One of the biggest mistake made by tanners is not wearing eye-care on the sunbeds, or even outside, when the sun is shining.

Over-exposure to UV light (caused by sunbeds and natural sunlight) can cause great damage to your eyes if unprotected. And believe it or not, closing your eyes is not enough either!

8 ‘Must Know’ Facts … on eye protection

1. Your eyes can get sun burnt! Tanning with no eye protection can cause red, itchy or watery eyes. These symptoms are all indications of short-term eye damage or ‘sunburn’.
2. You can damage your eyes in just one tanning session! Even just a one-off tanning session (indoor or outdoor) can be enough exposure to cause you short-term eye damage.
3. Two common forms of sunburnt eyes
   - Photokeratitis (a temporay corneal burn which causes tearing, pain and blurring for several days).
   - Basal Cell Carcinoma (delicate eye tissue becomes damaged causing swelling and redness in and around the eye)
4. Closing your eyes is not protecting them! Your eyelids naturally block less than 25% of harmful UV rays from your eyes, and this will not protect you well enough.
5. You may also be at risk from eye disease. Sharing eye protection is one of the main ways that eye infections such as conjunctivitis are spread. Eye protection that isn't disposable is less hygienic and runs the risk of becoming contaminated.
6. Repeated exposure to UV light without eye protection can also cause long-term and even permanent eye problems.
7. Some damage caused to your eyes is irreversible! Long-term damage caused to your eyes include Diminished Colour Perception (your sight will be dulled) and Reduced Night Vision. There is no cure for these.
8. Long-term exposure to UV light without eye protection seriously increases your probability of developing a cataract. This causes severe pain and even blindness. Surgery is the only cure for cataracts.

3 Top Tips For keeping your Eyes Safe

1. Always wear a form of eye protection when tanning.
2. For hygiene reasons, it is highly advisable to use disposable eye protection (such as Wink-ease)
3. If you do use permanent eye protection (such as SunGlobes), make sure it is sanitised thoroughly after use, stored somewhere clean, and is never worn by anyone else.