Tanning Salons Raise Risk of Skin Cancer

Women who visit tanning salons more than once a month are 55% more likely to develop malignant melanoma, and the risk more than doubles for women in their 20s who frequent tanning parlors, according to an eight-year study of more than 100,000 Scandinavians.

The study, appearing this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, analyzed the lifestyle and melanoma risk for women between 30 and 50.

Researchers found that sunburns and tanning-lamp use in adolescence and early adult years significantly increases susceptibility to the cancer.