How much damage do tanning booths do?

Hi, Dr. Irwin - I'm ashamed to admit that I went for two tanning sessions at my local salon (only 4 minutes each time in a base bed, body only) and now I am feeling angry at myself, and guilty for having done it, thinking I've just damaged my skin even more. The skin on my thighs is already crepey & saggy (at age 48), despite having been sun smart for almost 2 decades. I feel this has been a major setback, and I'm wondering if there is any way of estimating how much damage those two sessions might have done? Can I stop now and breathe a sigh of relief, knowing I saved myself in time, or have I just made things much worse? Any insight you have on the issue would be much appreciated. I will be looking into "Venus Freeze" to deal with the skin issues on the legs in the meantime. Thanks so much for your time! :-)

So I really want to reassure you here!!  Two sessions will not ruin your skin and……..you’ve had many years of good habits now so your skin is probably quite healthy. 

Sun damage is really a cumulative total amount of UV radiation over many years.  I’m so glad you stopped though.   As you’ve noticed I’m sure, our repair mechanisms slow down as we get older so you don’t want to keep going to the tanning booth!!!

Dr. I

Dr. Brandith Irwin, MD

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Hi, I’m Dr. Irwin. I believe that consumers deserve a medically trained and unbiased skin care advocate.

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