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Re: Sudbury, Ontario Health Unit
Here was Joe Levy's response:
Below is my response, sent to the paper electronically today.
Best,
Joe
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February, 16, 2005
TO: Editor, The Brantford Expositor
FROM: Joe Levy, Smart Tan-Canada
RE: Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor --
Please consider the letter attached below for publication in an upcoming
issue. I am vice president of International Smart Tan Network, the North
American educational institute and association for professional indoor
tanning facilities. Our Canadian office is in Winnipeg.
If you have any questions about the source or content, please contact me or
my colleague Steve Gilroy, director of Smart Tan-Canada, in the Winnipeg
office at 866-795-3755.
Sincerely,
Joseph Levy, vice president
International Smart Tan Network - Canadian Division
Winnipeg, Manitoba
- - - - - - - - -
SKIN CARE - NOT 'SUN SCARE'
Lisa Gilmour and Tara Vyn's Feb. 8 "Healthy Bytes" column in this paper
contained factual misstatements about tanning and skin care that need
correcting.
Foremost, there is no denying that a suntan is the body's natural protection
against sunburn -- it is what your body is designed to do. Gilmour and Vyn
incorrectly allege in their column that "base tans do not protect against
sunburns." Even if their intent was well-meaning, their heads are buried in
the sand and their statement ignores human biology.
As millions of indoor tanning customers know, a base tan prior to a sunny
vacation -- in conjunction with sunscreen usage on the vacation -- is more
effective in preventing sunburn than sunscreen usage alone. That's because a
base tan multiplies the effectiveness of the sunscreen used outdoors.
When your skin tans, melanin literally enshrouds each skin cell -- much like
the hard-shell coating of an M&M candy protects the chocolate. This natural
tan protects the skin cell from receiving too much ultraviolet light. In
conjunction with sunscreen usage, this protection is multiplied and is more
effective than mere sunscreen usage alone.
That is one reason why indoor tanners -- once they begin tanning -- are less
likely to sunburn outdoors as compared to non-tanners. The other reason,
ironically, is that professional tanning studios today do a better job
teaching proper outdoor sunscreen usage than those who preach blanket
over-use of the product.
Consider, Gilmour and Vyn state in their column that "a minimum SPF of 15 is
still recommended at all times." That overstatement is misbranding a product
that was never intended to be used daily as it is today in most women's
cosmetics. Make no mistake: Sunscreen is only intended to be used to prevent
sunburn, and while it's use is absolutely necessary when people go outdoors
for extended periods in seasons when sunburn is a possibility, it is
unnecessary and most likely unhealthy to wear it "at all times."
No doubt this is the reason that sunscreen usage in the general population
is declining today, according to the Sun Safety Alliance -- a consortium of
sunscreen manufacturers and drug store owners. Instead of teaching people
proper and practical sun care habits, public health officials are promoting
"sun abstinence" -- an unwarranted message that is falling on deaf ears.
People are smart -- they know better.
The antiquated notion that "any tan is a sign of skin damage" that Gilmour
and Vyn perpetuate in their column is a prime example of such deception. To
call a tan "damage" to the skin is using a micro-definition to describe a
macro-phenomenon.
Here's what I mean: It is akin to calling exercise "damage" to your muscles.
As a fitness trainer will tell you, exercise, on the micro-level, tears tiny
muscle fibers that your body is designed to rebuild stronger than before. To
call that "damage" would be misleading because it is what your body is
designed to do. Similarly, your skin's outer layer naturally rebuilds itself
every 30-60 days -- to call sun exposure "damage" is more misleading than it
is accurate.
Finally, in an era when research has shown that a majority of Canadians are
deficient in Vitamin D -- made naturally when the skin is exposed to
sunlight -- it is myopic and misguided for health care providers to suggest
that people completely avoid sunlight. It is plausible that over-use of
sunscreen is contributing to vitamin D deficiency.
The professional indoor tanning industry is part of the solution in this
ongoing discussion. We teach people sunburn prevention and proper balance
rather than impractical over-statement and hyperbole.
Joseph Levy
Smart Tan-Canada
Winnipeg, Manitoba
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