Artificial tanning includes tanning booths, of which the author currently disapproves completely. Light is composed of many wavelengths. Scientists have studied the sun's rays extensively and are aware of their make-up. The bulbs in tanning booths are artificial and may have too many of one kind of ray and too few of another to balance in the skin immune system or on the skin's genes. The light bulb industry cannot be regulated in detail and bulbs are manufactured all over the world; there are simply not enough "cops on every block" with light meters and other equipment to catch any bulb problems. Also, it is not possible to control or check all the tanning bulbs or beds in the world. The author believes that, in general, tanning beds are not a good idea. This is especially true for patients with a personal or family history of melanoma or those with dysplastic or atypical moles.

Another form of artificial tan is dihydroxyacetone. It stains the skin dark and is contained in many over-the-counter cosmetic products these days. If dihydroxyacetone keeps people from unnecessarily sitting in the sun by a pool or while reading a book (inactive things), it probably is more likely a benefit to the patient than a harm if it keeps patients from sun exposing themselves to get a tan. The author does not feel that scientists have studied the compound long enough to determine whether or not people who use dihydroxyacetone will develop internal or skin cancer 20 years after using the compound. Don't expect the government to know or to tell you much when it comes to product safety; it has had a checkered track record in the past when it comes to product safety. With current corporate lack of concern regarding ones' fellow man, rarely should a patient rely on the word of a company for safety.