Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
23 August 2017 08:33
1 in 5 sunbed users could be addicted, experts warn
Skin doctors have warned of the dangers of sunbed use, saying nearly 20% of those who use tanning beds could be addicted.
Researchers in Germany and the US quizzed users and non-users on their feelings about tanning in a bid to identify addictive behaviours.
Craving the tan
People were asked whether they craved or urged going on the sunbed, among other queries.
The researchers identified symptoms of indoor tanning addiction among 19.7% of the 330 sunbed users they surveyed in Germany.
Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: "This is an interesting pilot study with two important developments: the first is a new way of measuring symptoms of tanning addiction in a large population group.
"The second is the finding, on testing this method, that as many as one in five sunbed users may have symptoms of addiction."
Skin cancer risk
Nina Goad said there was "strong evidence" that sunbeds increase the risk of skin cancers. She said this increased risk included the most deadly type of skin cancer, malignant melanoma.
"For people who start using sunbeds before the age of 35 years, the relative risk of malignant melanoma almost doubles.
"If indoor tanning does indeed have addiction potential, being able to assess the scale of the problem will be imperative.
"It certainly would help to explain why so many people continue to use sunbeds despite knowing the risks."
Skin cancer survivors can arrange specialist medical travel insurance when taking a holiday.
The study was published in the British Journal of Dermatology.
17 August 2018
People living with HIV could be offered a long-lasting injection that controls the virus and protects patients from developing AIDS.
[more...]
16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.