Some people cannot do without a tan. It’s tanorexia. An addiction that can be dangerous, especially when the cabins are defective.
Two out of three UV centers are not compliant. The crackdown on fraud has published the results of an investigation carried out across France last year. Lack of technical control of devices, traceability problem, lack of staff training, several anomalies were noted. Users should be vigilant when visiting these centers. But for some people sunbathing is an addiction. It is called tanorexia.
UV addiction
The Massachusetts General Hospital of Boston conducted research on sun addiction. Mice underwent regular UV sessions, they showed at the end the same symptoms as when using drugs. This is because of beta-endorphin, a psychotropic substance from the same family as heroin. When tanning, this substance is created during the chemical reactions that produce melanin. As a result, people feel a real lack when they do not expose themselves. Women are five times more affected than men by tanorexia.
An increased risk of skin cancer
This addiction is not without risk. The use of UV booths can be dangerous. According to the national union of dermatologists and venereologists, the number of skin cancers in regular users of this type of cabin is considerable. In fact, the radiation emitted by machines is very strong. A session would be equivalent to an exposure of the same duration on a subtropical beach and without sun protection.
.
