It seems like nowadays everything can give you cancer, so this isn’t surprising to hear! Click below to read more about the dangers of spray tanning.
Snooki saw the light when she swore off spray tanning — it may cause cancer.
A panel of medical experts told ABC News that the active chemical used in spray tans, dihydroxyacetone, or DHA, can cause genetic mutations and wreak havoc on human DNA.
They worry that mocha-colored customers could be inhaling the chemical into their bloodstreams during full-body spray tan sessions.
“These compounds, in some cells, could actually promote the development of cancers or malignancies,†Dr. Rey Panettieri, a toxicologist and lung specialist at the University of Pennsylvania, told ABC News.
Panettieri and five other doctors said they became worried about the harmful effects of spray tanning after reviewing 10 scientific studies of DHA.
None of the studies involved actual human testing.
Instead, the researcher monitored results after various cells and organisms were treated with the bronzing additive.
The results were less than golden, the experts said.
“What we’re concerned about is not so much that reaction that creates the tanning, but reactions that may occur deeper down with living cells that might then change DNA,†Dr. Lynn Goldman, the dean of the school of public health at George Washington University told ABC News.
“I’d be very concerned for the potential of lung cancer.â€
The FDA approved the use of DHA in the 1970s, but only as an ingredient in tanning lotions or creams.
Salon-offered spray downs are not approved by the FDA, and the agency recommends that people looking for an alternative to tanning beds take extra care to cover their eyes, nose and mouth.
Dr. Donald Morton, of the John Wayne Cancer Institute in California, told KTLA television that health experts never imagined sun worshipers would opt for a spray gun to achieve a healthy glow.
“If anything, I think tanning outside is safer,†Morton said.
