Tanning Statistics
According to the American Association of Dermatology, over one million people visit some form of tanning bed a day despite all warnings about the link of UV rays (natural and artificial) to the development of skin cancer. Just 20 minutes in a tanning salon is estimated to be the equivalent to approximately four hours in the sun! Indoor tanning was thought to be safe because it used mainly UV-A radiation, which did not seem to cause burns. But the book "Skin Cancer Answers" states: "It is now known that UV-A penetrates more deeply into the skin than UV-B, can cause skin cancer, and may suppress the immune system." One study reported on in the international edition of The Miami Herald found that women who visited tanning salons once a month or more "increased their chance of developing melanoma by 55 percent." Half of all new cancer cases are skin cancer. There are more than one million new cases of skin cancer every year. The cases of Melanoma (the non-treatable form of skin cancer) have more than tripled among Caucasians from 1980 to 2002. Along with the clear and present danger of Cancer from too much sun exposure, there is also the inevitable wrinkling and aging of the skin. To prove this to yourself, just compare the quality of your sun exposed skin (face, arms, etc.) with the skin on the areas of your body that don't ever see the sun!

"The Girl From Ipanema"
Antonio Carlos Jobim - Norman Gimbel