US EditionIndoor Tanning Triples Melanoma Risk and Seeds Broad DNA Mutations
Indoor tanning users face up to eight times higher melanoma risk with widespread skin DNA mutations, driven by intense ultraviolet radiation and cultural tanning preferences among young women.
- On Dec. 12, a study in Science Advances found tanning bed users were nearly three times as likely to develop melanoma and had DNA damage across nearly the entire skin surface, Dr. Pedram Gerami of Northwestern University reported.
- Researchers compared medical records of nearly 3,000 patients to an age-matched control group and sequenced 182 melanocytes, finding tanning bed users had nearly twice as many mutations.
- High-Exposure users — over 200 visits — faced more than eightfold risk, and 10 to 50 tanning bed exposures doubled melanoma risk, Gerami reports, with 5% of users diagnosed.
- WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies sunbeds with smoking and asbestos, and Dr. Pedram Gerami urged banning indoor tanning for minors and recommending skin exams, citing 20% of Gen Z prioritize tanning despite risks.
- Study authors argue the evidence directly challenges tanning industry safety claims, as researchers found tanning beds compressed decades of UV damage into 30 years, using molecular sequencing technologies.
24 Articles
24 Articles
Cherokee Tribune Ledger News
Marietta Daily JournalShould tanning beds have warning labels like cigarettes?
Doctors say tanning beds should carry warnings similar to those on cigarettes.
Watauga Democrat
Should tanning beds have cancer warnings like cigarettes?
A new Northwestern University study found that tanning beds triple risk of deadliest form of skin cancer.
'Don't use them': Tanning beds triple skin cancer risk, study finds
Read: 3 min When Heidi Tarr was a teenager, she used a tanning bed several times a week with her friends because they all wanted to glow like a celebrity. “It was just the thing to do — everyone wanted that nice, dark, tan skin,” the 49-year-old market researcher said via video call from Chicago. Then one day in her 30s, Tarr noticed a strange mole on her back. It was a melanoma — the deadliest form of skin cancer. She was lucky to have caught i…
Indoor tanning triples melanoma risk and seeds broad DNA mutations
Researchers discovered that tanning beds cause widespread, mutation-laden DNA damage across almost all skin, explaining the sharply increased melanoma risk. Single-cell genomic analysis revealed dangerous mutations even in sun-protected regions. Survivors’ stories underscore how early tanning habits have lifelong consequences. The findings push for stricter policies and clear public warnings.
Tanning makes young skin look much older at a genetic level, according to one study
Tanning bed users are at higher risk of skin cancer, especially in unusual places
Indoor tanning is trending among Gen Z. A new study finds tanning bed users not only have a much higher risk of melanoma, they also have DNA damage linked to cancer across nearly their entire skin.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
