Local Dermatologist Educates Teens On Dangers Of Indoor Tanning

Chicago Youth to Sign ‘No Tanning Pledges’

According to a recent survey released last month by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), young women continue to use tanning beds at alarming rates. Many teenage girls believe that tanning beds are safer than the sun. They’re more likely to think that tanning beds do not cause skin cancer.  Dr. Amy Taub (www.advdermatology.com/), board-certified dermatologist, founder of Advanced Dermatology in Lincolnshire, IL and assistant clinical professor at Northwestern University, is on a mission to educate adolescents on healthy skin habits and environmental factors that can lead to skin damage and skin cancer.

Dr. Taub established a “no tanning pledge” campaign in Chicago-area high schools, urging teens to stop indoor tanning. Exposing skin to UV radiation lamps, along with indoor tanning, have been linked to melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and other acute damage to the eyes and skin. Indoor tanning facilities are prevalent in the United States, with an average of 42 tanning salons per major US city, and approximately 28 percent of 17 year olds report using indoor tanning devices.

Dr. Taub and her team continue to visit local high schools with their sun protection information booth to educate high school students about sun safety and the dangers of indoor tanning. The tanning pledge, which has been signed by over 100 local teens so far in the Chicago- area, asks pledgers to commit to not using tanning beds and to protect their own skin and health by wearing sunscreen. The pledge also asks adolescents to commit to regular body checks and to help educate family and friends about the dangers of tanning.

“I have personally seen three girls under the age of 20 who have had malignant melanoma over the past three years and needed extensive surgery,” commented Dr. Taub. “All of these girls had a history of tanning both indoors and outdoors. However, this pales next to the hundreds of teenagers whom I have seen in the past five years with pre-cancerous moles.”

With summer here and as adolescent girls prepare to beautify themselves to wear their arm-and leg-baring clothes, Dr. Taub’s advice is that a beautiful tan is always a healthy tan. Sunless tanning is the safest way to achieve a golden glow without exposing skin to harmful UV rays, but teens should follow a few steps first.

·         Exfoliate thoroughly with either a glycolic body wash or a body scrub, use both with a loofah

·         Apply an oil-free and glycolic acid free body moisturizer

·         Then apply self tanner

·         A spray self tanner is beneficial to use on hands and feet

Dr. Taub’s Skinfo Boutique www.skinfo.com carries the St. Tropez line of self tanners including:

·         Auto Bronzing Lotion, Spray and Mousse

·         Everyday Airbrush Spray

·         Everyday Body and Everyday Face Lotion in Light-Medium and Medium-Dark

For more information about Dr. Taub’s teen pledge or for more sun protection tips, please contact Patty Mathews at pattymathews@kelzpr.com.