Scientists have discovered that using tanning beds can cause serious DNA damage to almost the entire surface of the skin. This damage raises the risk of developing melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, by three times. The study, conducted by researchers at Northwestern Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco, aimed to clarify how indoor tanning affects cancer rates, especially among young people who are increasingly using these devices.
Interestingly, a recent report indicated that Florida has more tanning salons than McDonald’s, with nearly 40% of teenage girls and 20% of young adults aged 18 to 29 having used a tanning bed within the last year.
The research analyzed the medical records of over 32,000 patients from Northwestern’s Dermatology service. Among them, nearly 7,500 reported using tanning beds. The study found that 5.1% of indoor tanners were diagnosed with melanoma, compared to just 2.1% of those who had never used them. After adjusting for factors like age and family history, the risk for tanning bed users increased to 2.85 times.
Dr. Pedram Gerami, the study’s lead researcher, noted a shocking finding: while typical sun exposure harms about 20% of the skin, tanning bed users exhibited dangerous mutations across almost the entire skin surface.
In a more detailed investigation, the team analyzed individual skin cells from different groups: long-term tanning bed users, individuals who never used them, and skin samples from cadavers. They found that cells from tanning bed users contained nearly double the number of mutations linked to melanoma compared to the controls.
What’s alarming is that these mutations were found even in areas of the skin not typically exposed to sunlight. This supports the idea that tanning bed-induced melanomas resemble those in people with a genetic predisposition to melanoma, even among those without a family history.
The tanning bed industry has grown rapidly since the 1970s, reaching a $3 billion market in the U.S. by the mid-2010s. As of 2013, millions of Americans were using these devices. Notably, the World Health Organization classifies tanning beds as a Group 1 carcinogen—putting them in the same dangerous category as smoking.
Despite awareness campaigns, such as the 2015 FDA effort to limit access for minors, it’s clear that regulation is largely left to states and local governments. California led the way in banning tanning beds for minors in 2012, but the lobby for indoor tanning remains strong in the U.S., complicating further restrictions.
Globally, countries like Australia and Brazil have already banned tanning beds. Australia has the highest melanoma rates in the world and took action in 2015. Brazil enforced its ban in 2009 but allows exceptions for medical use.
The researchers concluded that it’s hard to justify claims that tanning beds are safer than natural sunlight because of the high mutational damage observed. Tanning beds should not be considered a substitute for natural UV exposure.
Melanoma remains the most lethal skin cancer, causing around 11,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Understanding the risks associated with indoor tanning is essential for protecting public health.
For more in-depth findings, check the original research published in Science Advances here. For further information on the dangers of tanning beds, you can explore insights from Northwestern University.
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