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\nUsing a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan is called indoor tanning.
\nUsing a tanning bed, booth, or sunlamp to get tan is called indoor tanning. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays while indoor tanning can cause skin cancers including melanoma (the deadliest type of skin cancer), basal cell carcinoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. UV exposure also can cause cataracts and cancers of the eye (ocular melanoma). UV exposure from the sun and from indoor tanning is classified as a human carcinogen (causes cancer in humans) by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization) and by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. [PDF-242KB]
\nIndoor tanning exposes users to two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB, which damage the skin and can lead to cancer. Indoor tanning is particularly dangerous for younger users; people who begin indoor tanning during adolescence or early adulthood have a higher risk of getting melanoma. This may be due to greater use of indoor tanning among those who begin tanning at earlier ages.
\nEvery time you tan you increase your risk of getting skin cancer, including melanoma. Indoor tanning also\u2014
\nIndoor tanning and tanning outside are both dangerous. Although indoor tanning devices operate on a timer, the exposure to UV rays can vary based on the age and type of light bulbs. Indoor tanning is designed to give you high levels of UV radiation in a short time. You can get a burn from tanning indoors, and even a tan indicates damage to your skin.
\nA tan is the body\u2019s response to injury from UV rays. A base tan does little to protect you from future damage to your skin caused by UV exposure. In fact, people who indoor tan are more likely to report getting sunburned.
\nThe best way to protect your skin from the sun is by using these tips for skin cancer prevention.
\nAlthough it is important to get enough vitamin D, the safest way to do so is through what you eat. Tanning harms your skin, and the amount of UV exposure you need to get enough vitamin D is hard to measure because it is different for every person and also varies with the weather, latitude, altitude, and more.
\nSeveral different types of studies have shown consistently that indoor tanning increases a person\u2019s risk of getting skin cancer, including melanoma.
\nAccording to the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, some teens are indoor tanning, including\u2014
\nAccording to the 2010 National Health Interview Survey, indoor tanners tended to be young, non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. A closer look at the data showed the following rates of indoor tanning among NHW women\u2014
\nHealthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. Healthy People 2020 has 20 cancer objectives, including\u2014
\nIndoor tanning is restricted in some areas, especially for minors.*
\nCalifornia, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon,\u2020 Texas, Vermont, Washington,\u2020 West Virginia, and some cities and counties have banned indoor tanning by minors younger than 18 years. For the latest information, see the National Conference of State Legislatures\u2019 Tanning Restrictions for Minors: A State-by-State Comparison and AIM at Melanoma\u2019s Melanoma Legislation.
\nCDC research shows that states with indoor tanning laws that include age restrictions had lower rates of indoor tanning among minors.
\nThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has proposed a rule to protect youth from the risks of indoor tanning devices by restricting use by minors younger than 18 years. This proposed rule also would require indoor tanning facilities to inform adult users about the health risks of indoor tanning and to obtain a signed risk acknowledgement from these users. The agency also is proposing a second rule that would require manufacturers and indoor tanning facilities to take more actions to help improve the overall safety of indoor tanning devices to protect adult consumers.
\n*State and federal regulations generally apply to those using indoor tanning devices in commercial facilities such as tanning salons, and typically do not address use of tanning devices in private homes.
\n\u2020The state laws in Oregon and Washington contain an exemption which allows people younger than age 18 to tan with a doctor\u2019s prescription.
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