Do Sunbeds Help Acne?
Affecting millions of people worldwide, acne – the common skin condition – often prompts people to explore many potential treatments without looking at the risks first. There has been a myth around using sun beds/tanning beds to help treat acne, however, it’s critical to separate fact from fiction when it comes to these dangerous devices.
UV Rays and Acne - the misconception
Sunbeds emit ultraviolet (UV) radiation which is divided into two types: UVA and UVB.
The myth that sunbeds are beneficial for acne-prone skin is based on the idea that the UV rays dry out the skin, which can temporarily reduce the oil that then leads to acne. However, the level of harm caused doesn’t outweigh the benefits, especially when there’s other (much safer) options for reducing oil production.
Exposure to UV rays can also lead to PIE (post-inflammatory erythema is the residual red, pink, or purple spots left behind by acne breakouts) hanging around longer, and wound healing being delayed. Looking long-term, the effect of UV rays on acne is much more negative.
The harmful impact of sunbeds - 7 reasons you shouldn’t use them
Using sunbeds before the age of 20 can increase your chances of developing melanoma (skin cancer) by 47%, and the risk increases with every use
Using sunbeds makes your skin age more quickly - wrinkles, age spots and saggy skin all appear earlier in those who use sunbeds
There’s no such thing as “getting a base tan” with a sunbed - you can still burn even if you use sunbeds to build up your tan before going into the sun, getting a tan before a holiday gives us around an SPF of 3
Every time you tan, you are damaging the DNA in your skin cells - the more DNA damage you have, the greater the risk of developing skin cancer
Sunbeds don’t help your skin make more vitamin D - tanning bed bulbs mainly emit UVA light, UVB light is needed for your body to produce vitamin D
Other than cancer, sunbeds increase the risk of developing actinic keratoses - these are thick, scaly or crusty areas of skin that often feel dry or rough, and these can turn cancerous
Sunbeds were classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organisation in 2009 - a carcinogen is an agent with the capacity to cause cancer in humans.
Is there any evidence to back up sunbeds for acne?
There's no conclusive evidence that prolonged exposure to sunlight or using sunbeds or sunlamps can improve acne. It’s also worth noting that many medicines used to treat acne can make your skin more sensitive to light, so exposure could cause painful damage to your skin, and also increase your risk of skin cancer.
What are the alternatives to treat acne?
If you’re looking for a way to improve your acne or acne scars that doesn’t involve the use of sunbeds, we are here to help! From a personalised skincare plan and medical grade facials, to SkinPen, chemical peels and LED Light Therapy, we offer a range of non-invasive solutions proven to be effective.
SkinCTRL Acne Programme
Have you tried everything to heal your breakouts but nothing has worked?
Do you have an amazing skincare routine but your skin still erupts every month? Have you recently stopped contraception and your skin is out of control? Have you visited your GP and the treatments they give you work for a short time but then your issues come back?
If you’ve answered yes to any of the above then our SkinCTRL programme may just be for you… Looking at healing your skin from the inside, we work with blood work analysis and treating your root causes.
Advanced Practitioner & Acne Specialist Cheryl has developed a program to help you get back CTRL of your skin and heal breakouts from within:
C - Comprehensive Assessment
Delving into factors that can affect skin health including gut health, hormones, liver function, environment, nutritional deficiencies, stress and skincare.
T - Targeted Analysis
Through blood work to identity specific individual triggers and underlying causes.
R - Resolution Strategies
Tailored to address the root causes identified, and work on healing the skin internally for you as an individual.
L - Long Term
Result focussed interventions help you understand your body on a deeper level to promote sustained skin health over time.
We are accepting patients with a special introductory offer from April with limited spaces! Contact us via email with the words ‘SkinCTRL’ to set up a 15 minute discovery call today, or book in for a consultation to discuss a suitable treatment or skincare plan here.
Professional, Medical Aesthetic Treatments & Skincare Therapies at The Good Skin Guru Aesthetics Clinics, located in Manchester & Cumbria