Tanning
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a branch of the World Health Organization, classifies UV rays from tanning devices as a primary cause of skin cancer. Other group one agents include plutonium, cigarette smoke, and ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
Indoor tanning devices can emanate rays that are 10 to 15 times more intense and powerful than the sun at its peak. In their 20s, women who have tanned six times or more are more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma than those who have never tanned.
Indoor tanning with a tanning bed or sunlamp exposes the body to a significant amount of radiation. UV rays penetrate the inner layer of epidermis, causing an increase in melanin production. The tan of the skin is a response to an injury, as the cells of the body signal that they have been injured by UV radiation and produce more melanin pigment as a result. Excessive exposure causes or increases the likelihood of skin cancer.
