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There are plenty of us that feel healthier when our skin istanned. If you want a tan the choices come down to afake-tan product, laying in the sun, or a tanning bed.

One of the benefits of using a tanning bed is that it doesnot matter what the weather is doing outside - sun-bathingoutside rarely being an agreeable thing to do in winter.Another positive thing is that using a tanning bed meansthat you can time the amount of exposure you are getting -tanning beds are no different from the sun when it comes togiving off damaging rays.

Anyone who elects to use a tanning bed needs to be aware ofall the safety issues. For a start, do not believe that itis completely safe, like some unscrupulous advertisersmight suggest. Know the facts and you can look afteryourself.

To understand why you hear the safe-tan claim made for sunbeds, we need to detour into a little science. Sunlight ismade up of ultraviolet light - this is what leads to thetan. Scientists divide this light into UVa and UVb light,with UVb causing burning more easily that UVa. Earlytanning machines were UVb sources, which was fairlyharmful, and all modern machines are UVa sources, which ismore healthy. Though it is true that chances of burningquickly are less with UVa, it is wrong to suggest that thisform of ultraviolet light is safe. It is still importantto keep a watchful eye on the clock when using a UVatanning bed.

Watch out for any suggestion that the beds are so safe thattanning goggles are unnecessary. Even UVa light isdamaging to our eyes, so you should insist on goggles everytime. You cannot substitute for the goggles by closingyour eyes, using standard sunglasses, or by placing roundsof cotton wool over your eyelids. Tanning centers arerequired by the Food and Drug Administration to usegoggles, so you are best advised not to use one that doesnot insist on this.

The next thing to think about is the idea of a year-roundtan. Is this something you really want? If you live in acountry with seasons, it is sometimes nice that you reflectthe seasons a little bit - paler in the winter, slightlymore tanned in the summer. Okay, if you are desperate fora year round tan, well it's your body, but you should beaware that even tanning beds have a premature aging effecton skin. It is something to think about.

If you have kids then you need to be especially cautious ontheir behalf. When a child's skin is burned the skin ismore deeply effected, according to scientific research.This research was based on UVb studies, yet those in theknow strongly advise care when using sun beds. At the endof the day, you might decide that it is not worth the risksimply so a child can have a bit of a tan.

For some people it is important that they seek medicaladvice before using a tanning station. Diabetics, lupussufferers or people who tend to get cold sores may findthat sun beds aggravate these conditions. Certainmedicines - tranquilizers, antihistamines and some birthcontrol pills - can make your skin sensitive to the raysfrom a tanning machine. The wisest advice for anyone juststarting out with an artificial tanning machine is to havea chat with your physician.

If you want a tan badly enough, then go ahead an use anartificial tan bed. Taking note of the guidance andwarnings above can help make it as safe as possible to getthat desired tan.