Tan Free Teens

Tan Free Teens

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States, and rates have been rising for the past 30 years.

Melanoma, the most serious and deadliest form of skin cancer, is one of the most common cancers diagnosed among young adults.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure from the sun is a known cause of skin cancer, and UV radiation exposure during childhood and adolescence increases the risk of being diagnosed with skin cancer as an adult.

Indoor tanning increases the risk of a skin cancer diagnosis even further. Tanning is associated with a six-fold increase in melanoma risk among women younger than 30 years.

A meta-analysis of 27 informative studies published in the British Medical Journal in 2012 found that tanning before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 59 percent, squamous cell carcinoma by 67 percent, and basal cell carcinoma by 29 percent. Rates increase even more when they are used before age 25.