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.
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 Weill Cornell Medicine.
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