Deep Concern For 19-Year-Old Indoor Tanning Addict; Know The Dangers of Sun Beds And Tanning Nasal Sprays

“It took me a good while because I was so pale and nothing was helping me go dark,” Savannah said of achieving the color she wanted.

@savannahvieirax 😙🍋😙 #fyp #foryoupage #sunbed #sunbeds #tan ♬ BABA (Toma Tussi) – Russ Millions

Savannah told The Sun she goes in a tanning bed (also called a sunbed) for about 13 to 15 minutes at a time. To help deepen her tan, she added nasal sprays and accelerator creams to her routine.

RELATED: A Dangerous TikTok Trend Is Promoting The Use of Tanning Beds. Here's What You Need To Know About The Risks.

"I was getting color but not the color I wanted, so I started nasals and that boosted it the most for me," she said. "It took me AGES to tan my face and hands but then I started the nasals and it really boosted my tan that way, that's the only way my face would tan."

It’s important to note there are no tanning pills, shots, nasal sprays and accelerators that have been approved by the FDA for tanning purposes among the general public. According to the American Cancer Society:

• Tanning pills “may cause injury and impair vision” or potenitally lead to “liver and skin problems.”
• Tanning shots (injections under the skin) and nasal sprays “may cause nausea, vomiting, or other side effects, and some reports have also suggested they might increase the risk of melanoma skin cancers.”
• Tanning accelerators, like lotions or pills that contain the amino acid tyrosine or its derivatives, “do not work and may be dangerous.”

@savannahvieirax Yes. #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #tanned #sunbeds #tan ♬ original sound – ♨︎♧

Some of Savannah’s posts about her sunbed journey have gone viral on TikTok, so it’s important people recognize how dangerous her behaviors are.

"Studies have shown that exposure to tanning beds increases the risk of skin cancer and ocular cancer," says Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius, the chief of the division of dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "It also induces changes that lead to premature aging of the skin. There is no 'safe' tanning bed."

The Dangers of UV-Blasting Sunbeds

Tanning can be addictive. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, some people find it hard to stop and even feel fidgety or depressed when they don't get a steady dose of UV rays.

RELATED: Half of Teen Tanning Salon Customers Go With Their Moms Part of Massive Increase in Skin Cancer

But avoiding tanning beds, booths or sun lamps is perhaps the easiest way to reduce your risk of developing skin cancer. In case you need real evidence on why these practices are so bad, consider the following stats from the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation:

• Indoor tanning can increase the risk of developing a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma by 58%.
• Indoor tanning can increase the risk of developing a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma by 24%.
• Using tanning beds before age 20 can increase your chances of developing melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, by 47%.
• Just one indoor tanning session before age 35 increases the risk of developing life-threatening melanoma by 75%.
• Women younger than 30 are six times more likely to get melanoma if they tan indoors.
• The risk of developing melanoma increases with each sunbed use.
• Research shows that even people who do not burn after indoor tanning or sun exposure are at an increased risk of melanoma if they tan indoors.
• Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk for more than one melanoma diagnosis in a person’s lifetime.

Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE

Overall, know that skin cancer experts warn against any amount of sunbed use.

Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, says the UV-blasting beds increase your chances of melanoma "exponentially."

Tanning Salons Pose a Big Risk for Skin Cancer

"We know there is a direct correlation with [melanoma] patients who go to indoor tanning salons," Dr. Pavlick told SurvivorNet.

She explained that the exposure to harmful UVA/UVB rays "is about 6 inches from your body" when you hop into a sunbed as opposed to being thousands of miles away when you're sitting on a beach.

"So you have to think of the intensity that you're exposing your skin to when you go to a tanning salon," Dr. Pavlick said.

Top 5 Ways to Protect Your Skin From Skin Cancer

That being said, you shouldn’t lather on the oil and sit outside with zero sun protection either. The sun is not your friend when it comes to skin cancer risk, and dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman recommends you do the following things to protect yourself from skin cancer

• Try to avoid the sun during the peak hours of 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.. This advice doesn't mean you should never go outdoors in the middle of the day, but it does mean you should protect your skin when you do.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses to protect the top of your head, the tops of your ears and the sensitive area around the eye.
• Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen daily (all year long).
• Reapply your sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or excessive sweating.
• Get yearly skin checks with a professional since it's difficult to evaluate all of the body ourselves.

Alternatives to the Beds

If achieving a golden glow is important to you, consider safer alternatives to indoor or outdoor tanning.

"Spray tans and sunless tanning lotions are safe," Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius said. "One should take precautions not to inhale the product when getting a spray tan. Skin allergic reactions are rare."

Although spray tans are a much safer alternative to tanning beds and “even have a very mild sunscreen effect,” Dr. Craig Elmets, professor in the Department of Dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, says not much is known about the side effects. In addition, know that having a spray tan should never replace sunscreen use.

"Not a lot is known about the side effects, but there is very limited absorption and they have been available for decades without any reports of serious side effects, which is reassuring," he said.

Self-tanning pills are another option for people seeking a tan, but they are not FDA-approved or endorsed by dermatologists. Dr. Elmets says they have also been associated with allergic reactions and systemic side effects.

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