04/09/2026
10 Surprising Facts About Indoor Tanning
Dermatologist in Granville, OH
https://www.granvilledoctor.com/
1. Tanning beds are NOT safer than the sun
Just one indoor tanning session can increase the risk of developing skin cancer (Melanoma by 20%, Squamous Cell Carcinoma by 67%, and Basal Cell Carcinoma by 29%).
2. Tanning indoors – or with the sun- makes your skin age more quickly
Wrinkles, age spots, and loss of skin firmness tend to appear years earlier in people who tan.
3. Using tanning beds can cause serious injury
Many people are treated for burns, loss of consciousness, and eye injuries caused by indoor tanning.
4. Getting a base tan cannot prevent sunburn
Every time you tan or burn, you also damage the DNA in your skin. The more you damage your DNA, the greater your risk of getting skin cancer.
5. Getting enough Vitamin D from tanning beds isn’t possible
The bulbs used in tanning beds emit mostly UVA light; however, your body needs UVB light to make vitamin D.
6. Becoming addicted to tanning is a real risk
About 20% of 18 to 30 year old white women who use indoor tanning show signs of addiction.
7. Tanning (indoors or outdoors) can make stretch marks more noticeable
The best way to hide stretch marks is with a self-tanner.
8. Giving customers “false and misleading information” has been a common practice at tanning salons
U.S. House of Representatives reports, “The vast majority of tanning salons contacted by Committee Investigators provided false information about the serious risks of indoor tanning and made specious claims about the health benefits that indoor tanning provides.
9. Looking tan year-round is possible with a self-tanner
A self-tanner offers you a way to look tan without increasing your risk of developing early wrinkles, leathery skin, and skin cancer.
10. Quitting (or never starting) indoor tanning can help you live longer
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that if no one younger than 18 years of age ever used a tanning bed, we could prevent about 61,839 Melanomas and 6,735 deaths due to Melanoma.
It’s never too late to start protecting your skin from the sun and indoor tanning beds. As soon as you do, your body starts to repair some of the damage caused by the UV rays. And that’s a fact!
Read more at: https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/surprising-facts-about-indoor-tanning