Here at Cosmo, we’re deeply committed to our Practice Safe Sun campaign, which warns young women about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure. So we were troubled (to say the least) by the recent news that Vice Presidential candidate and Alaska Governor Sarah Palin had a tanning bed installed in the governor’s mansion when she took office in 2006.

 
















Equally horrifying is a recent media campaign from the International Tanning Association (ITA), a group of salon owners and manufacturers, which is devoted to convincing the public that bronzing under artificial UV light is a healthy behavior.

Don’t fall for it! The fact is, cooking yourself under a sun lamp can cause skin cancer, in-cluding melanoma—the deadliest and second most common form of cancer for 20something women. Below, we bust the ITA’s pro fake-bake BS, with the help of dermatologists Erin Welch, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Clifford Perlis, director of Mohs surgery and dermatologic surgery at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia. Governor Palin, hope you’re listening.

  • To get the vitamin D your body requires, you need sun or tanning-booth time. Some studies do show that certain populations, such as hospital patients, aren’t get-ting enough of the bone-building vitamin D. The ITA implies in their ad campaign that lay-ing in the sun or in a tanning bed can help people meet their quota. Reality check: You can get enough vitamin D by being outdoors (sans sunscreen) for just 5 to 15 minutes three times a week, taking vitamin supplements, or consuming vitamin D-rich foods daily, such as one cup of fortified milk or a serving of cooked salmon.


  • There’s no direct evidence linking melanoma to UV exposure. The ITA points out that because melanoma can be found on body parts that aren’t exposed to the sun, it doesn’t make sense that UV light triggers melanoma. While genetics and other unknown factors may contribute to this potentially deadly form of skin cancer, the ITA is ignoring 50 years of research that proves there’s is an overwhelmingly strong correlation between sun exposure and all forms of skin cancer, including melanoma.


  • A base tan will protect you from sun damage. Nice try. Any color on your skin means skin damage has already occurred. So always steer clear of UV rays, whether from the sun or a tanning bed. When you do go outdoors for more than 15 minutes, slather on sun-screen with an SPF of at least 15.