Addiction to Tanning
Physiological Not Just Mental - Tanners Becoming Younger - Good Morning
America Segment Highlights Dangers
May 16th 2006
|
 |
|
Health |
|
Researchers have discovered that tanning can be addictive, just like
drugs and alcohol. Last year scientists compared frequent tanners and
found that tanners that were given the drug naltrexone had withdraw
symptoms, but those who got the drug did. Naltexone blocks a
narcotic-like substance produced in the skin during tanning.
According to Daniel DeNoon of WebMD, the researchers found that a
50-milligram dose of naltrexone could cause physiological withdrawal:
nausea, dizziness, and shaking. This prompted the researchers to stop
the study early. Mandeep Kaur, MD said "In the beginning, we gave
standard 50-milligram doses of naltrexone to frequent tanners. All of
them developed symptoms consistent with <withdraw>. So we had to stop
that study." Kaur is a dermatologist at Wake Forest University Baptist
Medical Center.
ABC News Good Morning America recently ran a story about the addictive
effects of tanning. Dr. Steven Feldman said in reference to frequent
tanners: “Their skin looks terrible: It's all loose, and wrinkled, and
mottled-colored and leathery looking. And you ask these people, 'Why are
you doing this to yourself?' and they say, 'Ahh, it makes me feel so
good.' "
Evidently, tanning makes the skin give off endorphins. These opiod
compounds can make a person feel good. The condition is similar to the
high that endurance runners get.
There are warning signs of a tanning addiction. According to the ABC
News program, doctors say there are three tell-tale signs of a tanning
addiction: People can't stop tanning; they wake up in the morning and
can't wait to go to the tanning bed; and they only become annoyed when
people say they have a problem.
The report suggests that there may be a link between skin cancer and
tanning. Skin cancer is the fastest growing type of cancer. Amazingly,
in a more recent study at Wake Forest, when the tanners were given the
choice between beds with UV rays and non-UV beds, without knowing the
difference they all gravitated towards the UV beds.
The report says that the tanning business is big, raking in more than $2
billion a year. There is also a dangerous trend with young people.
Thirty percent to 40 percent of 16- to 18 year-olds are tanning bed
regulars.
Dan Wilson
Best Syndication
Books on
Skin
Keywords and misspellings:
hair grouth baldnes treetments Finateride Propecia Proscar propesia propetia eczma exema ezcema
eczima
|
RSS Feed to our Skin & Hair News
