Tanning Beds Before 35 Raise Melanoma Risk 75% — Here's Why
Indoor tanning is marketed as a controlled, safer glow — but the WHO files it in the same top carcinogen category as tobacco.
Indoor tanning before age 35 is associated with a 75% increased melanoma risk, and in 2009 the WHO's IARC classified UV-emitting tanning beds as 'carcinogenic to humans,' its highest risk category.
Dermatology and cancer authorities are unequivocal: there is no such thing as a safe tan from a bed, and the IARC places tanning devices in the same top-tier carcinogen category it uses for the most established cancer-causing agents.
Questions we get a lot
How much do tanning beds raise melanoma risk?
Indoor tanning before age 35 is associated with a 75% increased risk of melanoma. The risk is tied to UV exposure from the beds. Because of evidence like this, the WHO's IARC classifies tanning beds as carcinogenic to humans.
Are tanning beds safer than the sun?
No. In 2009 the WHO's IARC classified UV-emitting tanning beds as carcinogenic to humans, its highest risk category. A tan from a bed is itself a sign of UV damage, not a controlled, safe alternative. Sunless self-tanners are a far safer way to get color.
r/SkincareAddiction: 'My salon says their beds are 'controlled UV' and safer than the sun — is that actually true?'