Tanning Beds vs. Natural Sunlight

Tanning beds have a different ratio of UVA to UVB radiation than sunlight does. Furthermore, the radiation levels are more intense, requiring individuals to limit their exposure to very brief periods. One unanswered question is: what is the effect on the human body when it is forced to absorb such a large amount of UVA radiation in such a short amount of time? For example, one study found that the amount of UVA radiation, which penetrates deeper into the skin, was anywhere from about 3-8 times greater in the tanning beds than in the light from the sun.
While there appears to be a link between indoor tanning beds and cancer, the connection is not possible to indisputably prove because people who tan indoors also tan outdoors. Furthermore, cancer shows up decades after exposure. Last, there is a genetic component to skin cancer. None of this changes the fact that there are risks associated with exposure to UVA and UVB for anyone who is exposed for any length of time, regardless of whether or not they burn (see above for the description of the process by which ultraviolet light damages DNA).
Last, while living in a constantly sunny climate may confer some benefits, intermittent exposure to strong sunlight may be more important in the etiology of melanoma than chronic long-term exposure. Therefore the "weekend" tanner and the tanner vacationing with its increased UV radiation are all at greater risk due to the intermittent nature of such exposure.

History

Although tanning beds were initially brought to America by Friedrich Wolff in 1978, he soon patented his particular blend of phosphors (since expired) and began licensing the technology tanning beds to other companies. Wolff Systems has since devoted all their resources into lamp technology and development. Some of the early adopters of the Wolff technology include ETS, Inc., SCA, Sun Industries, Inc., Montego Bay, Sunal. Later, Friedrich sold Wolff Systems to his brother Jorg Wolff, who was the founder of Cosmedico, Ltd., another pioneer in the tanning industry.
Initially, tanning beds were virtually unregulated in the US, but in 1988 (and later updated in 1999) the primary source of regulation at the federal level was 21 CFR 1040.20. This law was designed primarily to ensure that all tanning beds sold or used in salons adhered to a general set of safety rules, with the primary focus on tanning bed and lamp manufacturers in regards to maximum exposure times and product equivalence. It is left up to each individual state to determine the regulations for salons themselves, and as such, many states are still not regulated beyond these basic federal rules.
Several companies continue to license the Wolff name and use their lamps because of the name recognition, although this has steadily diminished over the years as other lamp builders have created lamps that are arguably as good as or better. Licensing is not required to use Wolff lamps, but it is required to call a tanning bed a "Wolff System" and use the Wolff System logo, a yellow circle with horizonal bars and the name "Wolff Systems" in black. Tanning beds that use Wolff products but do not pay royalties can use only the term "Powered by Wolff," which is unique in the industry.
Most modern tanning beds have not changed much from the original systems. The lamp technology and electronics have evolved over the years, but the basic "low pressure" tanning bed has not evolved. The original electronics used in the first tanning beds, both "European choke" and magnetic, are still in use today although there are now many other choices including electronic and high frequency. The lamps are still fluorescent type, using special phosphors that create a spectum in the UVA and UVB range although there has been a great deal of advancement over the years to make the light spectrum they emit more "sun-like".
The first original tanning beds lamps were discovered by accident in 1903 by a German company called Heraeus who were developing lighting systems for the home and for industrial usage. These lamps were of the high-pressue metal halide variety. They discovered that the light that was developed for visible light purposes also emitted ultra-violet light. In the 1920s and 1930's they (Heraeus) first started to market and sell single lamp, self standing tanning/wellness devices. The first high-pressure tanning beds incorporating more than a single high-pressure lamp were manufactured in the mid to late seventies by companies such as Ultrabronz and JK Ergoline and in the 1980s the first high-pressure units were exported to the United States.
These units require special filter glass to remove the UVC and the majority of the UVB that is emitted and are difficult to manufacture because the alignment of the lamps is more critical than in traditional low-pressure tanning beds. They are generally large units, with a padded area to lie on or an acrylic and 6 to 36 lamps in a canopy or canopy and bench configuration, the tanning effect is much deeper and requries only a maintenance exposure of about 2-3 times per month compared to every 48 hours for regular tanning beds. They are much more expensive to operate, thus more expensive for the user. Retail prices in the $20,000 to $35,000 range are common with individual sessions costing $20 to $45, depending on the market.