The dark side of tanning.

By Wendy Clinch •  Updated: 05/22/12 •  3 min read

I think by now most of us know that tanning isn’t good for you. All the same, isn’t there a teeny, weeny bit of you that loved the goggle tan you got this year? Didn’t you giggle like a third grader when you lifted your goggles and saw racoon eyes staring back from the mirror?

Okay, admit it. We’re all guilty.

There’s no doubt that people love being tan. We’ve all seen the picture of the now (in)famous “tanning mom.” I don’t get it, myself. Maybe it’s like OCD or something — you get obsessed and just can’t stop.

Extreme, I know. But you don’t have to go overboard to be unhealthy. Researchers have discovered that even a little tan isn’t good for you. Consider the following, from the Skin Care Foundation:

And it’s getting worse. According to the Foundation, a new study reveals an alarming rise in melanoma among people aged 18 to 39. Over the past 40 years, rates of this potentially deadly skin cancer grew by 800 percent among young women and 400 percent among young men.

So before you head outside, whether to play in the summer sun or to hit the slopes next winter, here’s what you need to know:

Remember, there’s no such thing as a safe tan. And the more you tan, the greater your chance of developing skin cancer.

Also, know the signs of skin cancer. If you see anything below on your skin , contact your dermatologist:

From Moffatt Cancer Center

From Moffatt Cancer Center

Be careful out there.

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