Can a solarium meet your vitamin D needs?
Skin makes vitamin D from UVB light, so is a sunbed the answer to vitamin D deficiency? The short answer and the details.
The short answer: do not treat a solarium as a source of vitamin D. If you are deficient, the right step is a blood test and the treatment your doctor recommends. A solarium is a tanning service.
How does skin make vitamin D?
UVB in sunlight converts a cholesterol compound in the skin into vitamin D. Vitamin D helps the gut absorb calcium and phosphorus and helps keep bones healthy. Without enough of it, bones can weaken.
Why a sunbed is not a reliable source
- Most sunbeds give off mainly UVA. The share of UVB, which vitamin D production needs, varies from machine to machine.
- Light beyond what vitamin D needs only tans the skin and raises the risk of burns and skin damage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization, classifies UV-emitting tanning devices as carcinogenic to humans.
- Health authorities do not recommend sunbeds for vitamin D deficiency; they recommend food sources and, where needed, supplements under a doctor’s supervision.
Some newer machines, such as the Ergoline Sunangel Duo 1400, have a programme the manufacturer describes as suitable for vitamin D synthesis. Even that programme does not replace treatment.
If you think you are deficient
- See your doctor and have your blood 25(OH)D level measured.
- If you need a supplement, let your doctor set the dose.
- If you want a tan, use the solarium separately from that treatment, in short sessions that suit your skin type.
If this is your first time, read Before your first tanning session.
This post is for general information and is not medical advice.
