Tan with care

Summer is approaching, which means it’s time to break out the sunscreen. Some people think it’s a good idea to ease into the summer tanning season by “breaking in” their tans with a few trips to tanning salons. Not a good idea! A study found that indoor tanning can double one’s risk for melanoma. In fact, it can increase the risk of melanoma two to four times.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is considering issuing warnings on indoor tanning. Tanning beds are labeled as Class I by the Food and Drug Administration, which means they are low risk, but this classification may be revisited and tanning beds more strictly regulated. Currently tanning beds do sport warning labels that indicate some risk of cancer, but they are not prominent.

So, be safe, avoid tanning salons, and stock up on sunscreen!

This was posted on Thursday, May 27th, 2010 and is filed in the Public Safety categories.