Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, May 5, 1993                   TAG: 9305050083
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

THAT HANDSOME TAN MAY CARRY A PRICE

Those first summery days provide a good opportunity to look at suntan issues:

Tanning-bed use increases as people get bodies ready for proms, graduations and beach vacations.

Sales of tanning creams, lotions and sunscreens go up.

Why do we do it to ourselves? Because we like the look of a tan. As one of my friends likes to say - tanned fat looks better than pale fat.

That established, dermatologist Gary Gross at Lewis-Gale Clinic in Salem suggests some other things to think about:

The medical profession is seeing an increase in malignant melanoma, the most serious skin cancer and one related to sun exposure.

Tanning creams don't work like sunscreens. "People don't realize they're not sun-protected because they're sort of brown, so they go out and get crisp."

You can tan even while wearing the highest level of sunscreen.

The rays in tanning beds are no safer than actual sun rays.

Some prescription drugs, such as tetracycline for acne, fluid pills and some oral diabetes medications, make a person more sun-sensitive.

If you must tan, use lots of moisturizer. Cheaper versions work as well as expensive ones.

People with dark skins, such as African Americans, have a lower risk of skin cancer but can get adverse pigment reaction.

In choosing a sunscreen, be sure it blocks both UVA and UVB rays (UV means ultraviolet).

Gross has no quarrel with tanning beds, although he says some operators neglect to warn users about potential drug sensitivity and the need to wear goggles while tanning.

"The units themselves aren't inherently dangerous," he said. The problem is that tanning beds allow people to expose themselves to ultraviolet rays year-round. "Often, too, year-round tanning-bed folks are ones who blast themselves during summer."

Gross said he'd prefer that people worship the sun only a little bit. But those who won't be moderate should at least be alert to the dangers.

Carilion Physician Referral & Health Information has a quick reference guide, "Skin Safety in the Sun," which says melanoma usually appears on the upper back and legs and spreads quickly; lists the warning signs of skin cancer; and answers questions about sunning.