# Does prolomged exposure to Black Light = Suntan?



## Wolfman (Apr 15, 2004)

Ugly Joe seems to be somehat of an expert in this area. Are there any health risks associated with exposure to Black Light? 
We live south of the equator where the Ozone layer has been depleted. I see old dogs and cats with cataracts on their eyes. Tourists come here for a sun tan and get burnt to a crisp in 30 minutes, it's really harsh. When my son went to college in Hawaii, he and his housemates used to sit in the sun after classes - you can't do that here. Can UV from a Black Light hurt you?


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## Ugly Joe (Jan 13, 2004)

Short answer: no.

Longer answer: don't look right at the black light for long periods of time...you CAN give a mild "sunburn" to your iris, if you have NOTHING but black light as an illumination source, and have to look directly at for a few hours straight...short of that? You're okay...
So! The typical "dot room" in a haunt? To be REALLY cautious, take shifts...after an hour, move to different lighting for a while...but in reality, it ain't that big a deal...
Heck...I get a headache myself after an hour or so under nothing but black light...

A typical store-bought black light fixture would have to be within inches of your skin, for a few hours, to raise ANY kind of a tan...let alone an actual sunburn. The wavelength is still a little too low...

BTW - Tanning booths use a higher wavelength UV, and A LOT more power than your typical black light...hence, those can give a real sunburn, and you ALWAYS want to shield your eyes from those lights (not good in a haunt, if you end up with those tubes...please don't use them for your haunt - bad, bad, bad...)

Did that help?


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## tignyx (Jul 15, 2004)

Well there goes my blacklight suntanning booth idea.

Ugly Joe ......... the Halloween Mr. Wizard.


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