Ever wished you had a tan? Millions of teenagers and young adults tan their skin and that has many dermatologists concerned.
The skin cancer foundation has informed us that tanning, whether it be tanning from the sun or by tanning beds is very dangerous. Tans are a direct result of UV radiation which damages skin cells. Regardless what you hear from fancy tanning salons, tanning damages your skin period. When the skin is hit by UV radiation the skin responds in defense to this amount of radiation by producing more melanin. Melanin is what gives skin it’s pigment. This makes skin darker and eventually leads to premature aging or worst skin cancer.
Skin cancer is the second most common cancer in young women ages 20 to 29, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Though many people associate a tan with healthy skin it really is a sign of damage to dermatologists like Susana Khouri of the Miami Dermatology Center. Sun lamps from salons emit significantly much more UV radiation than the sun emits on an afternoon evening. This has many dermatologists calling for a ban on teen tanning.
The FDA is also concerned with the trend citing those who tan once a month are 55% more likely to develop the skin cancer melanoma. They also increase their chances of developing squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. Dermatologists suspect that artificial UV lamps are contributing to the increase in melanoma cases. Several dermatologists and pediatricians are backing legislation to limit teens and young adults from tanning booths and other tanning devices.Some states have already restricted tanning salons on the issue.
