Consumer Reports Health Blog: Indoor tanning booths can quadruple your skin cancer risk

Consumer Reports Health Blog: Indoor tanning booths can quadruple your skin cancer risk

The most impactful quote from this article:

"Eager to soak up the sun, or at least look like they have, some folks are getting their bronze on early—indoors. But indoor tanning beds can increase the risk of melanoma up to four times, according to a new study released by the American Association for Cancer Research. The bottom line: Melanoma risk goes up with frequent indoor tanning, regardless of how old people are when they start using tanning beds.
According to the report, the pursuit of a bronzed body has become so popular that the indoor tanning industry estimates that some 30 million Americans visit tanning salons each year. That figure is nearly double that of the early 1980s. Last year the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified tanning devices as carcinogenic."

The real bottom line is that in a pursuit of a "perfect" tan, we are increasing our risk of skin cancer and premature death. All just to look good.