New NICE guidelines on sun exposure warn 'tanning is unsafe'

"No safe way to suntan, new NICE guidance warns," BBC News reports. The guidelines, produced by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), also stresses the benefits of moderate sun exposure. This will help prevent vitamin D deficiency; which is more common in the UK than many people realise. It is estimated that around one in five adults and older children (aged between 11 and 18) have low vitamin D status. The figure is around one in seven for younger children.   What are the risks of overexposure? Sunlight contains ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, both of which can be harmful to the skin. (The guidelines do not discuss artificial sources of UV light, such as sunbeds, but these are also thought to be harmful). Risks of overexposure to sunlight include: sunburn skin cancer – both the non-melanoma and melanoma types of skin cancer Non-melanoma is a leading cause of disfigurement, with an estimated quarter of a million cases occurring each year in the UK. Melanoma is a leading cause of cancer deaths in younger adults. More than 2,000 people die every year in the UK from melanoma. Overexposure can also cause premature ageing of the skin, which can lead to signs and symptoms, such as : dryness itching wrinkling enlarged blackheads loss of skin elasticity   At-risk groups Groups of people particularly vulnerable to overexposure include: children (particularly babies) and young ...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: Lifestyle/exercise Cancer QA articles Source Type: news