How much indoor tanning raises skin cancer risk, why a base tan fails to protect, what the law says, and how sunless tanners differ.
Tanning beds and sunlamps give off ultraviolet (UV) radiation, mostly UVA with some UVB. A tan from a bed forms the same way as a tan from the sun. Skin cells detect DNA damage and respond by making more pigment.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the World Health Organization's cancer research arm. In 2009 it moved UV-emitting tanning devices into Group 1, carcinogenic to humans. Tobacco smoke and asbestos sit in the same group. The category describes how strong the evidence is. It does not mean each exposure carries the same danger as a cigarette.
IARC's review of the published studies found that melanoma risk rose by 75% when people started using tanning devices before age 30. The agency also found enough evidence to link tanning devices to melanoma of the eye.
A later pooled analysis added detail (Boniol and colleagues, BMJ, 2012). It combined 27 studies and found that people who had ever used a sunbed had about a 20% higher risk of melanoma than people who never had. Risk climbed with use, by roughly 2% for each additional session per year, and it was considerably higher in people who first tanned indoors before age 35.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) cites figures in the same range. Tanning bed use before age 20 raises the chance of melanoma by 47%. Women younger than 30 who tan indoors are 6 times more likely to develop melanoma. Indoor tanning also raises the risk of squamous cell carcinoma by 58% and basal cell carcinoma by 24%.
A 20% increase sounds modest next to those larger numbers. The difference comes from who is counted. The 20% figure includes people who tried a tanning bed 1 or 2 times, while the higher figures describe people who started young or tanned often. The pattern across studies is consistent: earlier and more frequent use means more risk.
Burns are common too. The FDA reports that sunlamp products lead to more than 3,000 emergency room visits a year in the United States.
Many people visit a salon before a beach vacation hoping to avoid a burn. The AAD states that a person with a base tan can still burn. A tan is a sign that UV has already injured the skin's DNA, and each session adds to the lifetime total that drives skin cancer and wrinkling.
The vitamin D argument fails for a related reason. Tanning bulbs emit mostly UVA light, and the skin needs UVB to make vitamin D. Diet and supplements supply vitamin D without any UV exposure.
Some people find indoor tanning hard to give up. The AAD notes that about 20% of young white women who tan indoors show signs of dependence, such as feeling restless or low when they miss sessions. If that sounds familiar, a doctor can help.
Rules for minors come mainly from the states. According to the AAD, 22 states and the District of Columbia prohibit indoor tanning for anyone under 18. The list includes California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Washington. Several other states set a lower age limit, from 14 to 17, and some require a parent's permission.
Federal rules are narrower. In 2014 the FDA reclassified sunlamp products as class II (moderate risk) medical devices and required a warning that they should not be used by people under 18. In 2015 the agency proposed going further, with a nationwide ban on use by minors and a signed risk form for adults. That proposal was never finalized, and the FDA formally withdrew it in March 2026. The warning label remains. Dermatologists have voiced concern about the withdrawal, and rules for minors now rest with the states.
For people who like the look of a tan, dermatologists point to sunless products. The active ingredient is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), a sugar that reacts with proteins in the dead outer layer of skin and turns it brown. The color fades over several days as those cells shed. The color forms without any UV exposure.
The FDA permits DHA as a color additive for external use. That approval does not cover the eyes, the lips, mucous membranes such as the inside of the nose, or breathing the product in. Creams and lotions applied by hand make those areas easy to avoid. In a spray booth, avoiding them takes more care, so the FDA suggests asking the salon how your eyes, lips, and nose will be protected and how you will keep from inhaling the mist.
AAD tips for an even result at home: exfoliate with a washcloth first, dry the skin, apply in sections, wash your hands after each section, and use less product over knees, elbows, and ankles. Wait at least 10 minutes before dressing.
A sunless tan gives no protection from the sun. Unless a product also contains sunscreen and lists an SPF, the FDA requires a label warning that it does not protect against sunburn. You still need broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher over the color.
