Getting a killer tan doesn't mean just looking good.

Everyday millions of people flock to tanning salons in order to get that "healthy" glow. Most or neglecting the fact that tanning salons is the cause of the most deadly form of skin cancer, melanoma.

There are over 25, 000 tanning salons across the United States that are visited by more than a million people a day. Most of the customers are teens and young adults. It is baffling that tanning salons remain to be so popular when the risks of tanning are not being hidden.

Many studies have indicated that indoor tanning may be just as harmful to the skin as outdoor exposure to the sun. The UVA light received in a salon may be two times more than the UVA light we receive from the sun. There is also a very strong connection between UVA light and melanoma. It seems that the young people attending tanning salons don't want to believe that melanoma is a possibility.

Caitlin Smith, a high school freshman from Hawthorne, NJ, said, "I have heard all about skin cancer from tanning, but it's hard to stop going once you start. It makes me feel and look so much better."

The only benefit of tanning is for self image purposes. Most salon goers are not thinking of the huge risk that they are taking when come out with a golden bronze tan. Long term use of tanning beds can lead to a dysfunctional immune system, sun and eye burns, cataracts, and photosensitivity reactions to medications.

A research study has shown that a twenty-minute visit to the tanning salon is the same as spending a day at the beach. Melanoma, if not detected early enough is often fatal. The number of melanoma cases is quickly rising in the U.S. with an estimated 47, 700 new cases and 7,700 deaths anticipated this year. Most people who go tanning seem to continue because the skin doesn't immediately show the harmful effects. The effects are delayed and don't usually show up until many years after the exposure. About 80% of sun damage occur before age 18. Physicians and scientists are particularly concerned that cases of skin cancer will continue to increase as people who are tanning now in their teens and twenties reach middle age.

It is possible for people to tan more many years and still not show damge. Premature aging of the skin with wrinkles will occur in people who are repeatedly exposed to the sun over a long time, although the damage may be less noticeable and take longer to show up in people with darker skin. All people are at risk when it comes to tanning but people with certain skin types I, II, and III are at greatest risk.

Skin type I include people with pale white skin that usually burn, and never tans. Skin type II is white and they burn easy, and tan minimally. Skin type III is average white and burns moderately and tans gradually to light brown. Dr. Sekula-Gibbs, Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at the Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas said,

"Dermatologists across the country are alarmed with the number of teenagers and young adults who continue to patronize tanning salons regardless of the studies that have reported on the link between sun exposure to a wide array of skin cancers."

Gibb's also said, "There is no such thing as a safe tan." Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States with more than a million new cases diagnosed each year. People who may be especially at risk of cancer also include those who have a family history of skin cancer and spend a great deal of time outdoors, or have had a lifelong exposure to the sun.

For people who can't break away from artificial tanning there are some strict guidelines that every tanning salon must follow including:

· Sun lamp devices must limit the amount of radiation emitted

· Eye goggles must be provided for ultraviolet protection

· People using tanning salons must be warned about the risk of ultraviolet light exposure

· Sun lamp devices must include a label stating the proper amount of radiation.

Doctors advise people between 20-40 to get their skin checked every three years to detect any signs of melanoma. There are signs people can look for in order to detect this cancer. Often, the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color, or feel of an existing mole. Most melanomas have a black or blue-black area. Melanoma also may appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal, or "ugly looking."

Another approach that doctors use is the "ABCD" that can help people remember what to look for.

Asymmetry - The shape of one half does not match the other.
Border - The edges are often ragged, notched, blurred, or irregular in outline; the pigment may spread into the surrounding skin.
Color - The color is uneven. Shades of black, brown, and tan may be present. Areas of white, grey, red, pink, or blue also may be seen.
Diameter-There is a change in size, usually an increase. Melanomas are usually larger than the eraser of a pencil (1/4 inch or 5 millimeters).

Melanoma can be cured if it is detected early enough and treated if the tumor is thin enough and has not deeply affected the skin. The best way to avoid melanoma is to not attend tanning salons and use caution when spending time in the sun outdoors. Doctors recommend planning outdoor activities to avoid the sun's strongest rays, this would mean avoiding the sun between 10 a.m and 4 p.m. Wearing sunglasses with the strongest amount of UV ray protection and wearing a sunscreen with SPF 15 or greater is also highly recommended.

The booming industry of tanning salons is not going bankrupt anytime soon. It seems that people are ignoring the large risks of tanning or just thinking that it could not happen to them. It is important for people to be well informed on the effects that UV rays can have on them and that they may be ultimately paying a fatal price in order to look good.