Same Old Same Old.....

'Tis the season to be jolly…... and so like many others, I am reminiscing on things that have happened over the last year; and better still, about those old traditions that I grew up with in England and while they might be old, I still enjoy them! There’s no denying it, given half the chance, I would be back there like a shot to celebrate the Festive Season. So no matter that is 'same old', it is a same old that i, and millions of others enjoy.

Now, to a 'same old, same old' that I am getting totally fed up of hearing, is the anti-tanning brigade’s sunbed bashing scheme. Sadly, we are lumped together with the dross of the industry, then to add insult to injury, we are publically trounced by so called dermatology ‘experts’ who have their facts inexplicably wrong, but because they hold a medical/scientific qualification, we are expected to hang on their every word and believe every verbal utterance that spouts forth from their mouths. Sadly, the public/media have become so engrossed in their rhetoric they assume (incorrectly), they must be right. Of course, the media don’t ask them to explain or prove their findings – ‘they are qualified they must be right’ they say!

This leads me to answering something I have been asked recently: 'do sunbeds really give you vitamin D'. After such drivel that they don't has been blasted all over every newspaper and news programme in NZ of late – I will answer honestly and with pride; you see I do have to be accountable for what I say; and yes, I also have to provide backup for what I say – why? Because I own a sunbed studio of course, so I must be wrong – right? I will lay down the gauntlet of fact and let you judge for yourselves…..

The latest statement emanating from our screens by a so called local ‘dermatology-UV light-sunshine-vitamin D-expert’ claims that vitamin D is diminished by sunbeds – and thus you can't get vit D from a sunbed. This is absolutely, utterly, totally WRONG – these are the facts of nature:
Studies show/prove UVB light produces vitamin D and UVA light diminishes excess vitamin D in the skin. This is a natural process that helps the body regulate vitamin D production. Making the assumption that sunbeds do not emit UVB and only emit UVA (and subsequently diminishing vitamin D production) is factually wrong and is purely a scaremongering tactic!

To show this is a false assumption:
More than 90% of sunbeds emit 95% UVA and 5% UVB just like sunlight. Scientific studies have shown that indoor tanners have 90% higher vitamin D blood levels than non-tanners.
Studies have also shown that a single sunbed session can help the body produce 10 - 20,000 IU of vitamin D. Many doctors are referring their patients to indoor tanning salons (including megaSun studios) to increase their vitamin D blood levels.
As a point of interest, I have been personally involved in Vitamin D depletion and I have tested out the theory of supplementation vs controlled sunbed exposure – guess which one gave me the highest levels – yes the sunbeds. (I have skin type 2 and don’t tan outdoors as I burn but I never ever burn on a megaSun sunbed and I am no longer vit D deficient!!!! (note there is a difference between deficiciency an dinsufficiency but that is for another blog).

Professor Johan Moan has just won the prestigious Norway Award for his study: Sunbeds as vitamin D sources: a short extract of the results follows:
The sun bed sessions raised the 25(OH)D levels from typical winter values to typical summer values. For the purpose of maintaining a summer level through the winter, when no vitamin D is produced by the sun in northern countries, one should consider a significant increase of the recommended intake of vitamin D intake, and to encourage the population to get moderate, non erythemal sunbed exposures.
Congratulations to Johan for being an independent professor – not paid for by sunbed owners for his invaluable lifetime studies into vitamin D.

The 'same old, same old' anti-tanning, anti-sunbed message has gone too far and it is time for the general public to ask the so called ‘expert dermatologists’ to be accountable for what they say and face the embarrassment of 'proving' what they say is true when it goes in the face of ALL current scientific fact – especially when all they really want is to have sunbeds exclusively for their surgeries as ‘phototherapy beds’ and then they can have ALL the revenue that sunbed operators currently have as wages.

There are other issues to address, but I will save them for 2011. Till then dear readers and to our faithful clients at megaSun, the megaTeam wish you all the very best for Christmas and the coming year – and please remember if you are in a sunny climate, smart tan; have moderate sun exposure and a non-burning fashion is paramount!
Enjoy your holidays!

How Influential Are The Words I Have Just Chosen?

CHOOSE YOUR WORDS CAREFULLY!

If you think about it, it is human nature to be influenced by language and expression; far more than we consciously realise, especially when words appear to have a melodramatic or scandalous story or headline attached. This is even more so if the words are written down. For example, which article are you much more likely to be drawn towards if you saw these in a newspaper: male 63 accused of touching young girl as she falls off her bike – or – male 63 commended for saving young girl as she falls off her bike. The first one suggests there is much more likelihood to be drama or a sensationalised story involved. And so it has been with the sensationalising of sunbeds and their uses. Newspapers, magazines and TV programmes would be too dull an boring if the real facts were dished out; but if you can throw in words such as addiction, the audience is likely to be more riveted and will buy in or tune in. However use the correct term when talking bout UV light – attraction – it won't sell!

You see that is what humans really do have – an attraction to sunlight – why? Because that is what nature intended us to do! We don’t have an addiction to the sun as those who have purported this to be the case have known for many years. So who are the so called experts who have continuously tried to scaremonger the public with their comments, tactics and false advertising? They are the dermatologists and cosmetic companies who make huge dollars out of selling chemical sunscreen. Yes, those applications used on the skin, often on a daily or even more frequent basis which are full of poisons! So wouldn’t these people have far more credibility if they had chosen their words more carefully, educated people on how to look after their skin and be smart in how they get their exposure to UVB? Yes of course it would, but how would they make excessive profits if they chose their words carefully!

The level of vitamin D deficiency is becoming pandemic across most nations – and once again some, but not all dermatologists have chosen to brush this aside and avoid giving the general public the real message. That truthful message is, how to take small, doses of UVB in non-burning moderation on a regular basis to ensure that their levels of vitamin D can be increased to a normal level. You see, the skilled, qualified sunbed operators who are well trained and use only professional sunbeds have been choosing their words carefully and teaching moderation and sunburn prevention for a very long time! At megaSun we take great care and pride in our work and our educational message – ‘small doses of UVB regularly in moderation and always avoid burning’ - and all without misconstruing words!

If Vitamin D Is So Important - What Do I need To Know And DO

If vitamin D is so important am I likely to be deficient?
The answer quite simply is yes. Vitamin D deficiency is a growing epidemic across the world and is contributing to many chronic debilitating diseases and conditions. The reasons behind this are many and continuing to increase at a rapid rate.
So called experts have mislead the public for a long time - telling us to avoid the sun at all costs and if we do go out, apply as much sunscreen as possible and keep reapplying it. This has had disastrous consequences for more people than we care to think about in numbers!
The other main reason is that people spend far more time indoors than they have ever done before.

So how do you know if you are deficient?
Simple ask your GP for a blood test called at 25(OH)D - it is the most efficient test and cheap to perform. The worry aspect is that many doctors are of the ‘old school’ thinking anywhere around 15-18ng/ml is sufficient - it quite simply is no where near what you need to function well and help to prevent diseases such as breast, ovarian and prostate cancers - not to mention a whole host of other diseases and disorders! This level is SERIOUSLY deficient! The real experts believe that even 60ng/ml is on the low side and are even recommending that some people should be in the region of 100+ depending on their circumstances, skintype, ethnic background and genetic history of diseases.

Who is likely to be in the vitamin D deficient sector of the world?
If you fall into any, some or all of the following categories - get checked out ASAP then, make sure you have regular UVB exposure in moderated, non-burning amounts. Your trained megaSun team can take you through a recognised consultation process to ensure that you do not get over exposed to the UV light and get the correct amount of UVB exposure suitable for your needs!
* At least 60 percent of patients with type 2 diabetes have vitamin D deficiency.
* Studies show very low levels of vitamin D among children, the elderly, and women.
* People who always wear sunblock, and/or who limit their outdoor activities and avoid sunshine are almost always deficient.
* Dark-skinned people make significantly less vitamin D than other skintype groups.
* Vitamin D deficiency is at epidemic proportions in adults of all ages who have increased skin pigmentation, such as those whose ancestors are from Africa, the Middle East, Asia or India
*Increasing amounts of babies are born Vitamin D deficient and continue to be so with mother applying endless amounts of chemical sunscreen to their delicate skins
This list is not by any means exhaustive and is only a few examples of who is most likley to be seriously lacking in vitamin D


Should I just buy tablets or should I have sunlight(UVB) exposure to get the best levels?
Without shadow of a doubt, all of the well known experts - including Profs Sam Shuster, Brian Diffy and Oliver Gillie as well as Frank and Cedric Garland, Michael Holick and many other leading lights on vitamin D, agree that moderate, daily exposure in a non-burning fashion, to UVB - whether by sunshine or on a quality sunbed, is the way nature intended us to produce vitamin D i.e. NATURALLY! Supplements may not always be absorbed in amount that are suitable and not every supplement is guaranteed to deliver what you think it will and some are not vitamin D3 at all (which is what our bodies need. You should NEVER try to guess your own dose of vitamin D as a supplement as it can be toxic if you take too much! Another good reason to have your dose by controlled exposure. There is really only one best way to get your vitamin D and that is the way mother nature created us to get it through exposure to Ultraviolet light!

Just some of the chronic diseases that are caused by, and/or exacerbated by lack of vitamin D3
Cancers Hypertension Heart disease Autism Obesity Rheumatoid arthritis
Diabetes 1 and 2 Multiple Sclerosis Crohn’s disease Cold & Flu Tuberculosis Septicemia Signs of aging Dementia Inflammatory Bowel Disease Eczema & Psoriasis Insomnia Hearing loss Muscle pain Cavities Periodontal disease
Osteoporosis Macular degeneration Reduced C-section risk Pre eclampsia Seizures Infertility Asthma Cystic fibrosis Migraines Depression Alzheimer’s disease Schizophrenia Fibromyalgia Parkinson's

Tell The Truth and Shame The Devil!

I have spent many an hour debating with myself as to how to reach out and “spread the word” so to speak. Of course being a little “one man band” has never helped. How do you get to tell the world and his wife about issues that may have a huge impact on life and health – some of it positive; some of it negative? Of course we can tell those closest to us and try to get them to tell their friends and family, but what next? Social media and the networking it is providing is certainly a good platform to replace my “old soapbox” – I think there’s a strong possibility I have missed my vocation standing at Hyde Park on a Sunday afternoon; box and speech in hand, ready to inform all who are willing to listen!

Those of you who know me, understand only too well that I am a person who listens to reason and balances things carefully before making informed decisions. The fact I am writing blogs and they could be read by anyone, anywhere, anytime, means I need to make sure that anything I do say is credible rather than just ‘newsworthy’. So, how come when the subject of sunlight, UV exposure and sunbeds is mentioned, the so called ‘intellects’ of this world can paint such unbalanced pictures to inform the general public and get away with it? The answer is quite simply down to money.

Think about it; - sunshine is free, a controlled UV light exposure session on a sunbed costs very little and the vitamin D that is absorbed by the body from that exposure costs nothing. That means, there isn’t really a great fortune to be made from these. However a great fortune can be had and shared amongst a select few if you go completely against Mother Nature and how she intends us to live (exposed to UV light in moderate doses). It’s very simple really: get cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies to manufacture chemical sunscreens that block out UV light (and stop Vitamin D from being produced) and then scare people out of the sun, preferably by making the ‘sun scare’ announcements sound like public service messages via societies that appear totally credible in their actions (cancer societies and women’s ‘high society’ magazines for example). The manufacturers pay a nice tidy sum of money to their ‘chosen’ societies to spread the gospel according to St. Sunscreen and bingo – the public think the message of avoiding UV light like it is a plague, can’t possibly be wrong! $US35 billion shared around dermatologists, cancer societies and magazine advertorials/editorials is not to be sniffed at and let’s face it, who in their right mind would give up a share of that level of money?

It is interesting and heart warming to see that there are indeed some very honest and trustworthy professionals out there who are now brave enough to speak out against these shoddy practises and tell the world that sun scare is all wrong and that there has never ever been a proven case of a sunbed causing cancer anywhere in the world to date.

If you really care about your family and friends; and I’m sure you do, tell them to have a sunbed session at a studio with trained, knowledgeable personnel that have beds which are modern, well serviced and have a consistent dose of UVB or regular, moderate sun exposure. Make sure to let them know they must never ever burn and if they want to be educated about UV light exposure and vitamin D – make sure they ask someone who knows their subject matter and is an expert in their field! Our website has links to some of the most eminent professionals in this field and surely, they can’t all be wrong when they say a little and often is best and in the interests of health, you DO need sunshine.

Teaching The Correct Use of Sunscreen; Controlled Tanning; Sunburn Prevention and Optimizing Vitamin D Intake.

The Indoor Tanning Community’s BALANCED perspective on teaching the correct use of sunscreen; controlled tanning; sunburn prevention and optimizing vitamin D intake.

How Do Indoor Tanning Salons Teach Sunburn Prevention?

The indoor tanning industry is at the forefront in educating people how to successfully avoid sunburn over the course of one’s life.
Studies of indoor tanners have shown consistently that indoor tanning customers once they begin tanning in a professional salon, are less likely to sunburn than they were before they started tanning.
Studies have also shown that indoor tanners are less likely to sunburn outdoors than are non-tanners.

Consider:
In recent years sunburn incidence in the general population has been steadily increasing while sunscreen usage has been declining. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the sub-group most likely to sunburn is older men.
Appropriate use of sunscreen outdoors is taught by Indoor Tanning Studios, thus optimizing vitamin D – the “Sunshine Vitamin” intake.

We believe that teaching people strictly to avoid the sun may be making them more likely to sunburn when they do go outside for summer activities – and everyone does go outdoors at some point.

Consider:
1. Tanning is your body’s natural defense mechanism against sunburn, and indoor tanners have activated this defense against burning; non-tanners are more vulnerable when they inevitably do go outdoors.
2. Indoor tanners are educated at professional tanning facilities how to avoid sunburn outdoors, how to use sunscreens appropriately and how to properly moisturise and care for their skin, both in th estudio and at home.

When you also consider that the majority of people who sunburn are male, according to the AAD, and that 65-70 percent of indoor tanning customers are female, clearly, it is non-tanners who are doing most of the burning outdoors.In the war against sunburn, tanning salons are part of the solution. Those who abstain from sun exposure completely are more likely to sunburn when they inevitably do go outdoors, even if they attempt to wear sunscreen.

The professional indoor tanning community’s SCIENTIFICALLY SUPPORTED POSITION is summed up in this declaration:
Moderate tanning, for individuals who can develop a tan, is the smartest way to maximize the potential benefits of sun exposure while minimizing the potential risks associated with either too much or too little sunlight.

This position is founded on the following tenets:
1. Ultraviolet light exposure from the sun or from a quality indoor tanning unit, with properly rained staff, is essential for human health, and getting it in a non-burning fashion is the smartest way.
2. The professional indoor tanning industry promotes and teaches what we refer to as The Golden Rule of Smart Tanning: Don’t ever sunburn.
3. For the past decade, the indoor tanning industry has been more effective at teaching sunburn prevention than those who promote complete sun avoidance. Since the mid-1990s, tanning industry research suggests that non-tanners sunburn outdoors more often than people who tan indoors. The professional indoor tanning salon industry is part of the solution in the ongoing battle against sunburn and in teaching people how to identify a proper and practical life-long skin care regimen.
4. A tan is the body’s natural protection against sunburn. Your skin is designed to tan as a natural body function, and the body is designed to repair sun damage as a natural process.
5. Every year, millions indoor tanners successfully develop “base tans” before embarking on sunny vacations – tans that, combined with the proper use of sunscreen outdoors, help them prevent sunburn. (Proper use being defined as used to prevent sunburn).
6. There are known physiological and psychological benefits associated with sunlight exposure and there are many other potential benefits that appear linked to sun exposure, but need further research. The potential upside of these benefits is
considerable and deserves further consideration.
7. The body produces Vitamin D naturally when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency has become a recognized epidemic and overzealous sun protection practices have most likely contributed to this.
8. The risks associated with UV overexposure are manageable for anyone who has the ability to develop a tan.

The megaSun position on Tanning, UV light exposure & Vitamin D

We acknowledge that any exposure to sunlight can carry a risk; however at megaSun we have invested heavily in the use of the best possible equipment and staff training. We take health and all the implications that come with it, very seriously and our primary goal is to educate the public about tanning, UV light exposure and Vitamin D. Sunlight is vital for our survival, but sadly it is indiscriminate in its intensity; overexposure and burning pose huge risks to health – and in particular that of the skin.

The body’s own natural protection again sunburn is the brown colour that we call a tan. We must remember of course that not everyone can get a tan and all skin type 1 people must avoid sunshine and sunbeds and be educated on how to protect their skin and still have enough Vitamin D. For those of us who can achieve a tan, how we do it to avoid burning and damage is paramount! At megaSun our lamps are patented to give the same dose of UV light every visit, thus avoiding the aforementioned burning or fluctuations in dosage.

Sadly around the globe there are too many places offering the use of sunbeds where tanning is indiscriminate and clients can just do ‘whatever they choose’ in a less that favourable environment – invariably with untrained personnel. We are vehemently against this sort of practise at megaSun and spend time with every client going through a complete consultation – skin typing; sub typing; a medical questionnaire and previous tanning history. Prospective clients not only need to complete this extensive form, but they also need to read our mandatory document about UV light, exposure and control.

This form was designed – intentionally - in conjunction with the famous radiation scientific specialist Donald L Smith of the Non-Ionising Radiation Research Institute. We are grateful to Don for all the input he has given us. The information we post on our website, whether for news or health, is only ever taken from credible sources. In fact we endeavour to source the bulk of our information from consultants, professors and specialists who are noted for their work in fields connected to UV light, sun exposure and Vitamin D.

It is in the public interest for anyone who is involved in this industry to continually research and update their knowledge on Vitamin D – which after all, is not a vitamin at all (it just happened to be discovered at the same time as the other vital amines)l! In fact it is a potent steroid hormone and it its synthesis through UVB is a vital component for life itself. The form that we know made naturally from UBV is Vitamin D3 – cholecalciferol and should not be confused with vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) which is added to foods and confusingly, not really vitamin D at all. Vitamin D3 – that which you will achieve from controlled exposure to UVB in your megaSun sunbed, will give you approximately the same dosage as drinking 100 glasses of milk in one go!

The most important things we must remember are these – non-burning exposure of the body to UVB will ensure significant anti-cancer activity and properties that will boost the immune system. The health A-Z on our website will no doubt astound some people when they become aware of just how important sunshine is to the human body!