Q: What about the increasing rates of skin cancer?
A: Skin cancer has a 20- to 30-year latency period. The rates of skin cancer we are seeing today are most likely the result of bad habits from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s that were based on ignorance and misinformation about sun tanning. In those days, many people still considered sunburns an inconvenient right of spring, a precursor to developing a summer tan. People believed that sunburns would "fade" into tans, and so tanners hit the beaches and blacktops with baby oil and reflectors. Severe burns were commonplace. Today we know how reckless and uninformed that approach was.
What's more, the photobiology research community has determined that most skin cancers are related to a strong pattern of intermittent exposure to ultraviolet light in people who are genetically predisposed to skin cancer. These skin cancers are not simply the result of cumulative exposure. Once again, this suggests that heredity and a pattern of repeated sun burning are the primary factors associated with skin cancer.

The indoor tanning industry is dedicated to teaching sunburn prevention to the public. In doing so, we believe that we will help to reverse the increased incidence of skin cancer, which is largely the result of misguided behavior that occurred years before the professional tanning industry existed and was organized to teach sunburn prevention.

Q: What is melanoma?
A: Melanoma is a cancer of the pigment-producing cells (melanocytes). An increased risk of melanoma has been associated with people who have moles or repeated sunburn experiences as a child or young adult. Most melanomas occur on non-sun-exposed parts of the body. For example, melanoma is infrequently found on the face. Although melanoma accounts for only 5% of all newly diagnosed skin cancer cases each year, it is responsible for the majority of skin cancer deaths (11).

Q: Is melanoma associated with UV exposure from tanning beds?
A: No. To date, no well-designed studies support the connection between melanoma and UV exposure from tanning beds (12).

The relationship between melanoma and UV light exposure is complex. For example, melanoma is more common in people who work indoors than in those who work outdoors, and those who work both indoors and outdoors develop the fewest melanomas (13). Further, melanoma most commonly appears on parts of the body that do not receive regular exposure to UV light (13).

Q: What is a base tan?
A: A tan is the body's natural protection against sunburn. Your skin is designed to tan as a natural body function.

Each year, millions of Americans visit professional indoor tanning facilities in the spring, prior to sun-filled vacations or outdoor summertime activities, to establish what tanners know as a "base tan." Doing so enables vacationers to gradually increase their exposure to ultraviolet light without burning.

Q: How is "moderate tanning" defined?
A: Moderation means avoiding sunburn at all costs. How to accomplish this goal will mean something different to each person. That's one way the indoor tanning industry can help. Salon professionals attempt to educate each tanner on how to best avoid sunburn for their individual skin type.

Q: Is moderate exposure to the sun or ultraviolet (UV) light good for your health?
A: Absolutely. There is a growing body of well-conducted, validated scientific research demonstrating that the production of the activated form of vitamin D is one of the most effective ways the body controls abnormal cell growth. Moderate exposure to sunlight is the only way for the body to manufacture the vitamin D necessary for producing activated vitamin D.

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