Yes, absolutely it does. Ultraviolet exposure can cause wrinkles and aging skin as well as skin cancer. We get most of our UV exposure from the sun, but we can also get it from tanning booths and other forms of UV radiation. What we see clinically when we look at patients exposed to such UV exposure is irregular pigmentation or dark spots that appear on the skin, increased blood vessels showing up in red lines and redness of the skin, the development of fine lines and wrinkles that become more coarse and deep wrinkles.
Tanning May Result in Cancer
We also see the development of pre-cancerous lesions that we call Actinic Keratosis and on to skin cancers. It's a continuum effect that continues over years of chronic UV exposure. Therefore, tanning is not advisable.
There is research being performed by Dr. Barbara Gilchrest in the Harvard system which suggests that the precursor event to skin cancer may in fact be the same stimulant for cells to produce the pigment which causes a tan. In other words, the damaged DNA which causes clone cells which produces skin cancer is the same stimulant for producing the tan.
The information contained in the above article
is purely for educational purposes and is not intended to provide
any medical advice. Always consult with your physician before having
any medical procedure performed.
