Tanning "Buzz" Could Lead to Addiction

John Roach
for National Geographic News

August 19, 2005

Just like the physical rush experienced by endurance athletes, sunbathers often feel a "buzz" after a long day at the beach. But scientists say this natural high can be fatally addictive.

"We treat a lot of patients who have tans and get skin cancer. We tell them to cut back [on their tanning], but they just can't seem to stop," said Richard Wagner, a dermatologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.

Wagner and his colleagues wanted to know why some people continue to sunbathe despite the well-known harmful effects of ultraviolet rays. Are these people addicted to suntans like other people are to alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs?

To find out, the researchers went to a Galveston beach and asked 145 randomly selected sunbathers to answer two surveys about their tanning habits. The surveys were modified versions of evaluations used to screen for alcohol and drug dependency.

Sample questions from the surveys asked participants if they often spend more time in the sun than they planned, feel guilty for staying in the sun too long, or skip other social activities in favor of a trip to the beach or tanning salon.

The two surveys yielded separate results: One showed 26 percent of the sunbathers would qualify for having a substance-related disorder. The other showed 53 percent of the beachgoers could be called tanning addicts.

The team's results were published online in the journal Archives of Dermatology earlier this week.

Wagner cautioned that the survey results don't apply to a broad population. After all, the survey was conducted where tanning addicts congregate—the beach. "It's like if you walked into a bar, you'd likely find more alcoholics," he said.

UV Buzz

Arielle Kauvar, an associate professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine, said it makes sense "that you could classify people as being addicted to tanning, much the same way somebody can be addicted to gambling."

Kauvar, who is also a spokesperson for the New York-based Skin Cancer Foundation, said the University of Texas study helps explain why some people continue to sunbathe despite warnings about cancer.

According to Kauvar, the greatest driving force behind sunbathing is the widespread notion that a tan is a sign of health and beauty. Some scientists also suspect there might be physiological reasons for obsessive tanning, she said.

For example, previous research has shown that when people are exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun or a tanning booth, their bodies produce endorphins. These "feel good" chemicals ease pain and enhance a person's mood.

According to Wagner, the endorphin buzz may be what sunbathers are really chasing. "People think they are going to the beach for the tan, which they are getting. But the real reason is the endorphin production, which makes them feel so good," he said.

Kauvar said the endorphin link lacks concrete evidence, but that clearly "people derive pleasure out of tanning." She added that many sunbathers consider tanning a good way to relieve stress.

Tanners Anonymous?

Alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs can be hard habits to kick, and so can a suntan addiction, said Wagner, the University of Texas researcher. Support groups modeled after Alcoholics Anonymous may be necessary to keep some people out of the sun and tanning salons.

"A lot of tanning has to be planned behavior," he said. "So if you start to have the urge to tan, if it's the first thing you think about in the morning, you might call a friend in the support group and say, Hey, let's do something else."

Another way to curb tanning addiction might be to require tanning salons to set age restrictions, like the federal law prohibiting sale of cigarettes and alcohol to minors.

"That would be one step in the right direction to send the message to the public," Kauvar said.

Wagner said that right now public awareness campaigns about the dangers of tanning are insufficient. "People are very informed about ultraviolet light being carcinogenic," he said. "But they still tan."

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