Does using a tanning bed occasionally provide vitamin D?

A tanning bed will never provide you with the vitamin D that you need, nor is it safer than tanning outdoors. Not understanding the facts can literally mean the difference between life and death. Both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation cause cell damage that can lead to skin cancer. read more

By Deborah S. Sarnoff, MD. Dr. Sarnoff is clinical professor of dermatology at NYU School of Medicine, and in private practice in Manhattan and Long Island. read more

Tanning Beds and Vitamin D. Because tanning beds mimic natural sunlight, they cause the skin to produce vitamin D. When the UVB rays from tanning beds strike the skin directly, cholecalciferol, or vitamin D, is rapidly created and transported to the liver. read more

From this study, we can conclude that the regular use of a tanning bed that emits vitamin D–producing ultraviolet radiation (UVB rays) is associated with higher Vitamin D concentrations and thus may provide many medical health benefits, such as the protection against chronic diseases including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type I diabetes, and common cancers. read more