In 1855 the original "Sun Doctor" Arnold Rikli began offering light therapy to treat a variety of disorders, but he didn't really know it wasn't strictly beneficial! But sun worshiping has never actually been far out of style! We do now have studies that say sun exposure, and other UV light exposure ,causes various forms of skin damage from solar keratoses to melanoma and squameous cell carcinoma. It was once thought that as long as you didn't burn the skin, it was a safe way to tan. Ambre Solaire was thus invented so you could use to 'bronze but not burn,' in 1935. Thus the orginal tanning lotion brain child of Eugene Schueller who went on to found the parent company of L'Oreal. But ever since that has led us to get more sun exposure, not less, and been under the mistaken idea that there is a safe way to tan. Medical studies have tried to increase specific knowledge about what the true risks are, and how to best avoid. So instead of enhance your tan, fashionable or not, we encourage covering up, and to that end sunscreen has been the most effective. The data presented in the media has been confusing when we've shown that sun screen use has actually increased melanomas, but quickly clarified to determine that people who use sun screen actually go out in the sun more, so they are much more exposed to sunlight. Some of this may be due to better UVA than UVB protection, and in general, if you are getting tan, the sun's effect is on your skin, whether you didn't burn or whether you did. More details can be found in this article in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.And if you managed to have skin sun damage you would like to reverse, that that is something that is very possible, call for an appointment!
