Hey!!  Would you like a healthy Tan?   Do you want a healthy glow?  Guess what!!  There is no such thing as a healthy tan.  Tanning represents the skin’s response to an injury.  The body tans in an attempt to prevent further damage.  That “healthy glow” may lead to premature skin aging, wrinkles and worse yet skin cancer.  People who frequent tanning salons are putting themselves at risk for the development of skin cancer including the potentially deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.

We know that smoking can lead to lung cancer and a multitude of other health problems yet people continue to smoke.  Many are simply addicted and cannot stop without intervention and a tremendous amount of will power.  Evidence is accumulating that use of tanning beds can become addictive for some people.  Those addicted to tanning beds, so called “tanorrexics” are putting themselves at risk for cancer similar to those that smoke.

Ask yourself; is risking my health worth a tanned appearance?  If so get a bottle of liquid tan.  If you find you can’t stay away from the salons tell a friend.  An intervention may potentially save your life.

By: George Cohen, M.D., Assistant Professor of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery at the University of South Florida

http://health.usf.edu/medicine/dermatology/bios/bio_cohen.htm