Dan's Papers - Issue #4 - April 20, 2007

The Nor'easter outside may make sunny beaches seem a distant thought, but Memorial Day weekend and the start of summer is only six weeks away. Yes, it is only a matter of time before the legions of weary winter people come back to the East End of Long Island in search of a bronze healthy glow. But for those of us who still hear our 8th grade science teacher lecturing about sunscreen and hats for all outdoor activities how can we rid ourselves of being pasty and pale? The first option, which I have found quite popular myself, is to dismiss the pain of sunburns as a mere inconvenience that must be born like stockings and stilettos in the quest for feminine beauty. This worked quite well for me until someone explained that a sunburn is actually your skin cells committing mass suicide. Ouch. Suddenly I felt sorry for all those little suckers. Peeling skin is actually the body's way of discarding skin that could become cancerous.

Luckily, there seems to be a prospering industry around ensuring that everyone can look brown, beautiful and cancer-free. Sunless tanning lotions were developed in the 1960s in response to the growing evidence that linked sun exposure and skin cancer. Nearly all sunless tanning lotions today contain the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA). The tan that results from products with DHA is not from a dye or paint, but a chemical reaction between DHA and the amino acids in the outer layers of dead skin. The reaction is not toxic and does not have any of the ill effects of UV exposure. Many of these products can be bought at a local pharmacy and applied at home.

A second safe option is to have a professional apply a sunless tanning product in a salon or spa. Often called "airbrush tanning," a technician will spray the individual from head to toe to ensure a smooth, natural looking tan. I called a local salon to inquire about this method and was reassured that the tan color can be adjusted by the number of layers that are sprayed on. A spray tan appointment takes thirty minutes, 15 for spraying and 15 for drying. After the treatment you cannot shower or come in contact with water for eight hours. Due to the torrential rain forecast, I decided against making an appointment.

Any product that advertises as a "tanning pill" should be avoided. The myth of tanning pills has been difficult to kill. But the truth is that only one thing can create a natural tan, and that is melanocytes, the specialized skin cells that produce the skin pigment melanin. Melanocytes make melanin all year round, but in response to exposure to UV radiation they make more melanin to absorb the UV radiation in an attempt to protect the cells' DNA. There are also pills available that contain the amino acid tyrosine, which claims to be able to stimulate the creation of melanin. It is true that the body needs tyrosine to create melanin, but tyrosine is a nonessential amino acid, meaning the body makes it on its own and doesn't need to be supplemented through diet.

Other pills are marketed that contain caretenoid pigments, commonly used as a color additive in food. The pigment is deposited in the fatty layers beneath the skin, which appears to give the skin color. The FDA has banned caretenoids because the pigments can be deposited in the eyes and permanently damage vision. However, there is some hope left for those who want a miracle tan pill; the product melanotan, which is a melanocyte stimulating hormone, has not yet been approved for clinical trials in the US, but has been extensively tested in Australia.

Finally, I felt compelled to investigate the myriad lotions that now call themselves "bronzers," or promise an "energy-glow." Are these just self-tanners masquerading under new names? The short answer is yes. At the moment, the only approved active ingredient for self-tanners is DHA. Some lotions contain 2-3% DHA and others 4-5%, but it's all the same stuff. There are of course cosmetic products that claim "bronzing" effects and can be easily washed off with soap and water.

So where does this leave us? Probably not far from where we started; in the bathroom naked, craning our necks to make sure we haven't missed a spot with our latest wonder lotion and then dashing outside with a grimace (and a hat!) and the hope that our melanocytes don't mind doing just a little extra work to cover up those parts that came out complete with orange hand prints.