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See Also
See Again
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Origins in medical therapy
- Danish physician Niels Ryberg Finsen became interested in the medical benefits of sunlight in the late 19th century. Throughout his research, he discovered that sun rays could help patients with a variety of ailments, particularly lupus vulgaris.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
The Finsen lamp
- Niels Ryberg Finsen developed the Finsen lamp, a carbon arc lamp that emitted ultraviolet rays. This paved the way for indoor tanning around the world.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Friedrich Wolff's tanning bed
- As tanning became increasingly popular throughout the 20th century, Friedrich Wolff, a German scientist, developed a high-UVA tanning bed and lamp in 1975. They became available for sale in the United States in 1978.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Introduction to the US market
- When the tanning bed was introduced to the US market in the late 1970s, it was an immediate success and quickly gained in popularity.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Tanning bed boom
- Tanning beds became increasingly popular through the 1980s, with tanning salons opening across the United States and Europe.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Expansion into gyms and spas
- Tanning beds started appearing in gyms, spas, and beauty salons, making them even more accessible, meaning users could even get their tanning fix during their lunch break.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Celebrity influence
- Celebrities and fashion trends from the 1980s to the 2000s often promoted a bronzed look, fueling the demand for tanning beds.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Marketing and advertising
- The tanning industry used advertising campaigns to promote the benefits of tanning beds, emphasizing a tan's aesthetic appeal for a low cost.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Lotions and goggles
- Before entering a tanning bed, an indoor tanning lotion is usually applied. These lotions contain no sunscreen but, instead, moisturize the skin. Goggles should be worn to avoid eye damage, but in one 2004 study tanners said they avoided goggles to prevent leaving pale skin around the eyes.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Youth culture
- Tanning beds became popular among teenagers and young adults, with many viewing a tan as a symbol of beauty and health. Some of the cast members of the popular TV show 'Jersey Shore' even released lines of tanning lotions.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Home tanning beds
- While many users frequented a salon to top up their tan, some opted to purchase a tanning bed for their home. Those who had their own device would tan more often and were more likely to be addicted to tanning.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Early safety concerns
- As tanning beds became more widespread, concerns about their safety and the risks of UV radiation exposure began to emerge.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Link to skin cancer
- Studies in the late 1980s showed the use of tanning beds adversely affected human immune function, and highlighted the potential risk between tanning and skin cancer.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Regulation by the FDA
- Since 1979, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been regulating tanning beds, requiring warning labels about the risks of UV exposure and providing a recommended maximum exposure time.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
IARC report
- On July 29, 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a report that classified UV-emitting tanning devices as "carcinogenic to humans," reinforcing the link to skin cancer.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Stricter regulations
- In the 2010s, in response to health concerns, governments began implementing stricter regulations on tanning bed use, especially for minors.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Legal action
- In some cases, tanning bed manufacturers have faced lawsuits for failing to warn consumers about the risks of using their devices. In 2015, two New York state salons faced a lawsuit over promoting deceptive health benefits of tanning and significantly downplaying the risks.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Awareness campaigns
- Public health campaigns in the 2000s and 2010s raised awareness about the dangers of tanning beds and UV radiation. Australia's Cancer Council "The Dark Side of Tanning" TV campaign was particularly impactful.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Increased alternatives
- Alternatives to tanning beds, such as self-tanning lotions, became more popular as safer alternatives to getting a bronzed glow. Self-tan brand St. Tropez began the SkinSmart campaign in 2009 to campaign for stricter tanning bed regulations in the UK.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Changing beauty standards
- Western beauty trends in the mid 2010s began to favor a more natural look, reducing the demand for cosmetic tans.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Decline in tanning salons
- As public awareness of risks increased, many tanning salons faced declining business or closure. The market size of the tanning salon industry in the US, for instance, decreased by 5.4% per year on average between 2018 and 2023.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Research into health risks
- Ongoing scientific research continues to investigate the long-term health risks associated with tanning beds. There is consistent evidence that shows tanning bed users have an increased chance of developing skin melanoma.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
Consumer education
- Campaigns focusing on the dangers of UV exposure have increased significantly, particularly since the 2000s. Rising skin cancer rates show there is a growing need to educate the public about safe practices.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Focus on early detection
- The focus on the early detection of skin cancer has encouraged more people to avoid tanning beds and to practice UV safety.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
International bans
- The commercial use of tanning beds was banned entirely in Brazil and Iran in 2008 and 2009 and in all Australian states and territories except the Northern Territory in 2015.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Technology innovations
- Sunless tanning has advanced to give users a radiant glow in mere minutes and with a longer-lasting and more natural color. Some spray tan systems now use microtechnology to atomize tanning fluids to fine particle size, ensuring flawless application.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Ongoing debate
- The debate over the safety of tanning beds continues, with some advocates arguing for tighter restrictions or outright bans.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Tanning beds today
- In 2023, 67% of female skincare users opted for products that helped improve their skin's overall health. However, in January 2024, media personality Kim Kardashian shared a video of her office and showed off a tanning bed. Could indoor tanning be making a comeback?
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Tanning beds today
- According to Sherry Pagoto, a professor at the University of Connecticut, tanning bed use is at an all-time low. However, indoor tanning seems to be experiencing a resurgence, with the hashtag #SunBed on TikTok having over 570 million views. Sources: (Dazed) (Aqua Living Factory Outlets) (NIH) (Cancer Council)
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
© Shutterstock
0 / 30 Fotos
Origins in medical therapy
- Danish physician Niels Ryberg Finsen became interested in the medical benefits of sunlight in the late 19th century. Throughout his research, he discovered that sun rays could help patients with a variety of ailments, particularly lupus vulgaris.
© Getty Images
1 / 30 Fotos
The Finsen lamp
- Niels Ryberg Finsen developed the Finsen lamp, a carbon arc lamp that emitted ultraviolet rays. This paved the way for indoor tanning around the world.
© Getty Images
2 / 30 Fotos
Friedrich Wolff's tanning bed
- As tanning became increasingly popular throughout the 20th century, Friedrich Wolff, a German scientist, developed a high-UVA tanning bed and lamp in 1975. They became available for sale in the United States in 1978.
© Getty Images
3 / 30 Fotos
Introduction to the US market
- When the tanning bed was introduced to the US market in the late 1970s, it was an immediate success and quickly gained in popularity.
© Getty Images
4 / 30 Fotos
Tanning bed boom
- Tanning beds became increasingly popular through the 1980s, with tanning salons opening across the United States and Europe.
© Getty Images
5 / 30 Fotos
Expansion into gyms and spas
- Tanning beds started appearing in gyms, spas, and beauty salons, making them even more accessible, meaning users could even get their tanning fix during their lunch break.
© Getty Images
6 / 30 Fotos
Celebrity influence
- Celebrities and fashion trends from the 1980s to the 2000s often promoted a bronzed look, fueling the demand for tanning beds.
© Getty Images
7 / 30 Fotos
Marketing and advertising
- The tanning industry used advertising campaigns to promote the benefits of tanning beds, emphasizing a tan's aesthetic appeal for a low cost.
© Getty Images
8 / 30 Fotos
Lotions and goggles
- Before entering a tanning bed, an indoor tanning lotion is usually applied. These lotions contain no sunscreen but, instead, moisturize the skin. Goggles should be worn to avoid eye damage, but in one 2004 study tanners said they avoided goggles to prevent leaving pale skin around the eyes.
© Shutterstock
9 / 30 Fotos
Youth culture
- Tanning beds became popular among teenagers and young adults, with many viewing a tan as a symbol of beauty and health. Some of the cast members of the popular TV show 'Jersey Shore' even released lines of tanning lotions.
© Getty Images
10 / 30 Fotos
Home tanning beds
- While many users frequented a salon to top up their tan, some opted to purchase a tanning bed for their home. Those who had their own device would tan more often and were more likely to be addicted to tanning.
© Shutterstock
11 / 30 Fotos
Early safety concerns
- As tanning beds became more widespread, concerns about their safety and the risks of UV radiation exposure began to emerge.
© Getty Images
12 / 30 Fotos
Link to skin cancer
- Studies in the late 1980s showed the use of tanning beds adversely affected human immune function, and highlighted the potential risk between tanning and skin cancer.
© Getty Images
13 / 30 Fotos
Regulation by the FDA
- Since 1979, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been regulating tanning beds, requiring warning labels about the risks of UV exposure and providing a recommended maximum exposure time.
© Shutterstock
14 / 30 Fotos
IARC report
- On July 29, 2007, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) released a report that classified UV-emitting tanning devices as "carcinogenic to humans," reinforcing the link to skin cancer.
© Getty Images
15 / 30 Fotos
Stricter regulations
- In the 2010s, in response to health concerns, governments began implementing stricter regulations on tanning bed use, especially for minors.
© Shutterstock
16 / 30 Fotos
Legal action
- In some cases, tanning bed manufacturers have faced lawsuits for failing to warn consumers about the risks of using their devices. In 2015, two New York state salons faced a lawsuit over promoting deceptive health benefits of tanning and significantly downplaying the risks.
© Shutterstock
17 / 30 Fotos
Awareness campaigns
- Public health campaigns in the 2000s and 2010s raised awareness about the dangers of tanning beds and UV radiation. Australia's Cancer Council "The Dark Side of Tanning" TV campaign was particularly impactful.
© Getty Images
18 / 30 Fotos
Increased alternatives
- Alternatives to tanning beds, such as self-tanning lotions, became more popular as safer alternatives to getting a bronzed glow. Self-tan brand St. Tropez began the SkinSmart campaign in 2009 to campaign for stricter tanning bed regulations in the UK.
© Getty Images
19 / 30 Fotos
Changing beauty standards
- Western beauty trends in the mid 2010s began to favor a more natural look, reducing the demand for cosmetic tans.
© Getty Images
20 / 30 Fotos
Decline in tanning salons
- As public awareness of risks increased, many tanning salons faced declining business or closure. The market size of the tanning salon industry in the US, for instance, decreased by 5.4% per year on average between 2018 and 2023.
© Getty Images
21 / 30 Fotos
Research into health risks
- Ongoing scientific research continues to investigate the long-term health risks associated with tanning beds. There is consistent evidence that shows tanning bed users have an increased chance of developing skin melanoma.
© Shutterstock
22 / 30 Fotos
Consumer education
- Campaigns focusing on the dangers of UV exposure have increased significantly, particularly since the 2000s. Rising skin cancer rates show there is a growing need to educate the public about safe practices.
© Shutterstock
23 / 30 Fotos
Focus on early detection
- The focus on the early detection of skin cancer has encouraged more people to avoid tanning beds and to practice UV safety.
© Shutterstock
24 / 30 Fotos
International bans
- The commercial use of tanning beds was banned entirely in Brazil and Iran in 2008 and 2009 and in all Australian states and territories except the Northern Territory in 2015.
© Shutterstock
25 / 30 Fotos
Technology innovations
- Sunless tanning has advanced to give users a radiant glow in mere minutes and with a longer-lasting and more natural color. Some spray tan systems now use microtechnology to atomize tanning fluids to fine particle size, ensuring flawless application.
© Getty Images
26 / 30 Fotos
Ongoing debate
- The debate over the safety of tanning beds continues, with some advocates arguing for tighter restrictions or outright bans.
© Getty Images
27 / 30 Fotos
Tanning beds today
- In 2023, 67% of female skincare users opted for products that helped improve their skin's overall health. However, in January 2024, media personality Kim Kardashian shared a video of her office and showed off a tanning bed. Could indoor tanning be making a comeback?
© Getty Images
28 / 30 Fotos
Tanning beds today
- According to Sherry Pagoto, a professor at the University of Connecticut, tanning bed use is at an all-time low. However, indoor tanning seems to be experiencing a resurgence, with the hashtag #SunBed on TikTok having over 570 million views. Sources: (Dazed) (Aqua Living Factory Outlets) (NIH) (Cancer Council)
© Shutterstock
29 / 30 Fotos
Are tanning beds dangerous?
Do you know what year it was invented?
© <p>Shutterstock</p>
Tanning beds have had a complicated journey from their early origins in medical therapy to becoming a popular beauty trend. The tanning bed as we know it today was invented in 1970 to provide users with a sun-kissed glow all year round. However, its rise in popularity was accompanied by growing concerns about the risks of ultraviolet (UV) radiation and its link to skin cancer.
Intrigued? From early innovators to regulatory changes, click through this gallery to discover all there is to know about the tanning bed and its prevalence today.
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