Warning Signs of Tanning Addiction

Dermatologists say that any tanning is too much. Still, like smoking or eating junk food, it’s a lifestyle choice that many people make. For some, however, the devotion to sunbathing or tanning booths crosses the line from choice to compulsion.

There’s growing evidence that people can develop a physical and psychological addiction to tanning, sometimes called tanorexia. Although tanners claim their main motivation is appearance, studies suggest that ultraviolet (UV) light may activate reward centers in the brain, much like addictive drugs do.

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Tanning Is Not Only Skin Deep

In a recent, small study from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, frequent tanners volunteered for two tanning bed sessions. At one session, filters blocked exposure to UV light, but everything else was the same. While volunteers were in the tanning beds, an imaging technique called SPECT measured blood flow in their brains.

The volunteers weren’t told which tanning session was the real thing and which was the sham. But their brains seemed to register the difference nonetheless. Exposure to actual UV light increased blood flow in areas of the brain associated with feelings of reward.

This study confirmed prior research showing that people can tell a genuine tanning session from a sham one based on how happy and relaxed they feel afterward. The likely explanation: UV light stimulates the body’s production of endorphins, compounds with natural mood-lifting and pain-relieving effects.

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Are You Addicted to Tanning?

How can you tell if you might have a problem with tanning? Look for these warning signs of UV abuse:

• Thinking you need to cut back on tanning, but not being able to do so
• Feeling annoyed when others remind you that tanning is unhealthy
• Wanting to sunbathe or use a tanning booth more and more often
• Sneaking around or lying to cover up how frequently you’re tanning
• Feeling unattractive or unlovable if you don’t keep up your tan
• Having arguments with family or friends about your tanning
• Missing work or school or canceling social plans in order to tan
• Continuing to tan despite a personal or family history of skin cancer

In another study by the UT Southwestern research team, frequent tanning salon patrons filled out questionnaires that modified standard criteria for alcohol or drug abuse to identify UV abusers. For example, instead of asking “Have you ever felt that you needed to cut down on your drinking?,” the questionnaire asked, “Have you tried to stop tanning, but still continue?” Of 100 frequent tanners who responded, 41% met the presumed criteria for a tanning addiction, and an additional 33% reported some signs of problem tanning behavior.

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That Not-So-Healthy Glow

One classic sign of addiction is continuing a behavior despite negative consequences. Tanning has been definitively linked to premature skin aging and skin cancer. It’s thought to be behind a dramatic upswing in new cases of malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, among young adults.

The rise has been particularly steep among women in their twenties and thirties. Researchers from Mayo Clinic recently reported an eightfold increase in melanoma in young women since 1970. The ugly truth is that compulsive tanning, like drug addiction, can be a killer.