Some new restrictions have been imposed upon tanning beds and a ban on tanning-bed use by people with the palest skin is one recommended by an FDA advisory panel.

The most interesting change would be prohibiting the use of tanning beds by people with Fitzpatrick skin type 1as recommended by the panel. People with this very skin type instead of tans get sunburns when they are exposed to sunlight or tanning lamps.

The panel's unanimous proposal to change tanning beds' Class I device designation is the biggest recommended change.

Making tanning beds Class II devices that require special assurances like labeling requirements or mandatory performance standards that they will not cause harm was supported by half the panel.
 
Tanning beds listed as Class III devices, which require premarket approval by the FDA along with special controls such as operator training requirements was wanted by the other half of the panel.

Allan Halpern, MD, vice president of the Skin Cancer Foundation, said, "The skin cancer and dermatologic communities came together and presented compelling personal stories and rigorous scientific evidence demonstrating the dangers of indoor tanning."

Representing about 18,000 tanning salons in the U. S., the Indoor Tanning Association, said it respectfully disagreed with the panel recommendations.