There Is Nothing Safe About a Sunbed
- The use of tanning beds, or sunbeds, skyrocketed to popularity in the early ’80s, and stuck around through the 1990s and early 2000s until the skin cancer dangers became more well-known.
- Now, the risky UV machines have been gaining popularity again, with the hashtag “sunbed” clocking in at over 200,000 on Instagram and over 50,000 on TikTok.
- According to SurvivorNet experts, even using a tanning bed once increases your risk of melanoma, the most aggressive type of skin cancer.
- The most important thing to look out for when it comes to finding melanoma is a new spot on your skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color. The spot will likely also look different from all of the other spots on your skin. Be sure to get in for annual checks at your dermatologist, or more frequently if you have more risk.
The mom of one often posts photos and videos on TikTok posing with her adorable baby girl, but the comments tend to focus on her overly tanned skin: “Girl stop abusing the sun beds ur gonna get skin cancer.”
Read More
As for Martin, she hits back at the people constantly commenting on her skin and calling her names. “Here are some baby pics so yous can all stop crying – I am MIXED and I go on the SUNBEDS so ofc [of course] my skin is gonna go darker than average,” Martin wrote, as reported by The Sun.
While it’s not okay to troll people online, the safety issue and some of the more sincere comments out of concern are valid.
The Dangers of UV-Blasting Tanning Beds
First off, experts all agree that there is never an instance where it’s okay to use a tanning bed.
Dr. Lynn A. Cornelius, the chief of the division of dermatology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, previously explained to SurvivorNet that exposure to tanning beds “increases the risk of skin cancer and ocular cancer,” which is cancer of the eye.
RELATED: Man, 23, Who Was ‘Addicted’ to Tanning Beds Now Warning Others to Avoid Them After Battling Melanoma
Additionally, Dr. Cornelius noted that tanning bed usage also “induces changes that lead to premature aging of the skin.”
“There is no ‘safe’ tanning bed,” she stressed.
There’s an ‘exponentially’ increased risk of melanoma with tanning bed use, says Dr. Anna Pavlick
And according to Dr. Anna Pavlick, a medical oncologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, the UV-blasting beds increase your chances of melanoma “exponentially.” Melanoma is the most aggressive type of skin cancer, and the most deadly.
“We know there is a direct correlation with [melanoma] patients who go to indoor tanning salons,” Dr. Pavlick said.
Learning More About Tanning Salons & Melanoma Risk
You likely protect yourself from UVA/UVB rays thousands of miles away from the sun by using sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses. Yet, when you hit the tanning bed, you’re exposing yourself to the very same rays at only 6-8 inches away. It’s a recipe for harm. The intensity of the rays your skin is exposed to in a tanning bed is greatly magnified.
Backing up Dr. Pavlick’s statement of tanning beds causing an exponential increase of melanoma, there is a 2021 review that found a strong link between indoor tanning and early-onset melanoma, before the age of 50.
According to the review, tanning bed exposure at an early age and frequent use (over 10 times in your life) increase the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers, including squamous cell carcinoma, which is a common type of skin cancer.
Simply put, having sun-kissed skin is not worth the health risk. Protect yourself from the harmful ultraviolet rays by avoiding indoor tanning beds and using broad spectrum sunscreen, hats, and sunglasses outdoors.
Spotting Melanoma
Changes to a mole you’ve had for a while or a new growth on your skin could be signs of melanoma.
Melanoma starts in the same cells that give your skin, hair, and eyes their color. Only in melanoma, the cells change in a way that makes them able to spread to other organs. Melanoma can also form in your eyes and inside your body, including your nose and throat, although according to Mayo Clinic, these are very rare cases.
The most important thing to look out for when it comes to finding melanoma is a new spot on your skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color. The spot will likely also look different from all of the other spots on your skin.
When you check your skin, use the acronym ABCDE as your guide:
- Asymmetrical moles: If you drew a line straight down the center of the mole, would the sides match?
- Borders: Is the mole irregular or jagged?
- Colors: Are there multiple distinct colors in the mole?
- Diameter: Is the mole larger than 6 millimeters (mm), about the size of a pencil head eraser?
- Evolution: Has the mole’s color, shape, or size changed over time?
Examining Your Skin for Melanoma: Remember ABCDE
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, our experts say it’s time to see your dermatologist for a skin check.
Other red flags to watch for are:
- A sore that doesn’t heal
- Color that spreads from the border of a spot to the skin around it
- Redness or swelling that goes beyond the area of a mole
- Itchiness, tenderness, or pain
- A change in the way the surface of a mole appears
- Scaliness, oozing, or blood
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.