Are Sunless Tanning Pills Safe and Effective?

Despite the risks for skin cancer and premature aging of the skin, many still seek that healthy glow that comes from a tanned appearance. The past decade has seen a big push towards tanning beds and lotions in an effort to get a tan with presumably less damaging effects on one's skin. More recently, tanning pills have been touted as another way to achieve a tan. But are they safe and effective?
Tanning pills work through pigment-enhancing ingredients such as tyrosine. Extra tyrosine (you usually get plenty of it through normal food consumption) can add color to your skin by boosting the production of melanin in your skin. This may further be enhanced by exposure to sunlight or tanning bed rays. Another pigment-enhancing agent is caretonoid which enhances the color of fat which creates a darkening effect on the overlying skin. Both types of these pigment enhancers, in some people, can create an unusual skin coloration that is more orange than a natural tan.
These sunless tanning pills are, in fact, sold as dietary supplements and, as such, are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. (FDA) Their safety has never been truly established and not enough scientific studies have been done to determine how effective they may be. Side effects reported with these supplements have included gastrointestinal symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and potentially even liver damage.
Until more investigations are done with these pigment enhancers, I do not recommend them to my patients. There are many safer methods such as tanning lotions, spray tanning, and even tanning towels. All of these are methods of adding color to your skin without exposure to harmful ultraviolet rays.
Dr Barry Eppley
http://www.eppleyplasticsurgery.com
http://www.ologyspa.com
Clarian North Medical Center, Carmel, Indiana
Clarian West Medical Center, Avon, Indiana
Indianapolis