Risk Of Tanning Essay

The Risks of Tanning and Exposure to the Sun The largest organ in the body is the skin, yet so many people are willing to abuse it. When it comes to indoor tanning, about thirty million Americans choose to tan each year. Seventy-five percent of these people who are under the age of thirty have an increased risk of melanoma. The worst part is, once the skin is damaged the skin, there is no way to reverse it. The risks of tanning and exposure to sun can lead to various diseases, which include various forms of cancer, eye damage, and damaged skin. Understanding skin damage requires knowing how sunlight affects it. The skin has two layers, the dermis and the epidermis. The epidermis is the first layer of the skin which is thinner than the dermis,
Damaged skin has short and long-term effects. Rashes, burns, and irritated skin are some of the short-term effects. Long-term effects, such as baggy skin and age spots, cannot be reversed. Premature aging is when the skin “ages” quicker than it’s supposed to. When the skin ages too fast, it looks less attractive. Premature aging takes the shape of wrinkles, dark spots, and leathery skin. These three sub-categories are all considered forms of premature aging. Clearly, premature aging is a direct result of over exposure to UV rays. Wrinkles can be thought of as folds in the skin and are mostly found around the eyes and mouth. Although wrinkles aren’t harmful, they are thought of as what “old people” have. In today’s day and age, society tells us “the younger the better,” and wrinkles make a person appear just the opposite. Additionally, dark spots also are a result from too much sunlight, which causes an increase in melanin in the skin. Dark spots can appear pretty much anywhere, and don’t have a definite cause, but research indicates that UV light is a source. Leathery skin has a worn out look and feel. The skin looks stretched out and