Indoor tanning equipment emits intense ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which is designed to stimulate a tan, but poses a significant risk to the delicate structures of the eye. Tanning beds can generate UV levels up to 100 times greater than the midday sun, making eye protection necessary during every session. The cumulative damage from this exposure can lead to both immediate, painful injuries and long-term vision-threatening conditions.
Is Eye Protection Required?
The direct answer to whether eye protection is required in a tanning bed is a resounding yes, making its use a fundamental safety measure. The requirement stems from both health necessity and regulatory mandates established at the federal and state levels. Federal regulations, specifically CFR 21 1040.20 (c)(4), mandate that anyone using a sunlamp product must wear protective eyewear during the session. This mandate is enforced by tanning salons, which are typically required to ensure clients use approved protective eyewear. The intent of these regulations is to protect the user from the intense UV radiation exposure that occurs in a confined tanning environment.
How Tanning Radiation Damages the Eye
The high-intensity UV radiation from tanning beds causes damage by penetrating and altering the cells of the eye’s various structures. Tanning devices emit both UVA and UVB rays, and each type affects different parts of the eye. The acute effect of overexposure is often photokeratitis, which is essentially a painful “sunburn of the cornea.”
Symptoms of photokeratitis can include a gritty feeling, excessive tearing, redness, and light sensitivity, sometimes not appearing until hours after the session. Chronic exposure contributes to more serious, long-term conditions due to the cumulative nature of UV damage. UVB radiation is largely absorbed by the cornea, while the longer-wavelength UVA radiation can penetrate deeper, focusing on the retina.
Unprotected exposure significantly increases the risk of developing cataracts, which involves the clouding of the eye’s lens. Long-term exposure to UV radiation is also linked to pterygium, an abnormal tissue growth on the conjunctiva, and may increase the likelihood of macular degeneration.
Why Standard Eyewear Fails
Common substitutes for specialized tanning goggles, such as closing the eyes or wearing regular sunglasses, do not offer adequate protection. The human eyelid is thin and can only block approximately 25% of the intense UV radiation emitted by a tanning bed. Regular sunglasses are designed for outdoor use and are not certified to block the high concentration of UV light found in a tanning unit. FDA-compliant tanning eyewear is specifically designed to block between 99% and 99.9% of both UVA and UVB light from all angles, ensuring comprehensive protection.