Check your medications. Just say whoa These drugs, commonly used by high school and college students, significantly increase the skin's sensitivity to sunlight. Anyone taking these drugs should take extra precautions against sunburn. Kelly Smith, assistant director of the Drug Information Center at University of Kentucky Hospital. Know your rays Tanning is the body's response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation, whether it is generated by the sun or by the bulbs of a tanning bed.
Tanning is a natural protective measure, but also is visible proof of damaged skin.
When UV radiation strikes the skin, it stimulates cells called melanocytes to produce more melanin, a brown pigment that acts as sort of a chemical umbrella to protect skin cells during subsequent exposures. That's why modern tanning beds strive to keep UVB rays to a minimum. But UVA rays are not benign. They are the primary culprit of premature aging, and recent research indicates they probably play a role in skin cancer, too. Copyright 1997-2001 INJersey.