Indoor tanning is not safe

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new survey shows that many Americans believe that getting an indoor tan is better than being exposed to the sun.
Experts from the American Academy of Dermatology have discovered that 92 per cent of Americans realize that getting a tan from sun exposure might raise the risk of skin cancer. But many believe that indoor tanning is not as risky and 65 per cent of the 1,000 or so surveyed believe they look better with a tan. Around 30 million Americans visit tanning salons a year - and there are 700 visits to the emergency room because of incidents arising like sunburn or eye damage.

What is more, indoor tanning increases the risk of skin cancer by 55 per cent - this has been shown by a study of over 100,000 women in Norway and Sweden followed up for an average of eight years. Tanning salons should not, say the experts, advertise their services as being safe. If you are set on a tan, the best way is to use a sunless self-tanning product with a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15.

Source
American Academy of Dermatology December 2005

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