We all know that tanning beds offer up nothing good—think damaged skin, an obvious-looking fake tan and the risk of skin cancer. And, with more than 1.6 millions minors slipping into tanning beds annually, these young women and men, for the most part, don’t realize the potential damage that can be done until it’s too late.
In an effort to keep minors under the age of 18 out of tanning beds, the FDA has announced that they are taking steps to prevent it. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), those who have been exposed to radiation from indoor tanning are 59 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.
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The two proposed rules include restricting the use of sunlamp products to individuals 18 and older. And, that before the first tanning session and every six months following, that indoor tanners over the age of 18 would need to signs a risk acknowledgment certification stating that they have been informed of the risk and complications associated with indoor tanning. Also, manufacturers of indoor tanning beds and other devices would be required to take additional steps to improve the overall safety of their devices, which could include easier to read and more prominent warnings, emergency shut off switches and safety goggles that would limit how much light can get through the eye device.
Rather than risking your life for a short-lived tan, we say to stick with the safe and tried-and-true option: self-tanner. No harm, no foul.
