04/03/2026
Would you let your teen use something known to cause cancer? Because that’s exactly what we’re experiencing with tanning bed use.
I was recently featured in NewBeauty discussing the FDA’s decision to step away from a proposed ban on tanning bed use for minors.
Let’s be clear:
Indoor tanning is a known carcinogen.
And the data is not subtle:
✨ Tanning bed use before age 18 → ~50% higher melanoma risk
✨ Indoor tanning → >419,000 skin cancer cases every year in the U.S.
including 6,000+ melanomas
✨ UV exposure → direct DNA damage that accumulates over time
As I shared in the article:
“The FDA didn’t roll back a ban—it walked away from the opportunity to create one. Leaving our youth vulnerable to cancer causing indoor tanning risk.”
This isn’t a gray area in medicine.
This is established science.
“There is no safe tan—only cumulative DNA damage.”
If your teen is considering tanning, this is the moment to step in, because the FDA is not going to.
Tanning beds aren’t cosmetic—they’re carcinogenic.
📍 Read more (link in bio)
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Dr. Janine Hopkins, MD, FAAD
Featured expert in NewBeauty on FDA policy and skin cancer prevention and treatment
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HopkinsDermatology
