Don’t be fooled into believing the rumors that tanning, whether it be indoor or outdoor is “healthy”. No such thing. Tanning is the way the skin reacts to having been damaged. And we know that damage accumulates over a lifetime to increase the chance of skin cancer and to prematurely age the skin.
You may hear false rumors that we need to tan to produce Vitamin D. The amount of ultraviolet radiation necessary for maximum Vitamin D production in the skin may be as little as 5 minutes a day depending on the season and the surface area of exposed skin. Certainly this amount of exposure can easily be obtained just by normal daily activities and does not require intentional ultraviolet exposure.
If you are concerned about getting enough Vitamin D, then consider ingesting it orally. This can easily be accomplished either with diet or with Vitamin D supplementation. Many common foods, such as milk and orange juice, have been fortified with Vitamin D. Vitamin D supplements can be easily found. Daily requirements vary according to who you consult. The Institute of Medicine recommends these daily amounts (in International units):
Ages 1 to 70: 600 IU
Ages 70+ : 800 IU
Infants: 400 IU
Bottom line: use sunscreen and other forms of sun protection on a daily basis, do not tan, and get your Vitamin D from Vitamin D-rich foods and vitamin supplementation.
– Margaret Kontras Sutton, M.D.
