When tanning indoors using professional tanning beds and the like, government approved eye goggles are just as essential to the eyes as lotion is to the skin.

Fearing the look of ‘raccoon eyes,’ some people neglect to wear government approved eye goggles when tanning indoors. This is a big mistake as due to the thin make up of the eyelids, simply just shutting the eyes while in a tanning bed is insufficient protection from UVA and UVB light.

Even only a brief exposure to UV light waves can lead to a host of eye problems as the cornea can absorb UVB rays, causing corneal burns which may appear as inflamed eye tissue, redness and soreness of the eyes. Long term, cumulative effects of UVA can cause retinal burns, cataracts (a clouding of the eye’s lens) or even internal eye damage.

Considerable UV exposure can also cause benign growths or a thickening of the conjunctive which is the protective membrane lining the eyes and covering the eyeball. This in turn can result in pinguecula, causing the appearance of a yellow spot on either side of the cornea. In the very extreme cases, long term UV damage to the eyes can include a loss of night vision and a difficulty in seeing colors.
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