Should I get a base tan?

Oh my!  I could answer this in one big fat answer…. NO!  But instead I’ll give you a long if not somewhat cheeky answer. 

For my readers who live in other parts of the world, I am writing from West Virginia.  In WV there is no opportunity to sun your skin outdoors between October and April.  So, when getting ready for spring, summer and vacations patients often plan to get a “base tan”.  Their thinking is that they will prevent a sunburn at an inconvenient time on vacation or early in summer. Not to mention tan skin just looks better, I admit.

The first reason this is a bad idea is that this is just changing date and location.  Damaging our skin in WV in May is no better than damaging it on a beach vacation in June.  

To be fair, there is some legitimacy in this bad idea.  Once the skin is damaged by the sun, it tans.  Tanning of the skin occurs when pigment cells produce pigment in response to sun damage.  Then, that pigment actually protects the skin from being burned quite as easily.  A “base tan” has been estimated to provide an SPF of about 3  This means the skin can be exposed to the skin 3 times longer without burning.  So, if you normally would burn in 10 minutes, with a base tan you have 3 times longer or 30 minutes.  The problem is the damage done to achieve that “ base tan” in the first place. 

The second reason in that this base tan is most often achieved in a tanning bed. The hazards of tanning beds are well established. Even short term, intermittent use of a tanning bed for occasions such as a base tan greatly increases risk of melanoma.  One study showed that females age 20-30 who used a tanning booth even minimally increased their risk of melanoma by 6 times. Admittedly I fall into that group.  Wanting to look good for a dance during medical school, I tanned every day for a month.  It was a bad uneducated, uninformed choice.   I do my best to encourage others to avoid my same plight.  

The third reason is that a base tan gives people false security.  As I mentioned above, a base tan gives an SPF of 3.  Having a base tan makes people think that they don’t need to use sunscreen.  This leads to further damaging of the unprotected skin. 

I would like to suggest the option of sunless tanners or a bronzing sunscreen.  They’re much better than they used to be. They provide color without the risks listed above.  To learn more about sunless tanners, check out our previous article below. 

So, when you tell me in the office that you’re just going to the tanning bed to get a “base tan”, don’t be surprised when I sigh deeply.  I try to never chastise you.  My job is to keep you safe and healthy.  Base tan or pasty, I’m your girl.

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