yes you are right Lots of people talking about the side effects of tanning but what I know is

Tanning beds emit two kinds of ultraviolet rays, that are - UVA, which are long waves and UVB, which are short waves. Tanning beds emit 95% of UVA rays that help in skin penetration and avoids skin burns too. More or less than 3% of UVB rays (also called as burning rays) are emitted by tanning beds, that stimulate the natural production of the vitamin D, as well as, help in preventing fractures and muscle weakness. Still, it is important to understand the fact that the World Health Organization (WHO) has not given official permission for using the tanning beds.

There are two types of tanning. Regular beds that most use and then there is High Pressure or "HP" tanning. If you used a bed with face tanners, those face tanners are also considered "HP". But an HP bed has those face tanners head to toe and they are usually a lot stronger. These HP beds emit VERY little UVB (the burning ray). Of total light spectrum output they emit 0.5% to 3%. "Traditional HP" emits the lower amount. These beds have a great reduction in burning potential. In fact, some skin types can start out the full session time for their first session!

Regular tanning beds, with long florescent tube lamps, emit a wider percentage range of UVB. I have seen some up to 7.5% and I am sure a couple lamps go past that. On the low end some may only have 3%. Generally when lamps have higher UVB they have less UVA. Lamps with less UVB are sometimes called bronzing lamps since they produce more tanning ability with less redening.

However as for UVA I am not sure of the percentages. But I would have to say anywhere from 20 to 40%. Not 95%. There is much more to the spectrum such as visible light, IR, etc that make up the percentages.

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Now is tanning bad for you? No. Too much tanning, probably not a good idea just as drinking every day is not a good idea. In fact, people have commented that going every OTHER day results in a darker tan than when they go everyday. So dont abuse tanning, at most go every other day and then once or twice a week to maintain.

Also its been proven time and time that the benefits form tanning outweigh any risks by far. Vitamin D3 is very critical to the body and a lack of this vitamin can have detrimental effects such as breast cancer.

So no, tanning is not bad for you. A lot of what is being promoted in the media is not only false, its based on flawed (admittedly) reports and looking at reports and bending the facts.

There is A LOT of interesting FACTS out there. I dont want to turn this into a lecture, but I can post plenty of studies and statistics that will really put things in perspective.