Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sunless Tanning

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Shedding Light on Indoor Tanning

Abstract

Sunless tanning, also referred to as self-tanning, fake tanning, and/or chemical tanning, includes agents that produce the appearance of a tan without exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Sunless tanning agents include products containing dihydroxyacetone (DHA), tanning pills, and cosmetic bronzers. DHA-based products, the fastest growing skin care product on the market, have annual use rates estimated in the last several years at 11% in a nationally representative sample, 24% in college students, and 46% in beach visitors. In this chapter, the safety, risks, clinical applications, use rates, user characteristics, and intervention research regarding DHA-based sunless tanning products are reviewed. At this time, no known risks have been associated with the application of DHA-based sunless tanning products to the skin. However, users should be educated about the need for sun protection while using sunless tanning. Skin cancer prevention intervention research reveals some benefits but no harms to promoting sunless tanning as an alternative to UVR tanning among tanners. Sunless tanning is a safe alternative to UVR tanning and should be recommended to UVR tanners who are primarily motivated by the desire to tan to improve physical appearance. Sunless tanners may increase in popularity as products continue to improve in quality and include UVR protection. Sunless tanning products that are currently in development and create a tan via melanin production stimulation, rather than DHA, are also discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Abbreviations

DHA:

Dihydroxyacetone

FDA:

Food and Drug Administration

MCR-1:

Melanocortonin receptor-1

MSH:

Melanin-stimulating hormone

SPF:

Sun protection factor

UVR:

Ultraviolet radiation

References

  1. Draelos ZD (2002) Self-tanning lotions: Are they a healthy way to achieve a tan? Am J Clin Dermatol 3(5):317–318

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Wittgenstein E, Berry HK (1960) Staining of skin with dihydroxyacetone. Science 132:894–895

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Blau S, Kanof NB, Simonson L (1960) Dihydroxyacetone (DHA) – a keratin coloring agent. Arch Dermatol 85:501–504

    Google Scholar 

  4. Maibach HI, Kligman AM (1960) Dihydroxyacetone: a suntan simulating agent. Arch Dermatol 82:505–507

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Levy SB (1992) Dihydroxyacetone-containing sunless or self-tanning lotions. J Am Acad Dermatol 27(6 Pt 1):989–993

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. United States Department of Health and Human Services (2002) Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Food and Drug Administration, Vol. 1, Part 73, Section 73. 1150. 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  7. White-Sax B (2004) Education key to growing sun care sales. Drug Store News, p 42

    Google Scholar 

  8. Fu JM, Dusza SW, Halpern AC (2004) Sunless tanning. J Am Acad Dermatol 50(5):706–713

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. US Food and Drug Administration (2005) Tanning pills. http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm134217.htm. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  10. American Academy of Dermatology (2010) Be sun smart. http://www.aad.org/public/sun/smart.html. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  11. Skin Cancer Foundation (2010) Tan in a can. http://www.skincancer.org/tan-in-a-can.html. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  12. American Cancer Society (2010) Can melanoma skin cancer be prevented? http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_2_2X_Can_melanoma_skin_cancer_be_prevented_50.asp. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  13. Morren M, Dooms-Goossens A, Heidbuchel M et al (1991) Contact allergy to dihydroxyacetone. Contact Dermatitis 25(5):326–327

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Kimura T (2009) Contact dermatitis caused by sunless tanning treatment with dihydroxyacetone in hairless descendants of Mexican hairless dogs. Environ Toxicol 24(5):506–512

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Akin FJ, Marlowe E (1984) Non-carcinogenicity of dihydroxyacetone by skin painting. J Environ Pathol Toxicol Oncol 5(4–5):349–351

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Fusaro RM, Rice EG (2005) The Maillard reaction for sunlight protection. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1043:174–183

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Jung K, Seifert M, Herrling T et al (2008) UV-generated free radicals (FR) in skin: their prevention by sunscreens and their induction by self-tanning agents. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 69(5):1423–1428

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. US Food and Drug Administration (2000) Required warning statement for tanning products without sunscreen. http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm134252.htm. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  19. Brooks K, Brooks D, Dajani Z et al (2006) Use of artificial tanning products among young adults. J Am Acad Dermatol 54(6):1060–1066

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Petersen AM, Takiya L, Finley R (2003) Meta-analysis of trials of interventions to improve medication adherence. Am J Health Syst Pharm 60:657–665

    Google Scholar 

  21. Petersen AB, Wulf HC, Gniadecki R et al (2004) Dihydroxyacetone, the active browning ingredient in sunless tanning lotions, induces DNA damage, cell-cycle block and apoptosis in cultured HaCaT keratinocytes. Mutat Res 560(2):173–186

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Yourick JJ, Koenig ML, Yourick DL et al (2004) Fate of chemicals in skin after dermal application: Does the in vitro skin reservoir affect the estimate of systemic absorption? Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 195(3):309–320

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. US Food and Drug Administration (2010) Federal food, drug and cosmetic act (FD&C Act). http://www.fda.gov/RegulatoryInformation/Legislation/FederalFoodDrugandCosmeticActFDCAct/default.htm. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  24. US Food and Drug Administration (2009) Sunless tanners and bronzers. http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ProductandIngredientSafety/ProductInformation/ucm134064.htm. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  25. Affleck AG, Perkins W (2008) Fake tan as a cause of a change in a pigmented lesion: seborrhoeic keratosis or melanocytic naevus. Clin Exp Dermatol 33(1):105–106

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Martin JM, Monteagudo C, Calduch L et al (2007) Dermatoscopic changes in acquired melanocytic nevi and seborrheic keratoses after the application of a self-tanning airbrush. Arch Dermatol 143(11):1453–1455

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Katugampola RP, Finlay AY (2006) Fake sun tan diagnosis of porokeratosis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 20(2):224–226

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Rajatanavin N, Suwanachote S, Kulkollakarn S (2008) Dihydroxyacetone: a safe camouflaging option in vitiligo. Int J Dermatol 47(4):402–406

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Hsu S (2008) Camouflaging vitiligo with dihydroxyacetone. Dermatol Online J 14(8):23

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Suga A, Ikejima S, Matsuba H et al (2002) Medical pearl: DHA application for camouflaging segmental vitiligo and piebald lesions. J Am Acad Dermatol 47:436–438

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Fesq H, Brockow K, Strom K et al (2001) Dihydroxyacetone in a new formulation – a powerful therapeutic option in vitiligo. Dermatology 203(3):241–243

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  32. Kent G, Al’Abadie M (1996) Psychologic effects of vitiligo: a critical incident analysis. J Am Acad Dermatol 35(6):895–898

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Lazovich D, Forster J (2005) Indoor tanning by adolescents: prevalence, practices and policies. Eur J Cancer 41(1):20–27

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Mosher CE, Danoff-Burg S (2005) Social predictors of sunscreen and self-tanning product use. J Am Coll Health 54(3):166–168

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Stryker JE, Yaroch AL, Moser RP et al (2007) Prevalence of sunless tanning product use and related behaviors among adults in the United States: results from a national survey. J Am Acad Dermatol 56(3):387–390

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Pagoto SL, Schneider KL, Oleski J et al (2010) The sunless study: a beach-randomized trial of a skin cancer prevention intervention featuring sunless tanning. Arch Dermatol 146:979–984

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Girgis A, Tzelepis F, Paul CL et al (2003) Australians’ use of fake tanning lotions: another piece of the puzzle. Aust N Z J Public Health 27(5):529–532

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Cantor D, Covell J, Davis TC, et al. (2005) Health information national trends survey (HINTS 2005): Final report 2005. http://hints.cancer.gov/docs/HINTS_2005_Final_Report.pdf. Accessed 20 Apr 2010

  39. Beckmann KR, Kirke BA, McCaul KA et al (2001) Use of fake tanning lotions in the South Australian population. Med J Aust 174(2):75–78

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Dixson H, Cappiello M, Borland R (1997) Reaction to the 1994/1995 SunSmart campaign: results from a representative household survey of Victorians. SunSmart Evaluation Studies 5. Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, Melbourne, p 64

    Google Scholar 

  41. Sheehan DJ, Lesher JL Jr (2005) The effect of sunless tanning on behavior in the sun: a pilot study. South Med J 98(12):1192–1195

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Mahler HI, Kulik JA, Harrell J et al (2005) Effects of UV photographs, photoaging information, and use of sunless tanning lotion on sun protection behaviors. Arch Dermatol 141(3):373–380

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Pagoto SL, Schneider KL, Oleski J et al (2009) Design and methods for a cluster randomized trial of the sunless study: a skin cancer prevention intervention promoting sunless tanning among beach visitors. BMC Public Health 9:50

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Wickelgren I (2007) Skin biology. A healthy tan? Science 315(5816):1214–1216

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Abdel-Malek ZA, Kadekaro AL, Kavanagh RJ et al (2006) Melanoma prevention strategy based on using tetrapeptide alpha-MSH analogs that protect human melanocytes from UV-induced DNA damage and cytotoxicity. FASEB J 20(9):1561–1563

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Barnetson RS, Ooi TK, Zhuang L et al (2006) [Nle4-D-Phe7]-alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone significantly increased pigmentation and decreased UV damage in fair-skinned Caucasian volunteers. J Invest Dermatol 126(8):1869–1878

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Spry ML, Vanover JC, Scott T et al (2009) Prolonged treatment of fair-skinned mice with topical forskolin causes persistent tanning and UV protection. Pigment Cell Melanoma Res 22(2):219–229

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  48. Arad S, Konnikov N, Goukassian DA et al (2006) T-oligos augment UV-induced protective responses in human skin. FASEB J 20(11):1895–1897

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Hillhouse J, Turrisi R, Shields AL (2007) Patterns of indoor tanning use: implications for clinical interventions. Arch Dermatol 143(12):1530–1535

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lake Street North, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Sherry Pagoto

Authors
  1. Sherry Pagoto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sherry Pagoto .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Cancer Prevention and Control Program, Fox Chase Cancer Center, Cottman Avenue, Rm P4163 333, Philadelphia, 19111, Pennsylvania, USA

    Carolyn J. Heckman

  2. , The Cancer Institute of New Jersey, UMDNJ-RobertWood Johnson Medical School, Little Albany Street 195, New Brunswick, 08901, New Jersey, USA

    Sharon L. Manne

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Pagoto, S. (2012). Sunless Tanning. In: Heckman, C., Manne, S. (eds) Shedding Light on Indoor Tanning. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2048-0_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation