My husband and I are going to Hawaii in 2 weeks and I want to go to a tanning salon to get a base tan so my skin is safe from burning. Is this healthy?

There is no such thing as a “safe” tan just like there is no such thing as a safe cigarette.  The light from the sun's rays that cause the skin to tan are called ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B rays or UVA and UVB rays.  Tanning booths use UVA rays. Makers of the booths claim these rays are harmless. This is not true! Both UVA and UVB rays cause skin damage. While UVA rays take longer than UVB rays to damage the skin, they go deeper into the skin than UVB rays and cause greater, long term damage. 

A tan is the body's attempt to protect itself from the sun's harmful rays. Even someone with dark skin can get damaged skin from excessive exposure and without protection.   The worse thing that can happen from excessive tanning is a person can get skin cancer.  On the surface, outdoor tanning or tanning in a booth causes the skin not only to darken but to thicken, wrinkle prematurely and age at a faster rate.  Be sure to protect your eyes with sunglasses.  The sun also contributes to the development of cataracts, especially in people who have blue eyes.

Your best bet when you go to Hawaii, is to bring lots of sunscreen and apply it often. If you're going to be in the sun for any length of time, wear clothes made from tight-woven fabric so the sun's rays can't get through to your skin, and stay in the shade when you can. Wear long sleeves and a wide-brimmed hat to protect your face, neck, shoulders and ears.  Also wear sunglasses.

Don’t rely on clouds and water to protect you either. As much as 60% to 80% of the sun's rays go through clouds and can reach swimmers at least one foot below the surface of the water. The sun's rays can also reflect off water, snow and white sand.  That is why it is important to protect your skin all the time, year around.  If you need more proof of how damaging the sun’s rays can be, consider the differences between a grape and a raisin or a prune and a plum.