Tanning
An estimated 2.3 million teens
visit a tanning salon at least once a year.
In
December 2005, CDC and a group of skin cancer experts met to discuss
the common measures of sun protection and tanning behaviors. Their aim
was to develop a consensus-based set of core items to measure indoor
and sunless tanning use. The recommendations were published in
the February 2008 edition of the
Archives of
Dermatology.
Tans are
caused by harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning lamps,
and if you have one, you’ve sustained skin cell damage. Those who
use tanning beds before 30 increase their lifetime risk of melanoma by
75 %. A 2003 study found that almost 37% of white females and over 11%
of white males between 13 and 19 in the US have used tanning beds
before.
Tanning
salon owners say tanning machines are safe for two reasons:
1) They
mainly use UVA rays
2) They offer more "controlled" UV exposure.`
