That artificial golden glow?
Not worth it.
Indoor tanning has just been officially tied to 170,000 cases of skin cancer A YEAR. That means that 170k more will show up next year, unless people learn that tanning exposure for vanity reasons is extremely dangerous!
Indoor tanning increases the risk of two types of common skin cancers, especially among those exposed before the age of 25, a new review of previously published studies shows by combining the results of 12 studies on nearly 81,000 people.
In particular, exposure to indoor tanning before the age of 25 was linked to an increased risk for basal cell carcinoma!
So how much higher is the risk? Try 67% when it comes to squamous cell, and 29% for basal cell.
Here’s what the researchers said:
“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. 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.”
While non-melanoma skin cancers are less deadly, that’s no reason to tempt fate — and your wallet:
“Their treatment adds up to the fifth-most costly cancer for Medicare.”
Basically the cost of diagnosing and treating these types of skin cancers ranges from $1,200 to $2,100 per case.
Not to mention the procedures could be disfiguring, meaning all that time spent on looking your golden-brown best has really backfired.
It’s madness at this point to ever enter a tanning booth!