Is a light tan really dangerous?

Hi. I'd be delighted if you could answer a question for me. According to everything I now read, there is no such thing as a safe tan. I used to be of the opinion that sunburn was obviously something to avoid, but that a LIGHT tan was okay. In fact, a light tan would indeed help to protect against burning.


In view of all the recent literature, I now avoid tanning altogether. However, a few days ago, I got sunburned. Not terrible but enough to annoy me. Let me explain why I was annoyed. I used to always maintain a light tan AND protection from sunscreen/covering up. I could then be relatively sure that if I was exposed to the sun for a short time (twenty minutes) without applying screen, I wouldn

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Technically, any ultraviolet exposure can cause some skin damage.  Therefore, any tan can cause some damage.  However, it is unrealistic in my view to expect people to never have any sun exposure at all.

Like many people, you have been told that a tan gives you a "base coat" that protects against burning.  Even people who are capable of tanning can get at best protection equivalent to an SPF of 6.  Obviously, you can--and should--do much better than that by using sunblock.

In sum, I wouldn't worry about one episode like the one you describe.  But I also wouldn't depend on tanning to provide sun protection.

Take care.

Dr. Rockoff