Legislation and Me

I had the opportunity to testify before a State Senate committee hearing again this week. The bill being proposed is asking to make a law requiring parental consent for anyone under 18. That consent is to be renewed every 6 months. While I think it is unnecessary, I am not completely opposed to the bill. Currently professional salons require consent for anyone under 18 voluntarily, so really the only major change would be that it is required by law and the frequency of the consent renewal.

I got word from my salon that there was talk that there would be an amendment proposed to completely ban anyone under 18 from tanning. I made sure I would be there to voice my concerns about how a ban would be a mistake. Sure enough, one of the Senators said she would be introducing an amendment to ban anyone under the age of 18 from tanning through a professional salon, so I am glad I went.  Well, of course, guess who is the FIRST person called up to testify. While I am not terribly comfortable in this kind of setting, I didn’t have a chance to think about it much since I was the first one to go. I guess that may have worked to my advantage.

The tanning industry had a few people that testified after me with some very interesting data. Some of which I have learned while doing my own research, but I certainly learned some new things as well. For instance, Melanoma is more common in someone that works indoors than someone with a job spent outdoors. Seems to me that means that UV exposure ISN’T the black and white cause of melanoma that the medical industry would like us to believe. Clearly there are other factors that contribute. Also, there have been surveys done that show that 3 out of 4 teens that currently tan, with their parent’s permission, would seek out home units or tan aggressively outdoors if there were a ban preventing them to go to a salon. Banning teens from the one source that has extensive safety measures in place, will end up increasing these teen’s health risks. That isn’t the result these lawmakers want, yet many of them don’t want to admit that. They are told that all of the increased cancer risks come exclusively from tanning in professional salons. That isn’t true, home units are much more dangerous and increase a person’s risk by 40 percent because there are no limits to how often or how long a person tans, and there is no skin type assessment to set the limits.

There were Dermatologists testifying again that the bill doesn’t go far enough and were pushing for the full ban. The Dermatologists said things that were completely false. Not just skewed, but flat out lies. One dermatologist said that “no UV is safe” “47% of tanners are addicted” and that “salons let clients tan daily” None of those statements are true. Another doctor claimed that sunbeds are 10-15 times more intense than the summer sun at noon. That is not true as I have written about before; sunbeds are only 2-3 times more intense than the sun and you spend a fraction of the time in a sunbed to avoid overexposure.      I couldn’t take notes fast enough to get all of the inaccurate statements and only caught one of their names. Dr. Hunter H Sams, a dermatologist said, “Adequate amounts of Vitamin D can be derived easily from our diet.” As I have written in prior blogs, it is impossible to get sufficient amounts of Vitamin D through diet alone. UV exposure is the most effective and efficient way to get Vitamin D.

The bill for parental consent passed, but I am very happy to report that the Senate committee did not approve the amendment to ban anyone under 18 from tanning in a professional salon. I feel like my voice was heard. One of the Senators made it clear to me that he agreed that a parent should be the one to make this decision. Another Senator asked many of the others testifying about how the science isn’t clear and he seemed to feel they shouldn’t legislate on something that had this many variables. He understood that salons have strict safety rules they abide by to keep clients from burning.

All in all, it has been a very interesting experience. I have never been involved in a process like this and I have learned a great deal. It has also been an eye opening experience as to what lengths the opposition will go to, in order to get their way, even if the facts don’t support their claims. It is amazing to me that there is so much blame placed on professional salons when they have not contributed to the statistics used against them.

Change in Perspective

I’ve found that I now have a different reaction to people for certain things since experiencing and studying Vitamin D and tanning.  Like when that basketball player from Louisville broke his leg so horrifically during March Madness, my first thought was, “I wonder if he has Vitamin D deficiency.”

For example, last week my mom cut her vacation short due to being sick. When speaking to her on the phone she was complaining about her congestion and asthma type of feeling in her lungs. I had just read information about how Vitamin D can help with asthma like symptoms because it helps prevent swelling in the tissues of the bronchial tubes, so my immediate response, “Load up on Vitamin D.” I discussed with her how she should take a large amount of Vitamin D for a few days and then taper down. She said she had some supplements on hand that were 1000 IU. I took some 10k IU to her the next day. At 1000 IU she would have had to take 30 pills or more a day! The good news is that after a few days of taking 50k IU she started feeling an improvement.  Of course, she also went to the doctor and got antibiotics and she also took Vitamin C. I am not claiming the Vitamin D alone was what cured her, but I believe it contributed to her improvement.

Another example is when a friend recently told me that she is expecting a child for the first time. My initial response was to advise her to make sure she gets plenty of Vitamin D. I told her that recent studies are linking Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy to Autism, food allergies, M.S. and other health concerns like low birth weight etc. I told her it is important not only to take more Vitamin D, but she needs to know what her levels are right now. If a pregnant woman is already deficient to start with, she would need to take a lot to get to a healthy level just taking the recommended daily amount isn’t enough. Sunshine and UV exposure are the most efficient way to increase levels; supplements just can’t do the job as effectively.

I have been reading many articles and books about the benefits of Vitamin D; I want to share the information with everyone I can.  When people talk about muscle aches, common colds, or even bleeding gums, my suggestion is, “get Vitamin D.” If someone tells me they are going to the doctor, I encourage them to ask to get their Vitamin D blood level checked. I’m no doctor, but I feel comfortable telling people that increasing their Vitamin D could be helpful.  Getting too much Vitamin D is nearly impossible, especially since the majority of the population is deficient. That is why it is good to know your level.  It seems I read something new about Vitamin D every day. I saw an article today that says studies are showing Vitamin D could reduce uterine fibroids. Not only am I learning something new each day, but they are discovering new information on Vitamin D each day. 

I can’t help but think about how much healthier a society we would be had it not been for that unbalanced message, to avoid any and all UV exposure, that has been drilled into our heads for the past few decades. It amazes me that it is STILL being drilled into our heads. I can’t understand why much of the medical industry insists that sunscreen and sun avoidance is the best approach. That message is making us sicker. They need to embrace the balanced message that moderate, responsible UV exposure is not only healthy, but necessary for our well-being.

I Workout!

I have started working out again and I realized that I have not experienced the muscle aches I experienced when I started working out early last year. In February, I started working out around the same time I started tanning so I was still Vitamin D deficient. I did notice that I didn’t have the muscle aches once my Vitamin D level was found to be healthy, but I also felt like part of that was because I had been working out and the muscles were getting used to the added exercise.  I stopped going to the gym early in the summer, but still did 5k walks every month. Once the fall started, I only did a few walks now and then, and my activity level tapered off.  I started working out at the gym last week, and to my surprise, my legs do not ache at all. Yes, I started out slowly since I am just getting back into fitness, but what a difference in my experience this year. Last year when I started out slowly, I had muscle aches the following day. The difference being my healthy Vitamin D level over last year’s deficiency.

Years ago I hurt my knee and have always struggled to exercise without pain before I increased my Vitamin D level.  Who am I kidding? I struggled with pain without exercise, my knee hurt constantly. The exercising strengthened my knee and the pain isn’t constant anymore. I did not expect it to be pain free once I increased activity again. Thank you Vitamin D!

Coming soon to this blog:

I am re-listening to the testimony from the legislative hearing I attended weeks ago. There was so much said that I want to address here it is taking me some time to get it all organized into a coherent point rather than an emotional rant. It really was stunning to hear the blatant lies and misleading information claimed by the medical industry.  Bear with me on this. I will get to it soon, I promise.

I made an appointment with my doctor which will be coming up in a few weeks for a check-up. I am curious to see what my Vitamin D level is now. When I was tested last year, I was tanning every other day. Now I am just once a week for 5-6 minutes. I want to see if shifting down to a maintenance schedule has any effect on my level. I feel like it is still in the healthy range but it may not be as high as 75ng/ml any more. I should know in about a month and you all know it will be blogged about. Stay tuned.

Balance

Recently I attended a legislative hearing and spoke to one of my state’s house committees considering a bill involving teen tanning.  I went into it to give my thoughts on how the proposed bill is essentially unnecessary because what it was seeking to do is actually common practice in professional salons. The bill proposes to ban anyone under 14 from tanning and anyone from 14 to 18 needs parental consent. I know my salon requires parental consent already, other salons I have talked to require it, and the head of a chain of salons testifying at the hearing says they require consent as well. As it turns out, about 95 percent of salons in Colorado require parental consent for anyone under 18 even though it isn’t required by law. (By the way, that isn’t exclusive to Colorado, the tanning industry does this nationwide, even when it isn’t required by law, that’s just good business.) So why waste everyone’s time and money to make a law on something that is already voluntarily in place by the industry? I made my statement about how this kind of thing should be a parent’s decision, not the government and that the practice that is already in place is working. The message I heard from the testimonies that day were not entirely balanced and it bothered me that lawmakers didn’t see that. I have a lot to say about this experience, here is the first part:

How can a person listen to someone say that avoiding any and all UV exposure is the best thing to do and not question it? That doesn’t make sense at all. We wouldn’t be alive today without UV. The sun is essential to life and well, we need it to live.  Dermatologists at the hearing were telling the committee that sunbeds are causing an increase in skin cancer. They say they are diagnosing someone with melanoma at least once a week because of people using sunbeds. But I’m not buying it, they are putting the blame on sunbeds from a professional salon without actually having the proof. They made it seem like there are no other ways to be exposed to UV. They of course spouted the 75% increase in risk for those that start using sunbeds before 35, with no mention of the fact that professional salons do not contribute to that statistic.   Overexposure of UV can cause skin cancer, but there are other factors that would contribute too. The abundance of moles, freckles, genetics, and a fair skin type play a major role. These things are assessed in a professional salon before allowing a client to use a sunbed.  I would put money on the fact that many of the cases they see are people who have never set foot in a professional tanning salon.  What they are not telling or admitting is that the prominence of their diagnoses could be attributed to actually being able to detect skin cancer earlier, or that many of these diagnoses are not necessarily accurate. They just kept stating that sunbeds are the cause and all UV should be avoided all the time. It isn’t balanced.

On the other side, I hear from the salon I use and from the testimony by the C.O.O. of a chain of salons in Colorado that overexposure is the enemy.  Moderate and responsible UV exposure is the goal.  They work with clients to ensure there is no sunburn by assessing skin type, ability to tan, equipment being used. They make sure a person is limited on how often they tan.  They teach that UV responsibility extends beyond their doors, that clients should pay attention to their skin when outdoors.  Sunscreen is encouraged any time there is a possibility of sunburn. That seems sensible to me. It is balanced. I see that put into place when I visit my salon. Recently they replaced the level 1 beds I use. They have worked with me to get the time right to avoid burning me because the new beds are 15 minute maximum instead of the 20 minute max I was used to. Because of this I have adjusted my time down in the new sunbed to 5 minutes from the 15 minutes I normally did. They have face lamps, so for my fair skin, I need to make sure those are turned off. This is something the staff helps me with and they have recommended some moisturizing lotions. This is just good business and again, it is balanced.

So look at the two messages and tell me which one is reasonable and balanced. One is telling you that all UV should be avoided and that sunscreen should be worn at all times. That message is causing the Vitamin D deficiency in this world. The other is telling you moderation and responsible exposure is the way to go. It encourages sunscreen when needed but teaches it isn’t needed all the time. I have listened to both messages and I had severe Vitamin D deficiency because of one of those messages.

Spring Forward

As we are heading into the sunny months of the year, I have noticed that I don’t have anxiety about spending time outdoors this year. I can’t express how incredible that is to me. In years past I have found that I try to plan around my sensitivity to the sun. This year it isn’t a concern. I am looking forward to Springing forward.

Last weekend I did a St Patrick’s Day walk and here in Colorado that could mean anything weather wise. We had a snow storm the day before, and by the time the walk started, the sun was shining bright. I was outdoors, in the sun (for the most part) from 8:30 AM until 12:30 PM without worry.  This is such a new experience for me, something that many people probably take for granted. There were even times, when I came out of the shade of a downtown building that I couldn't wait to get to the sunny side of the street. I even looked up and said, “Ahh, sunshine”

Looking forward even further, the summer is going to be even more liberating. My daughter’s birthday is smack dab in the middle of summer and mine is just a week later. I have always had to be careful about how I celebrate these birthdays. Nothing like wanting to do a pool party like all my other friends growing up but knowing that I would pay the price of a nasty burn. Up until last year, I couldn’t offer that option to my daughter either, because I would burn. Last summer, I was able to spend time at the pool with my kids, but because it was so new to me, I had a little paranoia that this was too good to be true and feared that I would burn any minute. This was new territory for me so it was difficult to gauge. Like I said in earlier posts, I haven’t burned since acquiring a base tan through a professional salon. Without that success, I would be dreading the summer sun and what it did to me.

It is so refreshing to not have to figure a “plan B” strategy if there is no shade available at special occasions. My biggest fear when invited to an outdoor event such as a wedding, family reunion, or birthday party, was that there wouldn’t be a shelter or tent to spend most of my time under. I could get away with a baseball hat at informal events, but something like a wedding would pose a challenge. These are things most people don’t have to worry about.  But think about what that would be like for a minute, then think about how wonderful it would be to finally be set free from that worry.

So, the next time you hear someone say there is no such thing as a base tan and that tanned skin is damaged skin, think of my story and how a base tan has freed me from the sun prison I was in. When done the right way, slowly and responsibly, a tan is protection from burning and misery for people like me.

Combatting the common cold with Vitamin D

I have found that the last few times I have felt like I might have a head cold coming on, I have taken extra Vitamin D in supplement form, and have succeeded in warding off the cold. But it still hasn’t been an automatic thought for me, and I had convinced myself that the cold I had avoided probably wasn’t one of those strong ones that are impossible to shake. Last month, my husband, daughter, parents, roommate, and nephew all had a nasty cold that held on for around 2 weeks.  Two and a half weeks ago I woke up on a Saturday morning with their symptoms, a scratchy throat, sneezing, and feeling drained of all energy. Oh no! I was going to get it now too. I just started working a new part time job and couldn’t afford to be sick. Like anyone can afford to be sick right? But I started to panic. I was supposed to go to my mom’s birthday party that afternoon, where many family members were just getting over this stuff. I went to the festivities but kept my distance from everyone. I didn’t want to give this to anyone else, and I’d feel awful if my mom had to battle another bout with it.  For some reason, the thought popped into my head that I should take extra Vitamin D.  I had read a few articles with differing opinions on whether or not Vitamin D helps relieve the common cold. I thought about it and realized that since I have started tanning, and increased my Vitamin D levels, I really haven’t had any colds. So it couldn’t hurt to try right? I went home and popped 50k IU of Vitamin D and took a nap. Rest ALWAYS helps a head cold. The next day I still felt a little yucky, but not as bad as Saturday, so I popped another 50k IU. I felt well enough to work a few hours that day and then another 50k on Monday and then around 30k IU on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Honestly, I never got the nasty cough or terrible sniffles that my family had. Wish I had thought of it BEFORE they all came down with it.  I really only had a few days of just not quite feeling 100%. I’ll take that over weeks of coughing my head off and sneezing my nose raw and having no energy.

While I am NOT certain the dosage of Vitamin D I took was actually 50k IU thanks to the recent studies showing the inaccuracies and inconsistencies of the supplements, (see my blog post from a few weeks ago) I do feel that simply increasing my Vitamin D intake from my normal routine contributed to my ability to fight off the cold. I gave extra Vitamin D to the family members that hadn’t completely recovered from the same cold, and they started to feel better too. Once they started to take the Vitamin D, it seemed the cold was cut a little shorter than those that had waited it out.

While it isn’t a scientific study by any stretch of the imagination, I think the results were significant enough to do the same thing the next time a cold threatens me. Although I do prefer to get my Vitamin D through UV exposure, I feel that given the circumstances, supplements worked well for my needs in this instance. Perhaps the next time I feel a cold coming on I will try going to a salon 2 or 3 times a week instead of just once to see what that would do. It could be hard to do it that way though based on the timing. For instance, I couldn’t have a regular tanning session on Sunday, then feel a cold come on Monday and go tan again. My salon would not allow me to tan back to back days because of my fair skin type. (Yet another great way they protect their clients from overexposure) Still, if the opportunity presents itself with the right timing I'm gonna go for it. I'll keep you posted!

Happy Tanniversary

One year ago this week, I tanned in a salon for the first time. This year has been filled with many new experiences and I have learned so much. I thought it might be good to look back and share what the experience has been like, and what I’ve learned.

To recap:  In January of 2012 I had a physical and my Vitamin D level was tested, the results were that I had a blood level of 11 nanograms-per-milliliter (11ng/ml) My doctor wanted me to take 50 thousand IU of Vitamin D per week and prescribed a once a week pill of 50k IU. My thyroid has been abnormal for a few years now and I take medication for that every morning, but according to the label for the thyroid medication, I am not to eat for an  hour after taking it, and also no vitamins can be taken within 4 hours (before or after) of it. So I forgot more than I remembered to take the pill. Especially a pill I only had to take once a week. I tried to just get over the counter Vitamin D in lower levels that would add up to 50k per week, and take them on a daily basis. Still no luck at consistently remembering to take it so I started doing more research on Vitamin D. Vitamin D is actually a hormone produced naturally in the body when exposed to UVB rays from the sun.  It made sense that I was deficient because of my fair skin I burned any time I was in the sun for more than 10 minutes.  I have avoided the sun for years.  Looking into it further I kept seeing information that tanning beds could be an option for me.  So I decided to visit a salon to see how things worked.

I had never been in a tanning salon before. The only experience I had ever had with it was when my best friend in high school went to a salon once in a while. She didn’t burn and really didn’t go on a regular basis,   so I had no idea what it was like. I had the impression that you go in and lay in a bed for the amount of time you determine. I was mistaken. I was pleased that when I went in to Tan the Moon in my neighborhood, they had a knowledgeable staff. They gave me a questionnaire to fill out about my skin and how it reacts to the sun. We determined that I am a very fair skin type 2. Tanning was possible but it would be something to monitor closely. I started conservatively with just 2 minute sessions every other day.  I had no sign of burn after a week so we increased the time by a minute each week, carefully assessing my skin throughout the process to ensure there was no burn. In April I had my blood level checked and the results were astonishing. I was at 75ng/ml. I continued the tanning every 2 to 3 days for a while increasing the time by 1-2 minutes each week. I got up to 18 minute sessions in a level 1 bed. I was able to go outdoors over the summer for hours without burning because I had a base tan protecting me. With the increased time I was able to spend outdoors, I started to scale back my tanning sessions to once a week for 15 minutes. I will be going back to my doctor in the coming month and I am curious to see what my level is with this type of schedule. 

So just from that part of the experience I learned about how salons take into consideration a person’s skin type and that they limit how much time you spend in a tanning bed based on that. I learned that the fairest skin type, skin type 1 is not allowed to tan in a salon because that skin type will not tan. I learned that I am a very fair skin type 2 which is why I was able to use the equipment in a slow, careful, moderate way. I learned that there are time limits on each tanning bed no matter what skin type you are. I learned the time limit is based on calculations to give you 2/3 UV exposure that would induce a burn so there is a nice safe cushion of time to ensure burning doesn’t happen. I learned that a base tan does work at protecting skin from burning.  I found that salons have my safety as their highest priority.

I also learned that my Vitamin D level is connected to my muscle aches that I have suffered for years. Since dislocating my knee 7 years ago I have had constant pain and walking any distance was difficult. When I raised my Vitamin D level the pain subsided and I have been able to go to the gym and exercise without the pain that held me back for years. I’ve lost 35 pounds because I can exercise without pain. I have started walking 5k races and that takes me about an hour. The races are generally in the morning hours and there are always activities afterwards that I can mingle and participate in. I have done this without worry of sunburn since I have a base tan protecting my skin. Like I said, before tanning, I was not able to be in the sun for more than 10 minutes so being able to be out walking for over an hour is a life changing success. I was able to go to the pool with my kids without worry over the summer for the first time in my life. This is thanks to tanning and the base tan I have acquired.

I have learned there is a lot of bad press blaming tanning salons for increasing the risk of skin cancer when the actual risks are linked to other forms of tanning. The statistic cited over and over again is that “tanning before the age of 35 increases a person’s risk by 75%”, this is misleading. The World Health Organization's report comes from including other, more dangerous methods of tanning in order to get that statistic, yet it is never pointed out that salons were the method that showed no significant increase in risk. The report studied home units, dermatologist’s phototherapy treatments, and salons. Of those studied, home units increased the risk by around 35%, dermatologists increased the risk by 95% and THAT is what makes up that shocking 75% number. The media is not breaking that down and leads the public to believe that the full 75% comes from salons. That is wrong. There should be accountability for that.

I have learned that tanning helps with several skin conditions and members of my own family use tanning to treat various skin conditions. Psoriasis, Acne, Eczema are all treated successfully with tanning beds. Dermatologists offer treatments for these conditions using the same equipment for up to 10 times the cost to the consumer. I find it fascinating that dermatologists are the ones that are pushing to make laws limiting or outright banning salons when they themselves use the same equipment for phototherapy. They are increasing the risk of skin cancer by 95% because they do not have the safety practices in place like salons do. They don’t even take into consideration what a patient’s skin type is so they WILL treat a skin type 1 person with UV exposure. That is dangerous.  Hypocritical much dermatologists?

I keep hearing/seeing the argument that tanning beds have been classified as a level 1 carcinogen to try to alarm the public. They point out that there are terrible things that have been classified that way too like smoking and plutonium. What they don’t point out is that there are other everyday things that are classified as a level 1 carcinogen as well. To name a few, BBQ meats, wine, birth control pills, salted fish, and sawdust. They want to point out the carcinogen classification to scare people. It is another misleading and inaccurate method to try to sway you to believe tanning equals death. Tanning beds are classified that way because they emit the same UV rays as the sun; the sun is also classified as a level 1 carcinogen. Moderation is the right way to approach UV exposure and that should be the message. The UV avoidance message is what is contributing to the epidemic of Vitamin D deficiency.  The scare tactics need to stop.

Sunscreen should also be used in moderation. Cosmetic manufacturers would like you to believe that you need sunscreen every day all day.  Most Dermatologists are endorsing that message and that is irresponsible. This is a major factor in the Vitamin D deficiency crisis. If you slather on chemical sunscreen every day to block UV rays, you will not have a healthy Vitamin D level. That is increasing your risk of over 100 diseases and health risks including many forms of cancer.  So to me it seems Dermatologists feel it is a better trade off to risk other forms of cancer by blocking UV rays to combat the risk of skin cancer. That makes no sense. Why it is so hard to endorse a reasonable balanced message of UV moderation and that sunscreen should only be used when there is a risk of overexposure?

I have learned that tanners come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Many people seem to think a typical tanner looks like those in the media like Snooki or “the tanning mom” which doesn’t help the image of what it really is. Tanners are normal just like you or me, not the extreme of what the media hypes.

I think the year to come is going to be challenging, but I’m up for it. I hope to be able to give the other side of the story to those that have only heard the negative aspects of tanning.