11/7/08
BEAUTY: SPRAY-ON TANS. DR. JOSHUA FOX, founder of ADVANCED DERMATOLOGY in New York and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Dermatology: “Sun- damaged skin is prone to premature aging, causing wrinkles, uneven skin tone, enlarged pores and age spots. UV exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer, which strikes 1 million Americans each year, nearly double the number of all other cancers combined. Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer, and it is thought to be almost exclusively caused by sun exposure or the use of tanning beds. Fortunately, spray-on tans are a new alternative to ‘baking’ on a tan and can provide a realistic, natural-looking tan without any UV exposure at all. Based on the available research, spray tans are a safe alternative to any UV-based tanning process because they color the skin using an FDA-approved compound called DHA that simply tints the dead skin cells at the very top layer of the epidermis. While a spray tan does not actually fade, it will disappear as the layer of skin is sloughed off — usually within a week.”