Teenagers often switch sunscreen with tanning oil, lay out on the beach or poolside for hours, and go to tanning booths to achieve getting a few shades darker, but teenagers need to realize the dangers of getting a tan, including the increased risk of melanoma in teenagers.

            “A tan is the skin’s reaction to exposure to UV rays. Recognizing exposure to the rays as an ‘insult,’ the skin acts in self-defense by producing more melanin, a pigment that darkens the skin. Over time, this damage will lead to prematurely aged skin and, in some cases, skin cancer,” said Sharon Miller, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientist and international expert on UV radiation and tanning.

Any form of exposure to UVA rays, whether from a tanning bed or the sun itself, can be dangerous and can increase the risk of skin cancer. Since 1992, melanoma has been increasing by 3 percent each year in women between the ages of 15 and 39.

Though UV rays from the sun itself can be harmful, the intensity of UVA radiation from tanning beds can be 10 to 15 times higher than that of the midday sun. Just using a tanning bed one time can increase the risk of skin damage, and each time after that, the risk goes up even higher.

About a quarter of teenagers between the ages of 13 to 19 reported they have used a tanning bed at least once in their lives. Doctors have noticed a parallel rise in the amount of teenagers with skin cancer as the use of tanning beds has increased among people under the age of 30.

“People tell me all the time [about the dangers of tanning], but I don’t really care. I like tanning and I like being tan,” said Elizabeth Howington, junior.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. Studies have found that younger people who go to the tanning beds regularly can be eight times more likely to get melanoma than those who have never used them. In 2009, international cancer experts moved tanning beds and other sources of UV radiation into the top cancer risk category, regarding them as deadly as arsenic and mustard gas.

            Skin cancer is not the only risked involved with tanning. UV radiation damage can lead to premature skin aging, such as wrinkles and brown spots, eye damage (short and long-term) and allergic reactions (to UV rays). As well as immune suppression that may restrain proper functioning of the body’s immune system and the skin’s natural defenses, leaving those who tan more vulnerable to diseases.

            Teenagers are greatly at risk. Tanning salons often draw in teenagers by offering good deals on tans and putting out special ads right before big events like prom, graduation and back-to-school. A report assembled by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee discovered that tanning salons were not making the risks clear to their customers.

            “I use the strongest [tanning bed]. I’ll usually go four times a week when it’s cold, when it’s hot not so much. I have the golden membership you can go one time every 24 hours,” said Howington.

            Even though UV rays from the sun can be dangerous, it is proven that they are not nearly as bad as tanning beds. If teenagers really want to be tan there are other healthier options such as spray tans, or using a high SPF sunscreen while tanning outside for short periods of time. The best way to insure safety from harmful radiation is to wear sunscreen and try and stay out of the sun for long periods of time especially during times of the day where the sun is the strongest.

            “My mom got melanoma and it was just scary because it’s not like she had it one time, it was multiple times. Now she makes me put on a lot of sunscreen and there is a high chance I might get skin cancer and that really scares me,” said Katie Albert, sophomore.

            Teenagers need to know the effects tanning can have on their body. Tanning beds have been classified as a large cancer risk and there are always safer alternatives. For more information go to http://www.skincancer.org or http://www.fda.gov and search tanning.