Indoor tanning is a significant cause of skin cancer among young people, particular young women. Just like tobacco, indoor tanning has been labeled as a Class 1 carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Several recent studies have also suggested that indoor tanning may be addictive, particularly in frequent tanners.
A recent study published in Archives of Dermatology studied the indoor tanning habits of college students including their age when they started indoor tanning and what person accompanied them on their first visit to a tanning parlor. Nearly 40% of students were first accompanied to the tanning salon by their mothers. Teenagers that were introduced to tanning by their mothers were five times more likely to be heavy tanners as college students (used indoor tanning at least twice a month). Students who were first accompanied by their mothers also started indoor tanning two years earlier on average, around age 14. These findings suggest that indoor tanning may have become a mother-daughter bonding experience in many families.
We discourage our patients from using all forms of indoor tanning due to increased risk of skin cancers and cumulative UV damage to the skin that leads to brown spots, wrinkles, and other UV radiation-induced changes.