Nearly one in three sunbeds in Switzerland emit too much radiation, a new report from the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) has revealed. In some self-service locations, this rate increased to over 50 percent.

31 percent of Swiss solarium sunbeds emit too much radiation

According to the report, the sunbeds in almost one in three salons across the country were found to emit too much UV radiation. According to the FOPH data - which measured sunbeds in 390 solariums across 17 Swiss cantons - 31 percent of them exceeded the recommended value for UV radiation at at least one “measuring point” (e.g. the back, stomach or face position).

To help get you a tan without having to go on holiday, sunbeds work by exposing your body to ultraviolet radiation - the same radiation emitted by the sun. Once the UV rays make contact with the skin, skin cells release a chemical called melanin, which causes the skin to tan.

Prolonged exposure to UV rays linked to skin cancer

Much like the regular sun, excessive exposure to UV radiation can be bad for your health, causing skin conditions including wrinkles and premature ageing (though this is disputed by sunbed manufacturers). If goggles are not used, the rays can also lead to eye irritation and cataracts, and prolonged exposure to UV radiation also increases the risk of skin cancer. For reference, just over seven minutes in a sunbed is the equivalent of sunbathing in the summer sun for an hour and a half.

To help mediate the risk, the Swiss government limits the value of UV radiation produced by sunbeds to 0,3 watts per square metre for managed solariums and 0,15 watts for “self-service” locations - those found in gyms and hotels. These maximum values were broken in 31 percent of solarium sunbeds and in 59 percent of self-service locations.

After adjustments, just 65 percent of affected sunbeds were given the go-ahead by the FOPH. They concluded that they would continue to monitor the situation and called on providers to perform maintenance on their sunbeds on an annual basis.