Think you're addiction-free? If you have a thing for tanning, you might actually be driven by addiction to indoor UV rays, say the authors of a brand new study...
Is tanning really addictive? Yes, say the authors of a new study
In fact, they say that the brains of frequent tanners respond in the same way as drug addicts and alcoholics.
"Using tanning beds has rewarding effects in the brain so people may feel compelled to persist in the behavior even though it's bad for them," said study author Dr. Bryon Adinoff, professor of psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
And, here's where it gets really interesting: The study examined the brain effects of real UV rays, and simple ultraviolet rays, and they found that it was only the UV rays that charged up the tanner's brain activity, increasing the hypothesis that tanning beds are addictive.
According to Skin Cancer Foundation, people under 30 who use a tanning bed 10 times a year have eight times the risk for malignant melanoma.
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