BRENDA’S
MAIL BAG
Dear Brenda,
I’ve tanned in a sunbed twice – once for six minutes and once
for eight minutes. I didn’t use goggles either time because I was
never informed about them. After the eight-minute session, I was burned.
Those are the first and LAST two times I will ever tan indoors without
sunscreen, because I’ve been reading on the Internet how bad it is.
Do you think tanning those two times without goggles (14 minutes total)
is enough to cause me eye damage in the future?
Katie
_____________________
Hi Katie,
Thanks for caring about your vision enough to write! First, I would recommend
you change salons immediately. If the staff did not explain why eye protection
is important and have you sign a release form stating you will always wear
it, you do not want to tan at such an unprofessional establishment. Also,
by law, the salon must provide you with either disposable eye protection
or goggles to use, or they must sell you a pair; but you cannot tan without
eyewear in any state in the U.S.
You asked if 14 minutes of tanning without eye protection could harm your
vision. If you didn’t suffer eye burns during those two sessions,
it is unlikely that you have any serious, long-term damage. Remember: the
outdoor sun can be much stronger most of the year and do extensive damage
to unprotected eyes. Make sure you are wearing wrap-around sunglasses when
in bright light outdoors. Your own tanning goggles are great to wear while
sunbathing outdoors to minimize tan-lines around your eyes.
It also sounds like your salon did not educate you about what products
to use during an indoor tanning session. Please, never use sunscreen when
tanning INDOORS!
The whole idea of controlled tanning is that you don’t need sunscreen; the
exposure time is increased incrementally, just as yours was. Your salon professional
should have sold you a lotion designed to use in the tanning bed–this is
a very different product than anything you use outdoors and is essential to building
a healthy tan. As I said, it’s time to change salons!
I sincerely hope you won’t give up on indoor tanning. With the correct professional
guidance, you can enjoy all the benefits of a controlled tan and the many benefits
of regular, moderate UV exposure. You may want to visit tanngtruth.com for more
information on what UV light can do to boost your health, instead of harm you.
Happy Tanning,
Brenda
From Michele, University
of Toledo Staff:
I’m almost 50 and had never tanned indoors until recently. The first
two times, I wore goggles provided by the salon and my eyes felt strange
after each session. The third time, I wore goggles plus your eye stickers
and still felt a bit strange; fourth time I did the same, and after tanning
my vision was blurred for about 30 minutes – it really scared me that
there was damage done to my eyes and I’m afraid to tan again! Can you
explain why this would happen and tell me whether I should stop tanning completely?
_____________________
Hi Michele,
Thanks for visiting eyepro.net and taking the time to write! I’m
not an ophthalmologist and without more information, even a doctor
would have
trouble diagnosing what happened to your vision when you were wearing multiple
types of eye protection. A couple of things come to mind. First, people
occasionally experience migraine headaches triggered by bright light
and even with goggles
or disposable eye protection on, they will still begin to get migraine
symptoms from a sunbed session. Perhaps the blurred vision had
to do with a headache coming on?
You also say your eyes felt “strange,” but don’t really elaborate.
Perhaps the eyewear didn’t fit you properly and was pushing uncomfortably
against your
eye socket or eyelid. Was ambient light from the sunbed sneaking in around
the edges of your goggles? The bright light could cause your pupils to
contract. Goggles that fit poorly could also allow your eyes to dry out
from the fans
and heat. The fans and heat can also dry out contact lenses, causing discomfort
and vision issues. One experience common amongst people who tan without
eye protection is called photokeratitis, or a corneal burn. Within 24 hours,
the tanner experiences red, watery and itchy eyes. The tanner often sees
a white haze – that’s the cornea peeling – and the pain
is similar to having sand in your eyes. Goggles would typically protect
you
during a tanning session; but if they do not fit properly, you could have
some of these symptoms. Certainly, only you and your eye doctor can determine
what actually happened to your eyes; but since it has occurred several
times while using different eye protection types, I would suggest that
you see
your doctor before tanning again. I would also ask the advice of the salon
manager or owner. Vision is one of our most precious gifts, and you are
absolutely correct to do everything possible to protect it.
Have a sunny day!
Brenda