Risks of Suntanning

Dr. Norman Brooks completed his MD at the University of Colorado and is now the owner and operator of The Skin Cancer Medical Center in Encino, California. Over his decades of practice, Norman Brooks, MD, has gained expertise as both a practitioner and a researcher, having conducted research in the treatment of malignant melanoma. 

The sun produces harmful ultraviolet radiation that increases the skin pigment, known as melanin, and causes the skin color to change. The change in pigment is a sign of damage. 

Since suntanning increases the level of melanin, the most dangerous risk of tanning is skin cancer. Other risks of tanning include eye damage, cataracts, and immune system suppression. 

Unprotected UV exposure causes wrinkles, dark spots, and leathery skin, which are signs of premature aging. The sun’s ultraviolet rays also damage elastin, skin fibers that allow the skin to stretch. Other risks of suntanning include yellow discoloration of the skin and the dilation of small blood vessels under the skin.