http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,...est=latestnews

Just a heads up for those who like the tanning bed!! The beds have been reclassified by international cancer experts as carcinogens.

I hope the article hits home with our tanning bed addict friends - skin is beautiful, just as it is, you don't have to risk skin cancer or death!

From the article:

But as use of tanning beds has increased among people under 30, doctors have seen a parallel rise in the numbers of young people with skin cancer. In Britain, melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, is now the leading cancer diagnosed in women in their 20s. Normally, skin cancer rates are highest in people over 75.

Previous studies found younger people who regularly use tanning beds are eight times more likely to get melanoma than people who have never used them

I was just talking to my mom about this last night, and then read this article this morning... My SIL bought her own tanning bed off Ebay and has it in the room over her garage. My mom, a nurse mind you, was just asking me last night if I wanted the bedroom set from my old room at her house. I asked her why she was getting rid of it, as she told me before that she knew it was mine but she was keeping it... She says "I'm going to buy a tanning bed, might get your brother's elliptical machine and then one other exercise thing. Need room for it." She tried to slip the tanning bed in there quickly thinking I wouldn't notice...

Now, she has been using tanning beds for years, so I bet the damage is already done...

And eye cancer? Eww.

Is this new information? I thought this info had been out for a while. And the sun is just as deadly... a little is good for the vit. D but too much is BAD. My best friend (age 41) had a very small and very atypical melanoma looking mole removed in April. Well, it turned out to be a melanoma. As a mother of 3 young kids, she was terrified, but they were able to get it all and nothing had spread to the lymph nodes - big relief. However, once you've had a melanoma, you are much more likely to be diagnosed with another. My mom also had one removed when she was 50, making all of us more aware and conscious of the dangers of skin cancer.

I grew up and still live in the South (Tidewater, Virginia), and we absolutely baked in the sun, and the sun is brutal here. We spent our days at the pool or beach, lifeguarding, laying out, etc. Most of our vacations were to Nags Head - lots of day trips to Va. Beach and days spent on the river in the boat. I am VERY regretful of all the damage I've done to my skin but am thankful to know better now.

I just can't believe that people are still going to tanning beds. Even though this seems like old news, I hope the study wakes up people who are still tanning.

Shannon,
I just read your post (didn't read any before I posted) and was thinking that maybe you have time to talk your mom out of the purchase. That way she could have more room for workout equipment - much healthier

Claire - definitely going to do some more talking to my mom, yes... She so knows better! My grandmother has had a few melanomas removed over the years, lots of working in the garden in her life, so my mom knows what can happen... No tanning bed would let her get some really cool workout equipment, room and money wise!

What is the deal with tanning. I love being outside and I love the ocean but there are some scary over tanned people out here. This hideous, leather looking woman commented that my sun block better be SPF 50 because I was so white, well honey it's SPF 70 proving that you can play outside and not be looking like beef jerky!