Tanning can make you look good but it comes at a price as it increases risks for skin cancer. The growing popularity of indoor tanning, for instance, is associated with melanoma, the most dangerous and deadliest type of skin cancer.
The health risks associated with the use of tanning beds particularly among young people are apparently the primary reason why the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to reclassify sunlamp products and ultraviolet lamps from being considered as low-risk devices to moderate-risk.
The American Academy of Dermatology said indoor tanning increases an individual's risk for melanoma by 59 percent and the risk increases for each use of tanning beds because exposure from radiation is cumulative. Jeffrey Shuren, director of FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health said that individuals who are most vulnerable to the risks associated with repeated exposure from sunlamp products are those who have a family history of skin cancer and minors under 18 years old.
On Thursday, the FDA said that it will now require sunlamps used in tanning salon to carry a new warning sticker that states the product is not recommended for use by children below 18 years old. The black box warning, however, does not prohibit minors from using the device.
"The FDA's decision to more strictly regulate tanning beds will save lives and serve as a valuable resource in efforts to slow down the increasing rate of melanoma, particularly in the young," said Melanoma Research Foundation executive director Tim Turnham.
Materials that are used for marketing tanning beds and UV lamps such as user instructions, brochures and website, are also required to provide information on cancer risks and a recommendation that those who regularly use tanning beds should be regularly checked for skin cancer, currently the most prevalent type of cancer in the United States.
Manufacturers must also meet performance testing standards and other requirements set by the FDA to receive a clearance to sell or use their products in tanning salons. Manufacturers whose products are already in the market were given up to 15 months to submit the required paperwork.
Data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System show that as of 2011, 32 percent of girls in 12th grade and 21 percent of high school girls in the U.S. use indoor tanning. Besides increasing risks for skin cancer, indoor tanning is also known to cause premature aging of the skin and cancers of the eye.
