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Has winter weather left your skin looking snow white?
To get that sun-kissed glow back before donning a prom dress, swimsuit or summer wardrobe, some turn to indoor tanning salons, which can offer both UV-light and sunless tanning options.
While sunless tanning is believed to be completely safe, salon owners and medical experts have differing opinions on the costs and benefits of indoor UV-light tanning.
Salon owners say tanning isn't just about warming up your skin tone. Recent studies have shown UV light provides tanners with vitamin D, a nutrient shown to help prevent certain types of cancer, said Tracie Cunningham, executive vice president of Ashley Lynn's Tanning, which has a location in Grand Island.
In his book "The UV Advantage," Dr. Michael Holick of the Boston University School of Medicine contends that vitamin D deficiencies are epidemic in the U.S., and vitamin D is important not only for preventing common forms of cancer, but also for maintaining overall health.
"Sensible exposure" to sunlight is important to ensuring adults and children are getting enough vitamin D, Holick writes on his Web site.
"Tanned skin protects you against sunburn, thought to be the main cause of melanoma," he writes. "If you avoid getting sunburned, the benefits of moderate sun exposure will far outweigh the possible dangers."
Light exposure can also help alleviate the "winter blues," more formally known as seasonal affective disorder, said Mandi Bittner, owner of Paradise Tanning in Grand Island.
Despite those benefits, many dermatologists and health professionals say there is no such thing as a "safe tan."
"Tanning beds are not good," said Jeanie Boldt, head nurse at Midwest Dermatology in Omaha.
It's best to get sun exposure outdoors while using a strong sunscreen, Boldt said, and those who need more vitamin D should get it from their diet or a supplement.
"We really can't recommend tanning," Boldt said, especially as dermatologists are seeing increased incidences of melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, in young people. Some believe those increases are because of tanning bed use, Boldt said.
"Any tanning does damage to skin and increases their risk for skin cancer," said Dr. Jennifer Alberts of Grand Island Dermatology. "Just because you're tanning instead of burning doesn't mean its safe for you."
The only time a dermatologist would recommend tanning bed use is as a treatment for psoriasis, Alberts and Boldt said.
"You do need sun exposure for your body to make vitamin D," Alberts said, but minimal exposure is best. "(I) never really recommend patients using a tanning booth, to be honest with you."
As an alternative, the use of sunless tanning sprays and lotions is completely safe, Alberts said.
Those who do choose to hit the tanning booths should exercise the proper precautions to prevent skin damage caused by burning.
Employees at both Ashley Lynn's and Paradise Tanning are trained to help new customers identify their skin type through a questionnaire. They can then give recommendations on what level of tanning bed the customer should use, how long they should stay in the tanning bed and how often they should tan.
"Our biggest key is do not burn," Bittner said. "Tanning is a natural process. Burning is not."
Those who have never tanned before and have a fair skin tone may at first spend only a few minutes at a time on a bed or booth, Bittner said.
Both salons also encourage the use of indoor tanning lotion, which can help speed the tanning process and improve skin tone.
"Your skin is the first thing somebody sees, so you want to always take care of your skin," Bittner said.
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