Story Published: Jul 30, 2009 at 6:10 PM MDT
Story Updated: Jul 31, 2009 at 5:56 PM MDT
Even during the summer salon owners see thousands of clients. They feel its unlikely a new study will discourage many people from tanning, but they do want them to stay safe. Katrina Knowlton, Owner of Mediterranean Sun said, "Don't go tanning when you're red. That's how you damage your skin."
It's that kind of advice that Knowlton tries to give to all of her clients. She feels that among other things tanning can help people stay happy, and get Vitamin D.
She just encourages people to take it slow. Knowlton said, "Come in and you can get just a little bit at a time, and once you get a base tan you can maintain it by tanning about once a week."
Another reason salon owners feel that tanning can be a safe practice is that it's in a controlled environment, versus being out in the sun where you never know which rays you're going to be getting. "When you tan in my beds you get 97% UVA, and 3% UVB. That 3%stimulates your pigments so you can tan," said Knowlton.
New information from The Lancet Oncology does state that people who use tanning beds can have an increased risk of problems.
But medical professionals point out that the study also shows any tanning can be bad. Jennifer Robinson, a Physician's Assistant with the Portneuf Cancer Center said,"They could not directly say what cancers were caused specifically by tanning beds, and what cancers were caused by just plain sun exposure."
Their advice is to limit any exposure, and check with your doctor if you notice any skin irregularities.
Another recommendation to stay safe is to use sunless tanning lotions.
Mediterranean Sun does offer a UV-free tanning spray, but warns that even after a treatment you could still get a sun burn because the spray is not the same as actually being tan.