Is Spray Tan Bad For You?

We ‘re well informed about the dangers in tanning beds and excessive exposure to the sun today , especially with walking cautionary stories like Tan Mom. However, the facts get somewhat more confused when it comes to spraying tans. At first sight, the solution seems to be the endless search for white, sparkling skin without any harm to the sun. But is the truth too good?  

Spray tanning offers false glow by adding an active dihydroxyacetone (DHA) tanning agent to your skin. DHA interacts and simulates tan with the dead surface cells in the epidermis, usually lasting for a few days. In any sunless skin treatment process, DHA is the main active ingredient. It can be used alone or in combination with other components like erythrulose. 

DHA is the only FDA-approved sunless tanning product. It is a sugar which reacts in the very top layer of our skin with amino acids.

No scientifically proven health risks associated with spray tanning are currently known. Whilst some recent studies have raised concerns about DHA altering our DNA, it is not clear that the concentration of DHA examined in the studies exceeds the amounts used in commercial tanning sprays.

Nevertheless, wear a sturdy nose plug and keep your mouth closed to avoid unnecessary inhalation and intake of DHA.

What’s Worse: A Fake Tan Or A Real One?

Sun tanning, not to mention burns, can cause skin cancer, premature aging, cataracts, or the suppression of the immune system. Anyone over the age of six months, according to health experts, will wear sunscreen every day with an SPF of fifteen or higher. It can be used 30 minutes before you leave and every 2-3 hours you are in the sun added again. In a small study in 2010 the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, may double if you do not laterate regularly. A person’s risk of developing skin cancer later increases only by a bad sunburn.

Spray tanning once hailed as an intelligent alternative to external tanning can also pose health hazards. The concern is caused by the application of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in tanning solutions which interact in color change with dead skin cells. DHA is considered safe when properly used. ‘Most dermatologists agree that spraying on tans or tans in a flask are safe and effective, which mostly cause coloring of the epidermis’ outer layer – the stratum corneum.