The health benefits of carefully increased UV exposure — from the sun or from sunbeds — outweigh the disputed and often-oversimplified risks of permanent skin damage, according to an Oslo University study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

The study — supported by the Norwegian Cancer Society — pointed out that increased sun exposure to the Norwegian population would elevate depressed vitamin D blood levels by 25 nmol/L, which “might result in 4,000 fewer internal cancers and about 3,000 fewer cancer deaths overall” — a finding they credit to their previous work and Harvard University vitamin D researcher Dr. Edwin Giovannucci’s previous paper published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Dr. Johan Moan, of the University of Oslo, was the lead author of the new paper. Contrasting the UV-induced health benefit with the possible risks of UV exposure, the authors wrote, is more complex than many believe.

“Sun exposure is commonly supposed to be the main cause of cutaneous malignant melanoma in most populations. However, the matter is disputed,” Moan and colleagues wrote. “Intermittent sun exposure and severe sunburn in childhood are associated with an increased risk of (melanoma)” but “occupational exposure (farmers, fisherman) and regular weekend sun exposure are associated with decreased risk… Sun exposure may even protect against (melanoma) on shielded sites.”

They continued, “It has also been observed that patients with the highest blood levels of vitamin D have thinner (melanomas) and better survival prognosis.”

The paper noted that while some studies suggest a relationship between sunbed use and melanoma, others show no association. Making any assessment more difficult, “There has been a significant increase in the number of sunbed exposures in Norway after 1990, but (melanoma) incidence rates among persons younger than 50 years have stabilized.”

The authors want health authorities to take all of this into better perspective rather than issuing blanket anti-UV statements.

“Due to the fear of skin cancer, health authorities warn against sun and sunbed exposure. This policy, as well as the recommended vitamin D doses, may need revision,” the authors write. “UV from the sun and sunbeds is the main vitamin D source. Young people with white or pigmented skin in northern Europe have low vitamin D status. A number of health benefits from sufficient levels of vitamin D have been identified.”

Tanning businesses are approaching advertising differently in 2012 — with about one-third increasing budgets, one-third decreasing budgets and one-third keeping ad spending at 2011 levels, a SmartTan.com poll conducted in February suggests.

According to the poll, 29 percent will increase their ad budgets this year, while 38 percent will keep budgets at 2011 levels. The remaining 33 percent plan to spend less. The poll is not scientific.

Our take: Some will definitely continue to hit radio, billboard and targeted print campaigns. Social media campaigns are a must today, as are on-line search vehicles. According to other SmartTan.com polls, most salons have backed away from yellow pages advertising.

“Vitamin D may represent the single most cost-effective medical intervention we have today.” — Minneapolis internist Dr. Greg Plotnikoff, as quoted in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Plotnikoff is the author of a study suggesting that employers could save $112 to $370 per employee each year in preventable illness and improved productivity by encouraging workers to boost their vitamin D.

According to the Star-Tribune, “The study, being published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine’s March issue, was based on data from more than 10,600 workers at Minneapolis-based Allina Health. Allina operates the Center for Health Care Innovation and the Penny George Institute for Health and Healing, which Plotnikoff leads.”

More than 60 percent of the women in the study were vitamin D deficient, which is why Plotnikoff advocates taking action now. “We have no problem ordering a $1,500 MRI or a $90,000 course of Avastin for cancer,” he told the Star-Tribune. “Why wait 10 years for randomized controlled trial … when you can measure, replenish and see right away if it makes a difference?”

To read the story click here.

To see an ABC News report on the Tribune’s story click here.

A number of dermatology industry lobbying groups are ramping up public health campaigns this spring arguing that sunbeds are an “inefficient” source of vitamin D production because they emit mainly UVA — a statement so inaccurate that it appears to be intentionally misleading.

Natural sunlight is mostly UVA, just like sunbeds. Both contain UVB and are the most efficient sources of vitamin D. Vitamin D is almost non-existent in diet.

Dermatology industry lobbying groups — in calling for a ban on teenage use of sunbed centers in California — testified to state legislators that sunbeds are an “inefficient” source of vitamin D production and that their own use of sunbeds to treat psoriasis should be preserved because no studies show any risk of that procedure — statements that are factually inaccurate.

The World Health Organization considers dermatology phototherapy — most typically prescribed as sunbed usage in combination with the drug Methoxalen — a Class 1 carcinogen.

So are dermatology lobbying groups lying to promote their agenda?

In 2011 California passed the nation’s first under-18 statewide ban of commercial tanning bed usage into law — legislation that passed the Democratically controlled California House and Senate on largely partisan votes this summer. Senator Ted Lieu, D-Redondo Beach, sponsored the bill, which took effect Jan. 1.

Added to the bill Aug. 23 was an amendment stating, “Notwithstanding any other provision of law, nothing shall preclude a physician or surgeon from prescribing a phototherapy device to a patient of any age.” That was already clear in the bill’s original language — so why the redundancy?

Epidemiologist Dr. Mia Papas in June presented data at the World Congress of Epidemiology showing that the World Health Organization data that Lieu used to promote his bill actually indicts medical phototherapy units and not commercial sunbeds. In the WHO report, medical usage of sunbeds doubled melanoma risk for users and that commercial tanning beds, when analyzed without data from home tanning units and medical sunbeds, had no statistically significant increase in risk at all.

“How can a legislator and dermatology groups deny that this data exists — somebody needs to answer that question because their denial was used to pass this bill,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “So not only did they conceal or deny that that data exists, but they added an amendment to the bill to protect phototherapy business.”

An estimated 150,000 Californians use commercial sunbeds primarily as a cost-effective substitute for medical phototherapy (used primarily to treat the cosmetic disorder psoriasis), according to Smart Tan surveys. The insurance co-pay for a phototherapy session is, in most cases, greater than the cost of a tanning salon visit.

Dermatology also alleged that sunbeds were an “inefficient” source of vitamin D production because they emit mainly UVA and UVB is what is needed to produce vitamin D.

“That is either photo biologically ignorant or intentionally misleading,” Levy said. “Sunlight is mostly UVA too. And it is without question that sunlight and sunbeds that mimic sunlight are the most efficient vitamin D sources on the planet. Peer-reviewed research has confirmed that. And sunbed users, as a group, have 90 percent higher vitamin D levels as compared to non-tanners. So why do derms have to mislead to make their case? That question also needs to be asked.”

Dermatology alleges that melanoma is the fastest growing cancer for women 25-29 — a statistic they always offer without pointing out that no cancer is common in that age group and that it is still incredibly rare in that age group.

Dermatology has also masked the fact that melanoma is increasing most-significantly in men over age 50 — a group they virtually ignore in public education campaigns.

Finding, hiring and optimizing your salon’s staff is the cover story in Smart Tan Magazine’s February issue — which is available both in print and as an e-magazine on SmartTan.com.

How do leading salons hire and staff their stores? Heather Almond, of the Ashley Lynn’s Tanning head office in Nebraska, leads a group discussing the right approach to arming your sales force correctly.

Click here to read more.

Western Australian researchers have determined that children born to vitamin D deficient mothers are twice as likely to have severe language problems — a startling finding in light of surprisingly high vitamin D deficiency in Australia.

The study, published in the journal “Pediatrics” was believed to be the first to look at vitamin D and language development. The West Australian reported, “Associate Professor Andrew Whitehouse, who led the research, said the finding was significant, given vitamin D levels in women were known to have decreased steadily over the past 20 years. ‘The developing baby is completely reliant on the mother for its vitamin D levels and what we have shown is that this might have an impact on the child’s brain development,” Dr Whitehouse said.

Whitehouse continued in the story, “’We’ve known for some years that vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy in mums is associated with a number of adverse health effects, including poor growth of the baby and asthma, but no human studies have shown an association with language difficulties. These are more severe language problems in school years, because while we know 12 per cent of toddlers have language delays, many of them resolve by the time they get to school, whereas language problems which persist to school years tend to stick around for much of their life.’”

Australian officials are surprised at alarmingly high vitamin D deficiency nationwide in light of the world’s strongest anti-sun campaign, which began more than a generation ago, encouraging daily sunscreen usage and sun avoidance.

To read the West Australian’s article click here.

It’s that time of year again! According to StateNews.com, college students have begun their pre-spring break regimens at their local tanning salons as a way to avoid burning while visiting their favorite sunny destinations.

“It’s relaxing and warm,” Andrew Izzo, a senior at Michigan State University, says. “It’s a preview of what it’s going to be like on spring break when you can sit out in the sun and relax.”

Not only are students visiting salons to for the natural sunblock – a tan – but they are also using sunbeds to provide them with the vitamin D that’s hard to get in the winter months.

“I like tanning, especially in the winter,” says Kathleen Web. “It gives me the vitamin D I need, which keeps me in a happier mood.”

To read the entire StateNews.com article, please click here.

Nearly 4 out of 10 indoor tanning businesses say their average client visits their stores more often than they did two years ago, according to a SmartTan.com poll conducted in February.

About the same number say just the opposite — that the average client visits less often, while just about 1 out of 4 reported no change.

“You can look at this poll a lot of ways. Certainly some tanning businesses have found ways to increase traffic, while others are still struggling either with their business model or with the economy in general,” Smart Tan Vice President Joseph Levy said. “This poll by itself doesn’t tell the whole story, but it is interesting.”

A SmartTan.com poll in January reported that 49 percent of salons said their business performance was up from a year ago, with 33 percent reporting lower numbers. In a December poll, 71 percent of salons reported feeling more positive about the future of the market than they did at the end of 2010.

“Whether it’s increasing traffic, or increasing per-person averages, there are success stories in the tanning market right now, and the general sense of optimism in the tanning community seems to reflect that.