Even estranged couples who’ve called it quits find they come together after a cancer diagnosis. Remember "Tan Mom"? Patricia Krentcil made headlines in 2012 when she was charged with child endangerment for bringing her then 5-year-old daughter into a tanning bed in Nutley, New Jersey. Now, Krentcil’s husband, Richard — from whom she is estranged — has been diagnosed with colon cancer.
Read MoreWhy Tanning Beds Are Dangerous
The sun’s rays are thousands of miles away, but when you hit the tanning bed, you are exposing yourself to the very same rays while only 6-8 inches away. It's a recipe for harm that greatly magnifies the intensity of the rays — as well as your risk of skin cancer.
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Ninety percent of melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun. That means you're at risk if you spent excessive amounts of time in the suneven as a child. If you were a fan of tanning salons — or ever got sunburned — it's important to get your skin checked annually by a board-certified dermatologist.
"There is an exponential increase in patients who develop melanomas who have been to tanning salons," explains Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at NYU Langone Health.
"Melanomas are the deadliest type of skin cancer because they have a tendency to spread to other parts of the body," explains Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at NYU Langone Health.
Melanoma can develop from an existing mole or it can appear as a dark or pink growth on the skinand it can appear in places that were never exposed to the sun.
A clear and direct correlation exists between skin cancer patients and the use of indoor tanning salons. "There is an exponential increase in patients who develop melanomas who have been to tanning salons," explains Dr. Anna Pavlick, an oncologist at NYU Langone Health.
Simply put, having sun-kissed skin is not worth the health risk, so stay away from the tanning bed.
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