From blistering to bronze, the truth about tanning

It's the time of year when the tank tops and shorts come out and blindingly white skin begins to see the light.

It's also the time when many outdoorsy types and sun worshippers experience their first sunburn, intentional or not.

Although we all know skin in its natural, untanned state is most healthy, many of us think we look healthier, thinner — heck, even hotter — with a burnished glow suggestive of leisurely hours under the sun.

With that in mind, here's a look at the conventional wisdom and realities of the burn-peel-tan life.

MYTH: Sunless tanning, also known as fake-a-bake, is risk-free.

REALITY: It is true that using any of a variety of lotions, sprays, gels, creams and powders from the multi-million-dollar sunless-tanning industry can impart a sun-kissed glow without exposure to dangerous UV rays.

But some researchers worry that the fashion for a bronzed look, even a cosmetically induced one, may encourage many people to seek a tanned appearance at any cost.

According to a study published last year in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, young women who used sunless tanners were more likely to have been sunburned and to have visited tanning parlors compared with those who were not interested in and did not use such bronzing lotions.

The study, conducted at Boston University School of Medicine, also reported that, although many self-tanning products do not contain sunscreen, a number of young women believe they offer sun protection.

MYTH: A blistering sunburn is painful, but no big deal.

REALITY: False. Just one blistering sunburn doubles the likelihood of developing malignant melanoma, a deadly skin cancer, according to the National Institutes of Health.

MYTH: People with dark skin won't sunburn, aren't at risk for skin cancer and don't need sunscreen.

REALITY: Yes, people who have more pigment in their skin are less likely to burn and are less at risk for skin cancer. But everyone needs sunscreen, said Michigan dermatologist Dr. A. Craig Cattell.

MYTH: Tanning beds are safer than the sun.

REALITY: Uh, like, no. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has declared UV radiation from the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sun lamps, as a known carcinogen.

And a 2005 Swedish study demonstrated that regular exposure to tanning beds significantly elevates a person's risk for developing melanoma. Research has found that tanning lamps emit UV rays that can be up to 15 times stronger than the sun, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

MYTH: If spending a little time in the sun allows the skin to produce healthy vitamin D, then the more time, the better.

REALITY: Maximum production of vitamin D occurs after brief exposure to UV radiation. The exact amount of time depends on many factors including geographic location, time of day, time of year, and skin type. A fair-skinned person in Boston or New York can get adequate vitamin D production in two to five minutes at noon, according to the academy.

So how's a pasty body supposed to play it safe in the sun?

The American Cancer Society has this alliteratively pleasing advice: Slip, slop, slap.

As in, slip on a long-sleeved shirt, slop on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher and slap on a hat. It's the old abstinence line, but it works, say the experts.