Marketing is everything, isn't it? How many of you have headed to a tanning booth to get that "base tan" before heading out for a beach vacation? Here's a note- that notion has no scientific basis, nor support from dermatologists. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology (AADA) testified recently at FDA hearings about the risks of indoor tanning. These devices have shared the same low risk category as bandaids and tongue depressors, yet we have had medical evidence for years that they clearly cause skin cancers.
Melanoma rates are increasing across the board, and melanoma is now the number one cancer in young people aged 25-29, and the second most common cancer in 15-29 year olds. Use of a tanning bed before the age of 35 increases your risk of developing melanoma by a whopping 75%! I can personally attest in my own practice that I have diagnosed 3 cases of melanoma just in the past few months, primarily in people younger than I am- which really hits home. (I'm 45.) Having lost a friend to melanoma many years ago, I am very aware that skin cancers are not simply cosmetic nuisances.
Tanning beds are not "safe", and they target young people (especially women) with their ads. Many tanning salons promote their "safe" or "harmless" type of UV radiation, but the UVA rays cause damage in the same fashion as UVB rays- only a bit more slowly and more deeply.
The American Academy of Dermatology hopes the FDA will ban indoor tanning devices all together, but at the least, should require a minimum age of 18 for ANY indoor tanning and should mandate obtaining informed consent from clients AFTER educating them about the real risks of skin cancer. The AADA also strongly recommends changing the risk category of these machines to match the health risks they create.
BOTTOM LINE: TANNING is NOT SAFE! Use sunscreen and stay away from tanning beds all together.
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