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Want a Quick Tan? Spray Tans May Not Be Good for You
If you’re like majority of the adult working population, who doesn’t have time to bask in the sun, using a spray-on to have glowing, tanned skin seems like an attractive option. Spray tans are a quicker, less time-consuming alternative to sun bathing or using a tanning bed. They provide an instant tan solution, giving you that bronze complexion you’ve always wanted to have.
Most tanning salons would claim that spray-ons will do you no harm, but do you know that these fast-acting tanning treatments are not completely safe for you? The startling fact is that it contains potentially toxic chemicals that may be dangerous for your health.
Identify the Dangers of Spray Tans
According to Associated Content, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found that dihydroxyacetone or DHA, a color additive often used in spray tans, is harmful when applied improperly to humans.
DHA is actually made of some harmful chemicals –mercury, lead, and arsenic – that when sprayed onto the body can be very risky, based on an investigative report by CBS 3. Although it is approved by the US government for topical application in the skin, it has not been permitted by the FDA for spraying in tanning salons because of safety issues involved.
When DHA is inhaled or squirted into the body’s porous membranes, the chemicals can go into the bloodstream and can cause adverse reactions like:
• Dizziness
• Coughing
• Difficulty in breathing
• Fainting
• Rashes
Also, if sprayed without covering your eyes, nose and mouth, its effects could be harmful.
What’s more: exposure to high levels of chemicals found in DHA may be especially dangerous for a pregnant woman. Mercury and lead may cause autism and have an effect on brain development in the newborn baby.
Staying away from Spray Tanning Is the Better, Healthier Choice
With the risks that come with spray tanning, Dr. Joseph Mercola recommends that you avoid it completely. Aside from lead, mercury and arsenic, spray tanning solutions are made of various other ingredients or chemicals, whose safety may still be questionable.
He adds that if you’re pregnant, the more you should not use spray tans in order to protect your baby. That way, you wouldn’t expose your child to toxins that may have potential complications on his or her health.
The healthier choice, Dr. Mercola notes, is to get safe sun exposure or to use a safe tanning bed, both of which will give you healthful UVB and optimal Vitamin D levels that your body needs.
Go for the Real, Healthy Benefits of Sun Tanning
Spray tanning solutions may seem like a speedy way to get all that tan but they really just offer you superficial benefits. They help you have a “fake tan” in a matter of seconds but with a huge price: increased risks for you, without the natural, health benefits of the sun. So are you considering spray tans any time soon? Make sure you go for the one that’s safe for you.
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Tags: dangers of spray-tans, dr. joseph mercola, dr. mercola, fake tan, health benefits of the sun, spray tanning, spray tanning solutions, spray tans, spray-on, spray-ons, sun bathing, sun tanning, tanning bed, tanning salons, tanning treatment, use a safe tanning bed, Vitamin D
As a spray tanning technician, I have to say your article hits on some very important points. First let me point out that all spray tanning solutions do not contain the above mentioned products. I use solution by EnvyTan and it does not include a single one of those products. Its all natural. The main ingredient of DHA is sugar beet and sugar cane extracts. Chemical additives can be used to boost performance, like the ones mentioned above. Again the solution I use does not have any chemical additives. The FDA has stated that spray tanning does not cause skin cancer, and is safe when applied to the skin, however, at this time no one is aware of the potential dangers of inhaling DHA. Safety of yourself and your clients really should be the first thing on your mind. Using common sense and certain equipment can greatly reduce any inhalation of DHA. Make sure your customers wear nose plugs. The technician should always wear safety glasses and a mask. Have your client hold their breath when you get near the face. Most importantly use extraction fans. They are there to pull the over-spray away from you and your client. Using HVLP equipment also helps to greatly reduce over-spray. Their are many ways we can protect our clients and ourselves from breathing in these products. You can get all of these products through EnvyTan’s website. EnvyTan’s customer service representatives are very knowledgeable and have helped a great deal to educate me on safety and product knowledge. I just wanted to pass a little of that knowledge on to you. Happy Tanning!