Stick with the sun

Q: If the sun isn't as dangerous as the medical media makes it out to be, what about tanning beds? They both cause your skin to tan, so are they both safe?

Dr. Wright: Tanning beds aren't necessarily dangerous. The problem is they don't generally provide you with the type of radiation that your skin needs to produce vitamin D.

The sun (and tanning beds) have two types of radiation -- UVA and UVB. Most salons use tanning beds that have 95 percent UVA radiation because it penetrates deeper into your skin and gives you a longer-lasting, golden brown tan. The salons shy away from the UVB radiation because it only affects the outer layer of your skin, causing you to burn more easily and the tan to fade more quickly. But all of the vitamin D benefits come from the UVB rays -- not from the UVA rays typically used in tanning beds.

So while tanning beds may not be dangerous, per say, the sun is your best option for getting the vitamin D your body needs for optimum health.

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