New research shows indoor tanning can increase melanoma risk

Nov. 18, 2022
Guidance from the AAD.

A new article published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatologysuggests that indoor tanning is the most frequent cause of multiple primary melanomas, which is when a patient develops additional melanomas after their first one.  

In fact, the research showed that melanoma patients with who use tanning beds more than 10 times have nearly double the risk of having a second or multiple melanomas. 

This research adds to the growing body of research on the dangers of indoor tanning, including: 

  • Indoor tanning equipment emits harmful UVA and UVB radiation. The amount of the radiation produced during indoor tanning is similar to that of the sun, and in some cases might be stronger. 
  • Using tanning beds before age 20 can increase your chances of developing melanoma by 47%, and the risk increases with each use. 

AAD release on Newswise

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