Two tanning salons in Argenteuil were sanctioned for letting minors access their cabins. This case relaunches concerns around a practice supervised by law and pointed out for its health risks.
Tanning salons prohibited to minors
The case broke out in Argenteuil, in Val-d’Oise. The prefect sanctioned two tanning establishments which had let minors use their UV cabins, a strictly prohibited practice in France since 1997. The law aims to protect the youngest, particularly vulnerable in the face of ultraviolet radiation.
This recall to order is not trivial. The use of tanning cabins is considered dangerous by health authorities, in the same way as prolonged exposure to the sun. Young people are a population at risk, as their skin is more sensitive and more exposed to the long -term effects of artificial UVs. The checks carried out in the tanning institutes therefore aim to ensure that these rules are respected.
Tanning cabins regulation
Behind each tanning cabin hides a very strict regulatory framework. The devices must be declared to the prefectures, whether during their purchase, their transfer or their destruction. All go through a compulsory technical control, carried out by specialized organizations every two years, in order to guarantee their proper functioning and the traceability of the equipment.
The regulations also impose a clear and visible display of health warnings near the machines, but also in the advertisements of the salons. These warning messages recall the risk of skin cancer, eye damage or even premature aging of the skin. It is a legal obligation for operators, who must also undergo specific training issued by approved organizations.
For the consumer, several rules are to be observed. Protective glasses, made available by professionals, are essential to protect the eyes. The sessions must be spaced at least 48 hours and limited in duration according to the phototype of the skin. Before exposing themselves, it is strongly recommended to remove any cosmetic product and apply nothing to the skin. In case of persistent redness, blisters or dermatological history, a medical consultation is essential.
Certain commercial practices are strictly prohibited to avoid excessive consumption. Unlimited packages, incentive promotions or offers of type “Ten sessions purchased, three offered” are prohibited. These measures aim to limit repeated exposures and risky behaviors, particularly in young adults, often tempted by these attractive offers.
Stop preconceived ideas on artificial tanning
One of the often advanced arguments is that sunbathing in the cabin would protect the skin from sunburns as summer approaches. It is a false idea. Tanning, whether natural or artificial, is not an effective barrier against radiation. On the contrary, it is accompanied by an impairment of the DNA of skin cells, increasing the risk of cancer. Artificial UVs are also classified by the International Center for Research on Cancer (CIR) in the group of carcinogenic agents some for humans since 2009. An epidemiological research conducted in the United States has revealed that exposure to solar lamps in tanning cabins increases by 1.5 times the risk of developing spinocellular cancer of the skin, a type of rare but serious skin cancer, and 2.5 times Basocellular cancer, the most common skin cancers. For individuals under the age of twenty, these risks are even higher. Risk coefficients thus drop from 1.5 to 1.8 for spinocellular cancer and from 2.5 to 3.6 for basic cancer.
Another received idea: to expose yourself in the cabin would have a more harmonious and durable complexion. Again, reality is quite different. Repeated exposures lead to an acceleration of the aging of the skin and a multiplication of brown spots. Artificial UVs are therefore not an aesthetic solution without consequences, but rather a risk source recognized by the scientific community.
These reminders are essential when two Argenteuil salons have just been punished. This case recalls that behind the desired aesthetic aspect, vigilance must remain in order. The prohibition of tanning cabins has been requested since 2015 by dermatologists, the Academy of Medicine and even Senators, and the National Health Safety Agency in 2018 … but without being followed to date by the government, which has content to harden their regulations.