.

An I-Team from CBS 3 sought the truth to this myth and went undercover to Hollywood Tans in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. The salon’s employee calmly assured the team “not to worry” about what they would be breathing inside the booth. After further investigation, the investigators found that the spray tan solution being used contained mercury, arsenic and lead, and that these ingredients are not uncommonly used by other tanning salons. Toxicologist Dr. These toxins are speculated to interfere with the brain and nervous system. Exposure could be particularly hazardous to pregnant women; developing babies could, in turn, suffer from mental retardation, cerebral palsy, deafness and blindness. In adults, these poisons can adversely affect fertility and blood pressure regulation and can induce memory loss, tremors, vision loss and numbness of the extremities. A growing body of evidence suggests that the chemicals may also increase chances of heart disease.

In addition, anything we blindly saturate our bodies with has the potential to give us an allergic reaction. Many of the questionable ingredients in spray-on solution are notorious for doing just this; often the tanner develops “contact dermatitis”, a very itchy, severe rash. Many people have complained of coughing, dizziness, fainting and difficulty breathing after spray tanning.

Unlike the dangers of “fake baking,” the dangers of spray tanning can be avoided. Journalist David Wade said that if the solution is applied without protecting the nose, mouth and eyes, it “is being applied incorrectly and could be harmful.” Using the correct protective gear is so simple, yet the majority of tanning salons are not advising their customers about the hidden chemicals or the important usage of protective gear. Salons are supposed to be supplied with eyewear, a nose plug and lip balm yet none of the employees at the three salons offered these things until the I-team specifically requested them. In fact, one of the investigators was told she could spray-tan with her eyes open and that the spray “was so harmless that you could eat it.”

The risks involved with spray tanning are not nearly as severe as those involved with real and artificial UV exposure. If tanners were to cover their internal openings, the blast of sticky, smelly solution would be harmless, and a healthy alternative to UV radiation. Some people are even opting for organic spray tans, which are free of mysterious chemicals and therefore completely safe, the only glitch is their expensive price. Although spray tanning with protective gear, or organic solution is a safe option, the solution is still not ideal. When six random senior girls were asked if they prefer tanning in a bed or spray tanning, five out of the six said tanning in a bed. Fippinger’s reasoning was that it “doesn’t last as long or look as natural”. “It makes fair –skinned people look orange” Carolyn Raughley added. Fair enough, spray tans may not appear as natural, but they are certainly less damaging.

Unlike the dangers of UV exposure, the hazardousness of spray tanning has been kept mostly concealed. If health professionals and tanning salons were to better advocate the correct way to spray tan, a harmless way to get a sun-kissed glow would exist.