I have a question about skin cancer and tanning?

I dont have skin cancer, but I have been tanning in tanning beds for 6 years. Is there a chance that my body can develop skin cancer from the sun exposure I have had in the past, or will I be okay as long as I stay safe from now on?





*My sisters 25 year old friend has skin cancer on her back, she started tanning at 15..I started tanning at 15, so this is a huge wake up call for me and now im worried that the tanning I did in highschool might have already screwed me into getting skin cancer in the future?*
I have a question about skin cancer and tanning?
I watched a story on tv last night about a 25 year old woman who is dying of skin cancer. She started using tanning beds when she was 15. She's hoping to make it to her 26th birthday, which is next weekend.


What's past is past, you can't undo the damage that's already been done, but of course you should take precautions from now on, which includes not using tanning beds. I'd rather be pale and live to be 90 than be a nicely tanned 26 year old corpse.


I wish you luck and good health :)
I have a question about skin cancer and tanning?
well of course there is a possibility then of course there isnt you just have to stop and really take care of your skin now, you should consult with a doctor
Reply:I am also a tanner. I am fair skinned and had several bad burns as a child. These are things that increase your risk of getting cancer, but it isn't a given. I had a skin cancer check last year, but I just noticed a mole that looks bad on the back of my calf. I am petrified I might have melamoma. I just started back to the tanning salon when I noticed it. Needless to say, I am not going back and I am going to get this mole checked ASAP.


Go to a dermotologist for a skin cancer check. Young women are getting skin cancer at an alarming rate because of tanning salons.
Reply:don't go in tanning beds anymore then.
Reply:Stop now. Thats all you can do. It hit me. The doctor had to make a hole in my face about the size of a nickel and as deep as one to get out my skin cancer. It is right next to my eye so, theres no hiding it. STOP NOW! Wear sunscreen every day or a make-up that contains sunscreen. Any excessive exposure since childhood makes you a canadate for it.


If a little coloring is what you want, buy those tanning creams or for a special event, get a tan sprayed on in a salon.
Reply:There is no way for anyone on here to answer that. You must consult a skin cancer specialist.





If I were you, I'd give up the tanning beds and sunbathing immediately. They both expose you to potentially fatal cancer-causing radiation.





Please read this link to a newspaper story about a beautiful young woman dying of cancer caused by tanning beds:


http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0...
Reply:Regardless of what you may have heard or read, you can get sunburned in a tanning salon. There are no "safe" rays that tan and do not burn. Skin cancer can happen to anyone, and the tan you get today can cause problems in the future. Whether from a day on the beach or hours spent in a tanning salon, the "tan" color your skin gets after baking under UV rays is a sign of skin damage.





"When you tan you greatly increase your risk of developing skin cancer. This is especially true if you spend time tanning each year because damage to the skin accumulates over time. Unlike skin cancer, premature aging of the skin will occur in everyone who is repeatedly exposed to the sun over a long time, although the damage may be less apparent and take longer to show up in people with darker skin."





My suggestion - stop the tanning booths.
Reply:Wow, tanning since 15 is a long time. I would try to stay away from the tanning beds and maybe get checked out by a skin doctor. Better to be safe than sorry!! Here is a link that you might find helpful in find early signs of skin cancer.