Tanning beds and skin cancer: what CDC says about the risk

The federal position on tanning beds does not hold back. CDC says indoor tanning — using a tanning bed or booth to darken skin — exposes users to high levels of UV rays. In the same guidance, it goes further: indoor tanning exposes users to intense levels of UV rays, a known cause of cancer.

Then it states the result plainly. Over time, too much UV exposure can cause skin cancer and cancer of the eye.

CDC's prevention advice is direct too: avoid indoor tanning entirely.

You may want a specific number — how many times higher the risk gets. CDC's prevention guidance does not give one. Making up a number would be worse than leaving it out.

What it gives instead is a clear chain of facts. UV radiation is a known cause of cancer. Tanning beds deliver intense UV. Built-up UV exposure causes skin cancer. There is no version of that chain where a tanning bed comes out looking safe.

One belief deserves special attention, because it sounds sensible and lots of people believe it: the idea that a pre-vacation tan protects your skin.

CDC's answer is short. A base tan is actually a sign of skin damage.

Tanning is not your skin building armor. It is your skin reacting to injury that already happened. Building a base tan just means stacking up damage in advance, then adding even more at the beach.

A tan is proof of harm, not a shield against it.

CDC lists traits that raise skin cancer risk:

• A lighter natural skin color.
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or hurts in the sun.
• Blue or green eyes.
• Blond or red hair.
• Certain types of moles, or a large number of moles.
• A history of sunburns or tanning.
• A family history of skin cancer.
• A personal history of skin cancer.
• Older age.

Notice that a history of tanning sits right alongside traits you were simply born with. Past habits are part of the picture. That is a reason to bring up your history with a doctor, not a reason to feel guilty.

When the UV Index hits 3 or higher, CDC recommends:

• Staying in shaded spots.
• Wearing long-sleeved shirts and pants.
• Wearing a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, head, ears, and neck.
• Wearing wraparound sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays.
• Putting broad-spectrum sunscreen, SPF 15 or higher, on exposed skin — including your ears and the back of your neck.

Clothing and shade come first on that list, and that order matters. Sunscreen is part of the answer, not the whole answer.

Past use cannot be undone, and CDC's message is about cutting future exposure, not assigning blame for the past.

The practical move is simple: stop adding to the total, protect your skin regularly, and learn what your own skin normally looks like so changes stand out. Show a doctor anything new, anything changing, or any sore that will not heal. Most such marks turn out to be harmless. The ones that are not are much easier to treat when caught early.

Since past UV exposure cannot be reversed, the useful move now is catching changes early.

That does not take a complicated routine. It just takes knowing roughly how your skin normally looks, so something new stands out fast. A hard-to-see spot, like your back or the back of your legs, is easier to check with help from another person or a mirror.

Bring three kinds of marks to a doctor: anything new, anything changing, and any sore that will not heal. Most turn out to be completely normal. Getting checked and told it is nothing is a good outcome, not a wasted trip.

Two situations call for a lower bar before asking. If you have a personal or family history of skin cancer, or if you have a large number of moles, both sit on the federal risk list. Both are reasons to mention skin changes sooner, instead of watching them for months.