Tanning bed burns are similar to sunburns, and can cause stinging, red skin. Here are some details about tanning beds, including their ingredients, materials, and positive and negative effects:

Positive effects:

• None. Tanning beds are not safer than the sun, and may be even more dangerous.

Negative effects:

• Tanning beds can increase the risk of developing skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma by 58% and basal cell carcinoma by 24% .
• Using tanning beds before age 20 can increase the chances of developing melanoma by 47%, and the risk increases with each use.
• Tanning beds can cause serious injuries, including burns, loss of consciousness, and eye injuries.
• Getting a base tan cannot prevent sunburn, and every time you tan or burn, you also damage the DNA in your skin.

Ingredients or materials:

• Tanning beds use UVA light, which penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB rays. So tanning beds can cause just as much — if not more — damage as the sun. Plus, the concentration of UVA rays from a tanning bed is greater than the amount of UVA rays a person gets from the sun. And despite manufacturer claims, some tanning lamps do also emit UVB light.

To heal a tanning bed burn, you can use aloe vera gel, which has anti-inflammatory properties, promotes blood circulation to the area, and prevents bacteria. You can also stand under cool water in the shower for 10 to 20 minutes, use lotions containing vitamin E to decrease redness and swelling caused by the burn, and stay out of the sun as much as possible or wear sunscreen as needed.