All types of UV light exposure, whether they lead to a sunburn or suntan, cause damage to the skin and lead to an increased risk of skin cancer.
Dear Dr. Roach: I have a question about suntanning. First off, I want to say that I get yearly skin cancer checks, love the sun, and hardly ever use suncreen. I monitor my time outside, so as not to get a sunburn. I see warnings about certain days being high ultraviolet days.
Both UVA and UVB light cause the skin to tan, but tanning from UVA light alone doesn’t provide any protection from the sun. So, while I am, at least, glad that you aren’t exposing yourself enough to get burned, I don’t agree with being out in the sun to get tanned. Staying out of the sun, wearing sun-protective clothing, and wearing sunscreen will not only help you avoid cancer, but will also help you avoid problems that I see in my older patients, who did what you did when they were young. Now they have thinned skin that bleeds easily, as well as “age spots” and other signs of skin damage from the sun, including wrinkles.
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