In case you needed one more reason not to use a sunbed, this latest piece of news is set to make your skin crawl.
As well as being considerably dangerous in increasing your risk of developing skin cancer, sunbeds are now a hotbed for herpes.
According to experts, skin disease isn’t the only risk associated anymore with the tanning salon as people are reportedly picking up gential herpes from skin-to-skin contact through lying down in their skimpies for a golden brown tan.
The STD’s bacteria, which is commonly passed on through sex and oral sex, has now been proven to survive on tanning beds despite the heat.
Once infected with the virus, the bacteria can reactivate every so often, causing painful genital herpes for the sufferer.
Speaking to Yahoo, dermatologist Dawn Marie Davies, of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, warns the virus, can survive on tanning beds, despite the heat:
“In my practice, I’ve seen acquired bacterial infections, warts, and herpes infections from tanning beds. Ultraviolet light can theoretically kill germs, but it’s not enough to kill germs on the tanning bed.
“What’s interesting is that when you use the ultraviolet light over and over again – and the tanning bed lights are on for multiple hours a day – if the bacteria or virus is exposed to some antiseptic but not enough to kill it, or some light but not enough to kill it, it can grow stronger and then it becomes resistant.”
So if the cancer scare wasn’t enough to put you off those sunbeds, maybe an itchy infection will stub out those tanning dates…
