Sunbed use

[Tevion10]

Posting here for traffic.
My ds aged 18 blonde fair skinned wants to get some colour for his holiday in July and also suffers from. Psoriasis.
He is a novice to sunbeds and I'm just looking for advice from anybody who uses them.
Does he need to wear suncream goggles etc and how long should he spend on them.

I had a dermatologist appointment this week and asked about using the sun bed rather than the hospital and she explained how important it was not to do that. Have you spoken to GP about a referral? What creams has he tried?? I have had psoriasis since I was about 17 and so I know exactly how he is feeling. Some time in the sun over this bank holiday may help.

As he is blonde and fair skinned I would really advise against it.
I used sunbeds I think maybe 3 times in the run up to my wedding to try and get rid of tan lines, as fake tanning could go patchy and my dress was strapless. I did maximum 8 mins at a time. I will never use them again.
It's a shame they are so bad for you because I did find lying in the heat really helped my endometriosis pain but it's just not worth any sort of skin cancer risk.

If he does end up using them...there are signs in the shops to say about time spent on sunbeds. E.g. if you have this skin type and are moley, do this time length, if you are blonde, this time length, etc.
I believe it also said people should only use sun beds a handful of times a year to mitigate risks which I can guarantee the majority of people don't do. They also don't do anything to prevent people going over a certain number.

Some people are so fucking rude and stupid. Do you realize that you literally get PRESCRIBED sunbeds for psoriasis?

Some actual advice- he doesn't need to wear sun cream, but he does need to wear the goggles. He should start at 3 mins max and gradually increase as he sees fit.

You are being stupid.

Being 18 doesn't mean he's safe in a sunbed! It doesn't mean he's immune to skin cancer! You shouldn't be encouraging or helping him at all!

Let's get rid of the psoriasis but then die from skin cancer... won't that be lovely.

Op I’m going to pm you

You have to also look at what treatment he currently uses for his psoriasis.
I think betnovate and dovobet increase sun sensitivity because of thinning the skin. So more burning than usual can occur.
I stand completely alone on this thread but I would allow a couple of very short sessions. Like a minute or two.
He will see a dramatic improvement in his psoriasis and the reason he’ll want to use sunbeds in his teenage mind would be for self consciousness around his skin more than build up colour.

The NHS make the point of saying light therapies used for the treatment of psoriasis is NOT the same is sunbeds.
Conventional sunbeds use UVA lighting which does not work to treat it alone.

Conventional sunbeds do work.
They also cause cancer.

@leatherflamingle you are not alone, you sound like someone who knows what they're talking about. You are exactly right. OP you will be amazed how a couple of minutes on a sunbed will clear up his psoriasis.

All the people on this thread can go to hell.

Haven’t read the full thread but think some people have been quite rude.

I don’t really know much about sun beds however, my sister had acne really bad as a teen and the doctor actually told her to book a course of sun beds as it would help! This was quite a few years ago now.

Your son is 18 and a man, he can make his own decisions on this and do his own research.

A regular go on run of the mill commercial sunbeds can completely eliminate psoriasis for a while.
It’s a massive risk some sufferers are willing to take.

"Your doctor may prescribe ultraviolet (UV) light therapy (phototherapy) for your psoriasis. Using a sunbed isn’t a safe alternative.

If you have phototherapy, the dose and strength of the ultraviolet light are carefully controlled. This makes sure you get the best treatment in the safest way. Most hospital-based light therapy for psoriasis uses UVB rays. Some light therapy uses UVA rays with a special medicine called psoralen instead. But this is only available from specialist centres. Commercial sunbeds don’t have any control over the exact type and dose of ultraviolet light you receive.
Most commercial sunbeds use UVA light. UVA rays won’t treat psoriasis on their own. If you have too much exposure to UVA and UVB rays, this can cause skin ageing and increase your risk of skin cancer. So using a sunbed may mean you’re exposed to the risks of too much sun, without any benefits to your psoriasis. Doctors recommend that people avoid using sunbeds."

If this is a route he's interested in going down speak with your doctor about phototherapy and ensure he receives the safest treatment not just the most convenient.

Mosttanning bedsdeliver only UVA light, which does not treatpsoriasis, so you need atanning bedthat provides both UVB and UVA light. ... Unlike dermatologist-prescribed phototherapy, which is targeted to just areas withpsoriasis, atanning bedexposes your entire body to UV rays.

Just from a quick bit of reading.

It's not good for you. It's not something anyone should be doing.

My aunt and uncle use them regularly. Their son, who is 15/16, uses them too. When they were round I heard my aunt say "your skin is very bad you need to use the sunbed". They have a salon with one in that they run. I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing. But they were there for mother's Day so I didn't want to say anything.

I know exactly what I’m talking about. In my youth I saw more dermatologists than you would believe. I tried more potions, lotions, alternative therapies, teas, Chinese concoctions,naturopaths, chiropractors, witch doctors than I knew existed.
I thank sunbeds for giving me my teenage years back. I was able to wear a dress in the sun, a bikini in the beach, have wild sex without the self consciousness. The mental scars of psoriasis can be worse than anything. You don’t know unless you’ve been there.

It ISN’T SAFE
But
It IS EFFECTIVE

They’re terrible for you, especially if you’re fair.

Getting light treatment on the nhs was nearly impossible when I was younger..... the waiting lists were months long and a dermatologist was reluctant to prescribe if you were already following a corticosteroid based treatment or So first you’d wait months for a consultation with a dermatologist. Then you’d wait months for an appointment for light therapy.

People who have never been in the situation will never understand.

@Theinvestigator
Let's get rid of the psoriasis but then die from skin cancer... won't that be lovely.
Honestly that’s the risk you take.
I was that desperate.
I thought.
The life i was living was like being dead anyway

Surgery & radiotherapy for a malignant melanoma at 20. 🙋🏻‍♀️ I used sun beds 3 times before a wedding. Specialist said that could of been the sole cause of my melanoma. Doesn't take much. Sun bed shops should be illegal in my eyes.

I suppose it's a game of risk, what's going to cause more damage the skin cancer or the psoriasis. Only your son can decide if it's worth it to him.

I agree.