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Melanoma Skin Cancer: To Tan or Not to Tan?

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A bright, suntanned face looks healthy, so getting a tan is a good idea, right? However, you might feel differently about tanning after learning some facts about how it affects your skin’s health. In particular, tanning increases your risk of melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.[i]  One shocking statistic is that just one indoor tanning session before age 35 increases your risk of getting melanoma by 75%![ii]

It is helpful to understand the mechanism of how tanning works. Your skin tans when it is exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from tanning beds or the sun. This exposure is damaging to the cells in your outer layer of skin, so the skin tries to protect itself by producing melanin. Melanin gives our skin its color, so this makes your skin get darker, or tan.[iii]

Unfortunately, skin damage begins with the first time you get a tan. This damage is cumulative, which means it builds up during your lifetime. Even if you don’t have fair skin, tanning can damage your skin. It can age your skin and cause more fine lines and wrinkles to develop. Freckles and dark spots can also be the result of overexposure to UV rays and tanning. Most people don’t want to have leathery, tough skin like an old sailor! These changes to your appearance are only part of the risks associated with tanning.[iv]

Some people think that indoor tanning beds are safe, but that isn’t true. There are several myths associated with indoor tanning. It’s crucial to understand that this kind of tanning is also dangerous and increases your risk of melanoma. Here are some vital facts:

Unfortunately, tanning salons can even give customers wrong and misleading information about the safety of using tanning beds. In a study conducted by the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, some disturbing facts emerged. For example, 90% of staff at tanning beds told investigators that tanning wasn’t a health risk for fair-skinned, teenage girls. Some staff even said that indoor tanning had health benefits.[vi] These claims are not true. The World Health Organization has stated that indoor tanning devices are cancer-causing. It even places them in the same category as tobacco. The use of indoor tanning equipment is restricted in more than forty states by banning its use by minors or requiring minors to receive their parents’ consent to use it. [vii]

What are some good alternatives to using tanning beds to look healthy and sun-kissed? Here are some suggestions that can give you a healthy glow, and the great news is that they won’t increase your risk of skin cancer:

The bottom line is that indoor tanning is not healthy and has been proven to increase your risk of melanoma skin cancer. Your skin is your largest organ, so it makes sense to take excellent care of it.[xi] Radiant, healthy skin is better than a deep tan any day of the week!

To learn more about melanoma clinical trials, visit BMSStudyConnect.com. The site provides patients and caregivers with information about how clinical trials work and how they might be part of making sure new medicines are effective and safe.

[i] https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/if-you-have-melanoma.html

[ii] https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/

[iii] https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/

[iv] https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/, https://www.everydayhealth.com/skin-and-beauty/aging-skin/effects-of-uv-radiation.aspx

[v] https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/surprising-facts-about-indoor-tanning

[vi] https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/surprising-facts-about-indoor-tanning

[vii] https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/awareness/dangers-tanning

[viii] https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/

[ix] https://forefrontdermatology.com/role-water-plays-skin-health/

[x] https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/tanning/

[xi] https://www.livescience.com/27115-skin-facts-diseases-conditions.html

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