Tanning Beds Nearly Triple Risk of Melanoma: Study

Indoor tanning must be made illegal ‘at the very least’ for minors, a study author said.

Professional BMX rider Cory Nastazio goes to the tanning salon in Riverside, California on April 10, 2002. Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images

Using tanning beds is linked to a nearly threefold jump in the risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, according to a Dec. 12 peer-reviewed study published in the “Science Advances” journal.

“Melanoma is responsible for an estimated 11,000 deaths annually in the United States. The main cause is exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which generates mutations in melanocytes, driving their transformation to melanoma,” the study reads.