What’s so bad about tanning beds?

More than a quarter of a million cases of skin cancer can be attributed to tanningbed use, according to a new study from researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That figure is for 2015, when the total skin cancer cases numbered about 2.4 million.

And another new study shows that some skin cancer survivors actually use tanning beds.

Researchers at the University of Minnesota surveyed more than 700 survivors of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) and found that about 2 percent had used a tanning bed. What’s more, 38 percent of melanoma survivors did not often or always wear sunscreen, and 20 percent reported getting sunburned in the past year.

Though these numbers aren’t high, consider that having been diagnosed with melanoma gives you a ninefold increased risk of developing a second cancer.

What’s so bad about tanning beds?

Ultraviolet radiation has been classified by the World Health Organization as a carcinogen — and getting your UV rays from a tanning bed may be even more toxic than getting them from the sun.

”Most tanning beds deliver fewer burning UVB rays, but they provide a much more concentrated dose of UVA radiation than the sun,” says Joel Cohen, M.D., a Denverbased dermatologist who serves on the teaching faculty for the University of Colorado and the University of California at Irvine. UVA rays don’t cause burning; the damage they do is less immediately obvious. According to Consumer Reports, these rays penetrate deeply into the skin and accelerate agerelated skin damage, raise the risk of melanoma and other skin cancers and suppress the immune system.

Protecting your skin

The best way to protect against skin cancer is to avoid excessive exposure to UV rays. That means staying away from tanning beds and shielding your skin from the sun when you are outdoors.

Covering up should be your first priority.

Apply a teaspoon of sunscreen per body part or area — 1 teaspoon for your face, head and neck; 1 for each arm; 1 for each leg; 1 for your chest and abdomen; and 1 for your back and the back of your neck — 15 to 30 minutes before going outside. Then reapply at least every two hours — more often if you’re swimming or sweating excessively.