Natural sun exposure vs. Tanning Salon

[sweetieart]

Hello? I was wondering if anyone noticed any difference between in the severity of symptoms when being exposed to the natural sun, and when being exposed to tanning beds/booths? What I mean is do you notice that symptoms are worse from the natural sun, or fake bake? or are they pretty much the same for most?

Your feedback is appreciated!

Thanks and have a great day! :wave:

[Tylers Nana]

Hello!

I am glad you asked that question. I do not have a dx as of yet but was wondering the same thing. Sorry I don't have an answer for you but maybe someone out there will shed some light on this!

Appreciate all your responses,
Janice

[mara]

Hi, I found the tanning beds worse for me. I didn't get a rash or anything too noticable, but I would become very queasy and just feel plain blah from it. Most friends I have talked about the tanning booths loved them and found them relaxing, not me. I couldn't even stay in them for the recommended time.

I find that if I am outside and there is no wind, I feel the same. It seems the direct heat bothers me more than anything and I don't know if this is how it is with others or not. I gave up the tanning beds along time ago and if I am outside, I always look for a shady area to relax.

This may not answer your question as you hoped, but I am sure other will be along to share their feelings and thoughts as well.

Take care,

Tammy :love:

[Lesli]

Hi!

I personally cannot take the tanning bed. When I was first diagnosed, I was very "lupus-challenged". I didn't realize how sick I could get on the inside from laying in a tanning booth. I would only stay in for 10 mins. and then for the rest of the day I would have like these electric feelings like pins and needles going up and down my arms and legs. Then I started having bladder frequency and increased urine output. I never tried being outside in the sun after my tanning bed experience. I now use a self-tanner by Sun Laboratories. It works great and doesn't smell either! This is just my experience.

Smiles and Hugs,
Lesli

[Lily]

The best UV exposure is no UV exposure for me :o I've never been exposed to a tanning bed, but fluro lights, the dentists lights and sun exposure all flare my lupus up.

Anyone using a tanning bed with known lupus is taking a huge risk. And disease manifestations are not always obvious, there can be silent damage done. it's my kidneys and brain that cop the brunt of UV exposure. I'd be totally unaware of the connection with the kidneys if I didnt test my urinalysis at home to keep an eye on it, there are no obvious symptoms pertaining to a problem with my kidneys after exposure, but the urinalysis tells the story.

love
Lily

[alcb]

:wacko:
Obviously you didn't read my idiotic post under "not diagnosed yet"!!!! (ha-ha) I just "experimented" with the tanning bed thing last week because I got a negative ANA back. Well....within a week I am on steroids again for joint pain. I got a rash-breakout-burn thing after only exposing my face for 4 minutes! We are going to FL on vacation Friday and needless to say I have a HUGE hat and 50 SPF sunscreen ready to go. I am doing the sun in a bottle thing now. Neutragena build a tan is working well for me- cheap too! Be careful!!!!! :D -al

[sweetieart]

Hello, yes 'al'... I did read your post under 'not diagnosed yet', however, as it was helpful, it did not fully address my inquiry, and I wanted to get the opinions and experiences from others on the board as well. Thanks for your response though! :) Have a great and safe trup!

Thanks to everyone else for their responses as well!! It is greatly appreciated!! :jump:

A~

[Clare.T]

Tanning beds are even worse than solar UV. If they are taking people without asking them about health conditions and handing out warning leaflets and requesting signatures so they are not liable, they deserve to be ***locked up***

We'll build a special area of our Bad Doctor gulag for them, bathed night and day in UV light.

Anyway these days it is clear that the health risks are enormous, skin cancer alone, this tanning should be banned. Of course it can't be taxed like cigarette smoking so health authorities have no interest in reducing their activities

I can't give personal experience because having been diagnosed 32 years and suffering extreme photosensitivity the last thing on earth I would do is sit under UV rays. In fact it was probably UV treatment for teenage pimples that provoked my subacute cutaneous.

It is now known that some people with lupus do react to the UVA wave that is particulary strong in tanning beds. Consider the A to stand for aging and the B for burning. Think about the statistic than one in five Americans experiences some sort of skin cancer

Have a look at pictures of discoid and subacute lesions. Do you want that on your face and body, do you want to take the risk of having that sort of damage on your internal organs.

UV sensitivity can develop at any time. Even if no skin damage is evident systemic disease activity can be boosted - this has been studied and shown to be true as Lily attests from her own experience.

Many of the medicines we take increase photosensitivity and many others like hormonal birth control

UV avoidance is the one therapy we can only do for ourselves.
Frankly, tanning is a complete anomaly in this health and appearance conscious age
It should be realised that the film stars we see all bronzed have had artificial tans applied at great expense. They know better than to lose their looks.

Remember if you use artifical tanners that they provide no sun protection at all - you still need to use sun block and cover yourself and avoid peak hours.

The best thing you can do for your kids' health is to limit their exposure too.

This should be a matter of public health policy, indeed it is in those countries most severely affected by skin cancer who take the health of their citizens seriously.

( In case readers haven't realised a button got well pushed here :lol: )

Take great care

Clare

Google (photosensitivity lupus)

[sweetieart]

Good, good!! Thank you Clare... That is what I was looking for! I wanted to get honest opinions and facts from those who knew first hand. I just wanted to be sure that I wasn't crazy, and when I have been exposed to these rays, these strange, horrible thngs that happen to me, happen to others with this disease as well. Didn't mean to get you all worked up Clare! :oops: I feel the same way about it!! Sun is not a friend of mine... Unfortunately, the yard work and flower gardens that I love to work every summer haven't been as fourishinbg the last few years. :shrug:

Thanks everyone for your responses!! :)

Take care...

A~ :wave:

[mcemp]

I get ill when exposed to either the sun or the sunbed.
I get spots all over my body (kind of a heat rash spots) and also get fever for days after. My tonsles (or there about glans) swell up and feel awful.

[Maura]

Hello,

I never go out in the sun and I never use tanning beds.
I totally agree to what Clare was saying about films stars. They look very bronzed but when you see or read an interview with them they say they use self-tanning products.

I avoid the sun. If I do get out I will use a very high sun block. The sun always seem to make me flare.

I have a very fair skin so (only in summer) I use a self-tanner to have a little color.


Hugs

Maura

[Jigs Wife]

Hi all, I ran across this in a search trying to find out what I could do bout my dreadfully pale skin, thought it would be helpful to refresh the topic with spring at our door.

Hope all is well with everyone!

JiGs style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/cool.gif

[Paulin46]

Thanks for the reminder Jig......spring fever can cause many of us to lose our head style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wacko.gif

[helloos]

I am glad that you posted this question. As spring approaches, you want to have a tan and not be this pale white person. YOu want to try to look good and not sick. I was curios about the tanning beds too. I tried in the past, years ago, got a rash and never went back. Looking at it now, maybe Lupus was the reason. I like the idea of Neutrogena Tanning. I know that neutrogena is usually good for the skin and hope that their tanning product works well too. I am afraid to use it, but I guess if it is not drastic maybe it will give us a little color to feel a little better.

[lullrich76]

I had my first +ANA in 2002. I 2003, I used the tanning bed before my wedding. I have very pale irish skin and I got brown spots on my face that are still there today. I blame it on the tanning bed, but the docs won't consider it lupus related. I guess because it is brown and not red, but I think it is related.