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"The link between indoor tanning and skin cancer is indisputable. Research has proven that using a UV bed or booth even once before the age of 30 increases your risk of skin cancer by 75 percent. So when we read the results of a survey that found one out of 10 people who indoor tan do so because a doctor recommend it, we were horrified.The survey asked nearly 7,000 people their reason for visiting a tanning salon and 11 percent replied that it was because of a doctor's suggestion. The polling was done by the International Smart Tan Network, which is a pro-indoor tanning group based in Michigan. And we imagine they were happy to report those findings about docs recommending tanning since many people would take that to mean that sometimes fake baking is safe and healthy.\n\tAdvertisement - Continue Reading Below\n\t\n\nDon't be fooled\u2014there's nothing safe or healthy about it. \"That's crazy!\" said dermatologist, Ellen Marmur, MD, Cosmo contributor and author of Simple Skin Beauty. \"Now that we know how dangerous indoor tanning is and the correlation to melanoma and other skin cancers, there is zero reason to do it.\"\n\nSo why might doctors be telling patients to put themselves at risk? \"There are certain conditions, such as psoriasis, that can be improved by light therapy, but tanning isn't the answer,\" Marmur said. She explained that there are places that specialize in treating those conditions and use a very specific type of light that is controlled and restricted\u2014not like at a tanning salon.Vitamin D deficiency is another reason MDs may prescribe time under UV lights. But Marmur was adamant that there are other, much safer ways to increase Vitamin D levels. \"The best way is to tweak your diet and eat foods that are naturally high in the vitamin or are fortified with it.\" Salmon, nuts, and fortified milk are all good options. You can also take supplements, which are available at drugstores without a prescription.But despite all of the buzz over vitamin D deficiency and the Indoor Tanning Association's attempt to make people think everyone has dangerously low levels of the vitamin, Marmur said it's important to get tested by your doctor before turning to supplements. \"There have been studies that found too much vitamin D can cause pancreatic cancer, which is very serious,\" she warned. So ask your doctor for a simple blood test to read your levels and if they're low, ask for a supplement recommendation.So if you start to hear that doctors are recommending the use of tanning beds\u2014or your own doctor suggests it\u2014don't listen. Exposing yourself to UV bulbs can only lead to more health problems, some of them fatal. And as Marmur explained, if you hear of an ailment that can be treated by indoor tanning, there is another, much safer option.Check out Cosmo's Practice Safe Sun page for more information about indoor tanning, melanoma, and how to keep your skin healthy and gorgeous"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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