Tanning booths promote endometriosis, a chronic inflammatory disease that is very disabling on a daily basis for women who suffer from it. These cabins were already implicated because of the risks of skin cancer linked to artificial UV rays for aesthetic purposes.
- The use of tanning booths in early adulthood increases the risk of endometriosis, potentially through a harmful effect of ultraviolet rays.
- In 2018, the Health Security Agency (ANSES) insisted on the risk of cancer linked to natural or artificial UV rays and expressed itself in favor of the outright ban on artificial UV rays for aesthetic purposes in France.
In addition to generating skin burns, permanently damaging the epidermis and causing cancer, tanning booths would also promote endometriosis, according to a new study published in Human Reproduction.
Association between endometriosis and skin cancer
Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting at least one in ten women of childbearing age. Very disabling, it is characterized most of the time by intense pain during menstrual periods, which treatments are not always enough to reduce. “Previous research has reported an association between endometriosis and skin cancer, with evidence of common risk factors between the two diseases. We therefore investigated potential associations between ultraviolet radiation and the risk of skin cancer. ‘endometriosis’, explain the authors of the study in the preamble.
The trial was based on a cohort of 116,429 American nurses aged 25 to 42 at the start of the experiment in 1989. During follow-up, which lasted until 2015, 4,791 cases of endometriosis confirmed by laparoscopy have been reported.
“Our results indicate that the use of tanning booths in early adulthood increases the risk of endometriosis, potentially through a harmful effect of ultraviolet radiation, and that residential UV exposure reduces the risk, possibly be thanks to an optimal synthesis of vitamin D”, conclude the scientists.
ANSES in favor of banning tanning booths in France
According to Australian research, banning tanning beds would prevent 10 million skin cancers in North America and Europe. Studies have also shown that their regular use can cause burns and permanently damage the epidermis.
UV cabins are banned in three countries: Brazil, Iran and Australia. In Europe, their use has decreased by 20% since 2009, but it is constant in the United States. In January 2020, the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) published a notice for consumers. It alerts them to certain rules to follow to avoid putting themselves in danger: do not use cosmetics at the time of exposure, do not take photosensitizing medication, do not exceed the planned exposure time or consult a doctor in cases of redness or blisters. In 2018, the Health Security Agency (Anses) already insisted on the risk of cancer linked to natural or artificial UV rays and spoke out in favor of the outright ban on artificial UV rays for aesthetic purposes in France.
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