Will tanning your privates in a salon cause radiation damage?

Dear Cecil: Dear Cecil:Last year I signed up at one of those tanning centers where you lie on a bed surrounded by fluorescent tanning bulbs. I tanned nude in order to get that “glow all over” look, but lately it has dawned on me that I was exposing the family jewels to ultraviolet radiation for 30 minutes at a crack, three times a week. Did I rearrange my genetic heritage by tanning my privates R.J., Chicago

Cecil replies:

For Pete’s sake, R., we’re talking about ultraviolet radiation here, which is basically a form of light, not ionizing radiation, e.g., nukes. No matter what happens, your pubes aren’t going to glow in the dark, useful though this phenomenon might be under some circumstances. But that doesn’t mean you should needlessly expose yourself, so to speak. The skin in the pubic region is very delicate, and you could be letting yourself in for sunburn, wrinkling, or worst of all, skin cancer. In other words, what started out as grapes could wind up as raisins, if you catch my drift. I trust I need say no more.

Cecil Adams

Send questions to Cecil via cecil@straightdope.com.