(PCM) If you’re still going tanning, it’s time to stop: Indoor tanning has just been officially linked to 170,000 cases of skin cancer every year.
According to a new review published in the journal BMJ, indoor tanning increases the risk of two types of common skin cancers, basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, especially among those exposed before the age of 25. And just because you’re not in a tanning bed every week doesn’t mean you’re not at risk. Researchers found that people who reported EVER using indoor tanning had a 67 percent higher risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma and a 29 percent higher risk for basal cell carcinoma! In other words, just going tanning once in a while, or worse, ONCE, puts you at a dangerous risk, too.
“With this study, we finally have strong evidence that tanning beds contribute to all types of skin cancer including basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma,” aid study senior author, Dr. Eleni Linos, assistant professor in the department of dermatology at the University of California San Francisco.
“The risk of all three types of skin cancer is significantly higher in young people. This means there is a clear cancer risk for teenagers who use tanning beds, and it’s hard to argue with regulations to protect children from cancer.”
A bronze hue is hardly worth getting cancer over. Take all the money you would save by not going to the tanning salon and invest in some quality self-tanner and bronzer if you can’t live without your golden skin, or just embrace your natural color.
More:
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Spray Tans Not So Safe After All?
