Skin Cancer and Tanning Beds
A common question I ask patients during their yearly skin exam is whether or not they use tanning beds.
Why do I want to know?
We have definitive evidence that using tanning beds can increase the risk of skin cancers, including deadly skin cancers such as melanoma. Patients with very fair skin are at an even higher risk for developing skin cancers when using tanning beds.
Even a handful of lifetime uses of a tanning bed significantly increases the risk of skin cancer. Those patients with a personal or family history of skin cancer substantially increase the risk of skin cancers when combined with tanning bed use.
If you or a family member have an extensive tanning bed history, schedule a skin cancer screening with us today! Make sure to check out our ABCDEs of melanoma post to help look for changes in your moles.
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