Are tanning beds safe?

Tanning bed use significantly increases the risk of melanoma. Those who first used a tanning bed at any age face a 20% higher risk of melanoma.

People who first used a tanning bed before age 35 have 59% higher risk of melanoma (1). “

Each additional session per year raises the melanoma risk by 1.8%. In Europe, 5.4% of melanoma cases are linked to tanning bed use. A study of Norwegian women confirmed these findings, showing that early tanning bed use, especially before age 30, leads to a younger age of melanoma diagnosis (2). The connection between UV radiation exposure and skin cancer is clear: more UV exposure increases the risk of skin cancer and accelerates skin aging.

(1) Boniol M, Autier P, Boyle P, Gandini S. Cutaneous melanoma attributable to sunbed use: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 2012; 345: e4757 and [Correction] BMJ 2012; 345: e8503.

(2) Ghiasvand R, Rueegg CS, Weiderpass E, Green AC, Lund E, Veier d MB. Indoor tanning and melanoma risk: long-term evidence from a prospective population-based cohort study. Am J Epidemiol. 2017; 185(3):147 156. doi:10.1093/aje/kww148.

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