The Tanning Addiction

"People who frequently use tanning beds experience changes in brain activity during their tanning sessions that mimic the patterns of drug addiction," according to a study appearing in the journal Addiction Biology. Investigators discovered that several parts of the brain that play a role in addiction were activated when the subjects were exposed to UV rays. Tanners' brains showed activation of regions associated with pleasure and reward. Light filtered to block those harmful UV rays did not produce these changes. Tanning might ultimately be proven to be as addictive as drugs or alcohol, with its own detrimental effects.