Friday, January 22, 2010

Indoor Tanning - Risks to College Students:


Tanning beds use UV-B and UV-A rays to penetrate human skin in order to produce more melanin which darkens the skin.

Click on the blue title above to link to the FDA's website on the risks of indoor tanning. See the story of the former Miss Maryland - who stopped tanning at age 20 when she was diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. She had used tanning beds at least 4 times a week from age 17 to 20.

If you still want to tan after reading her story, be aware of the riskiest indoor tanning practices:

1. Failing to wear googles, which can lead to short - and long-term eye injury.
2. Starting with long exposures, which can lead to burning. Sunburn can take 6 to 48 hours to develop, so you might not realize it until it's too late.
3. Failing to follow exposure times recommended for your skin type.
4. Tanning while taking medications which can make you more sensitive to UV rays.

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