Fake Bake Debate

More government restrictions may be coming soon. While tanning equipment is currently required to have warning labels, Congress last year passed the TAN Act, which directed the Food and Drug Administration to determine what changes, if any, need to be made to sunbeds' warning labels to make them more noticeable, accurate and understandable to consumers. The report is due in this September.

For those who want the look without the risk, dermatologists recommend self-tanning products containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as a safer alternative to real tans. These products simply stain the top layer of skin; there's no real change at the cellular level. While the first generation of these products made the skin look more orange than tan, the quality of the cosmetic effect has improved in recent years, and now the difference is harder to detect. "These products are not dangerous, but they do give you that tan glow," says Dr. Diane Berson, a dermatologist who practices in New York City. She says if you do a good job of exfoliating your skin before applying these products, you'll "get a natural look without any streaking." Some manufacturers combine a moisturizer with a self-tanner so you can accomplish two things at once. While the resulting "tan" will eventually wash or flake off, you can maintain the look by reapplying the cream every couple of days, as directed on the container.

It's important to understand, however, that these bottle tans are only cosmetic. That means you don't have the kind of "base tan" that offers a little protection against sunburn. Those whose skin is naturally pale are as vulnerable to burns as they were before their skin turned artificially darker. You'll need to regularly apply sunscreen (15 SPF or higher) every couple of hours, anytime you go out in the sun.

What remains unclear, adds Lim, is whether spray-on tans (which are also offered by many tanning bed salons) are themselves completely safe. "We don't have data that says whether aerosol sprays, if inhaled, would cause any harm," he said. "The presumption is that they are safe, but we have no data at this point." Doctors also warn against so-called tanning pills, which are illegal for sale in the U.S. but can often be found on the Internet.

Dermatologists are hoping that those who prefer a tan will at least try to achieve the look without doing long-term damage to their skin. "If you look at the older movie stars," Berson says, "you'll see that the ones who still look great are the ones who stayed out of the sun and didn't allow their skin to get tan, dry and wrinkled." So if you want to look like a movie star, why not try to look like one of the smart ones.

© 2008