HHS HealthBeat (December 4, 2009)

Teens and tans

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

Many teens think a tan looks good. So they tan when they can, such as at tanning salons. But researchers say tanning lamps can raise the risk of skin cancer, including the most deadly form, melanoma.

So at San Diego State University, Joni Mayer and her colleagues examined how often tanning salons said they would let teens tan in the first week. They had someone call the salons, pose as a 15-year-old first-time indoor tanner, and ask:

[Joni Mayer speaks] "Tanning salons, for the most part, said that she would be able to tan every day the first week."

Mayer says three days a week should be the max according to FDA’s guideline, and that a bronzer or spray-on is far safer.

The study in Archives of Dermatology was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Last revised: May 7, 2011