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yoan9224today at 6:01 PM1 replyview on HN

The UV damage from tanning beds has been well documented for decades, but what's novel here is the genetic methylation analysis showing accelerated aging at the DNA level.

What's wild to me is the economics. Tanning salons charge $30-50/month to give you skin cancer. Meanwhile vitamin D supplements cost $10/year and achieve the same health benefit people claim to seek from tanning.

The only rational argument I've heard for controlled UV exposure is building a base tan before vacation to prevent burning. But even then, 1-2 minutes in a low-wattage bed would suffice - not the 20+ minute sessions people actually do.


Replies

alistairSHtoday at 6:12 PM

Where are you seeing vitamin D supplements for $10/year? That’s several orders of magnitude less than most OTC supplements.

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