Do you frequent tanning salons in the hopes of maintaining a bronzed look that you think is attractive? You might want to reconsider your visits when you read this!
The American Academy of Dermatology states that if you use a tanning bed just once, you’ll increase your chance of getting squamous cell carcinoma by 67% and basal cell carcinoma by 29%. Both of these are types of skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the growth of abnormal cells in the epidermis, while basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the abnormal growth of basal cells that are located in the deepest layer of the epidermis.
And if you’re under 35 years old and use tanning beds, or used tanning beds when you were under 35, you’ve increased your risk of developing melanoma by 59%. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, originating in the same place as BCC but in melanocytes rather than the basal cells. Melanoma is more aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body, making it fatal.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention believe that a ban on tanning salons would be helpful in preventing about:
- 62,000 melanoma cases
- 6,700 deaths from melanoma
- $343 million in health care costs
Now you know all of that, we hope that you reconsider the use of tanning beds, as well as tanning naturally outdoors once the summer rolls around again!