For those who have recently arrived from a warmer climate – or those who simply are adjusting to another winter – a question arises in this chilly mountain town: “How does one stay tan in the winter?”

Durango has a unique culture in which residents embrace various outdoor activities such as mountain biking, hiking, running, rock climbing, kayaking and, of course, the long-anticipated winter sports.

In the summer, maintaining a tan seems easy enough: Go outside and exercise. But how does one maintain a golden complexion when bundled up in a Gore-Tex coat and plunging down Purgatory ski runs?

There are multiple, innovative ways for even the fairest of people to achieve a desirable bronze color. But health experts will warn that some of those methods may not be safe. Are people – particularly the growing number of teenage girls yearning to be forever tan – risking their lives to resemble Kim Kardashian?

The American Cancer Society has reported that people who use tanning beds are at an increased risk of developing skin cancer. The two most common forms of skin cancer are basal cell and squamous cell cancers.

People who have had frequent exposure to artificial ultraviolet rays, or tanning beds, before age 30 are at a greater risk of developing melanoma, a deadly, more serious type of skin cancer. An increased risk of developing eye and lip cancers as a result of artificial UV ray exposure also has been reported by the cancer society.

Listed as carcinogen

The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, an advocacy affiliate, lobbies for public policies to restrict minors from using tanning beds.

Chad Gufarotti, the grass-roots manager for the Denver-based network, said in a phone interview Wednesday that tanning beds are classified as a class 1 carcinogen.

A carcinogen is a substance or chemical with the capability of causing cancer to living tissue, though they may not necessarily do so. Gufarotti said tanning beds have been placed by the cancer society in the same category as other carcinogens such as tobacco and asbestos, substances that are known to cause aggressive cancers.

Some states already have implemented age restrictions for indoor tanning.

“The use of indoor tanning facilities before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 59 percent,” Gufarotti said. “Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with melanoma as one of the most common diagnosed among young adults.”

He said spray tans can be a less dangerous alternative to the beds, and the organization is not lobbying against the use of spray tans.

Dr. Robert Dellavalle, chairman of the Colorado Skin Cancer Task Force, said the risks from tanning are individualized. Fair-skinned people increase their chances of developing melanoma 1 to 2 percent each time they use an indoor tanning facility, he said. If they burn, the risk is significantly higher. Darker-skinned people are less at risk but are not exempt.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires tanning-salon employees to explain the risks of using the UV facilities to potential clients.

When asked which was safer, tanning outside or in a bed, Dellavalle said it depends. He said tanning beds vary in exposure. Some of the more intense beds can offer up to 10 times more UV rays than a cloudless noon day, he said.

Maximum is 15 minutes

Tanning salons maintain that they are safe, provided the user does not overdo it and get burned. The maximum time allowed in a tanning bed per visit is 15 minutes.

Coco Palms Tanning Salon employee Kirsten Schultz said that cancer is systemic, meaning the cells already live inside your body.

“The sun does not cause cancer,” she said.

She expressed doubts about the pharmaceutical and sun-block industries regarding cancer treatments and questioned their honesty about the dangers of tanning.

Risks of cancer are increased from burns, she said. Cancer attacks vulnerable cells, and when skin burns, it becomes vulnerable, she said. No one truly knows why people develop cancer and what causes it, she added.

In fact, she said, she’s known cancer patients who have visited tanning salons to obtain doses of vitamin D, an essential vitamin for immune system support.

Dellavalle, who also is an associate professor of dermatology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said there has been a recent vitamin D controversy. Vitamin D is absorbed from the sun, but the safest method of intake is through dietary supplements, he said.

Schultz said Coco Palms’ machines are set up by staff according to the client’s skin type.

The tanning salon has three different tanning beds with various exposures of both UVA and UVB rays. Each is designed for a different tanning experience depending on the user’s complexion.

Some argue that the beds with higher UVB rays are less dangerous, but the technology is so new that users may not see the effects for another 20 years or so, Dellavalle said.

Lashell Jackson, a Durangoan and avid tanner, has been tanning ever since she can remember. Jackson is a loyal customer of Coco Palms Tanning Salon, which opened in 2008, and attends the facility several times a week. She even has a favorite room: No. 7. Jackson said she has yet to experience any skin problems and noted that she has regular checkups with her physician.

“My skin feels moisturized,” she said when asked how her skin feels after tanning.

While some may choose to visit the hot springs to warm up in the winter months, Jackson prefers tanning. She said her scheduled tanning sessions are a relaxing 15 minutes she looks forward to after a stressful work day.

“I like it – especially in the winter, it warms me up,” she said.

Import from Europe

Tanning beds were brought to the U.S. from Europe in the late ’70s and early ’80s, Dellavalle said. Tanning has been around for a while, but a serious cancer epidemic has become more evident, he said. More cases of melanoma are reported each year because of excess accumulations of UV radiation, he said.

The tanning phenomenon is increasing in popularity among teenage girls.

Young adults are less worried about the long-term consequences such as skin cancer and wrinkles, Dellavalle said.

Several alternatives are available for those who want to be tan and want to avoid risky activities. Dellavalle noted that many Hollywood celebrities are getting spray-on tans to avoid premature aging and cancer. Many self-tanners are available in grocery stores and even in the tanning salons.

Though the FDA advises clients to avoid aspirating the chemicals in spray-ons, they are not harmful, Dellavalle said. In fact, the prototype for the spray tan actually began as a medication used to treat babies with regurgitation problems, he said. It was noted that the sugar-based medication was coloring the skin on the chest, giving them a tan-like color. The substance later was developed as a topical tanning product, he said.

Additionally, Coco Palms and other tanning salons offer a variety of spray-tan options for clients who are uncomfortable with using a tanning bed.

“Dermatologists are very busy. We don’t need more business,” Dellavalle said. “If you have to have a tan look, get a spray tan.”

vguthrie@durangoherald.com