Re: Can you tan under blacklights?

Hello Blake,

Black lights can be used for tanning but they are also used to make certain dyes and pigments fluoresce. For example, washing powders contain uv dyes which can fluoresce slightly in normal white light. This is because white light (sunlight or artificial light) contains a portion of uv.

There are two catergories of uv called UVA and UVB. UVA is of longer wavelength and less energy than UVB and does not cause much tanning of skin. UVB, on the other hand, has higher energy and does cause tanning but also can lead to skin cancer. Black lights used for tanning give out a high proportion of high energy UVB which causes tanning. This is why people on sunbeds must wear safety goggles to protect their eyes. Your black light must not be giving out very much UVB and is therefore not capable of causing a tan. It seems likely that your black light was designed for a different purpose than tanning or that it is not working properly. It is much safer to use a proper sunbed operated by people like 'Tropical Tans' than to try to do it at home.

Sean

[Moderator's note: We have many answers in our archives (e.g., 950061009.An, 960306179.Cb, and 1078514647.Bc) that discuss some of the hazards of exposure to UV radiation, and you can search our archives for answers containing the words uv damage for more.]