{"id":1048822,"date":"2025-12-12T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1048822"},"modified":"2025-12-12T07:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T04:00:00","slug":"a-new-study-proves-that-tanning-beds-are-far-riskier-than-we-ever-knew","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1048822","title":{"rendered":"A New Study Proves That Tanning Beds Are Far Riskier Than We Ever Knew"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article main-content\" lang=\"en-US\">\n<div class=\"AIContentWrapper-gOOlQO jDkjfm\">\n<div class=\"ArticlePageLedeBackground-JMVDp bIwRjk\">\n<header class=\"ContentHeaderWrapper-cqMZiN hWsVgb content-header article__content-header inset\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderContainer\" class=\"ContentHeaderContainer-cMdHiZ fxttZl\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderHedAccreditationWrapper-WaWBW fTkfBu\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderTitleBlockWrapper\" class=\"ContentHeaderTitleBlockWrapper-cyIGwg dMceKV\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderRubric\" class=\"ContentHeaderRubricBlock-aIcNK eDSQnM\">\n<div data-testid=\"ContentHeaderRubricDateBlock\" class=\"ContentHeaderRubricDateBlock-kvxmSu jVyBWg\">\n<div class=\"RubricWrapper-dZIqzO ghbJG ContentHeaderRubricContainer-fiPRfk fRUoUz\"><span class=\"RubricName-gkORYq fCauaT rubric__name rubric\"><span>TOTALLY COOKED<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h1 data-testid=\"ContentHeaderHed\" class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE ContentHeaderHed-SVoJX deqABF iHBUaf dyRzMH\">A New Study Proves That Tanning Beds Are Far Riskier Than We Ever Knew<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderAccreditation-fcyiw bhgqZY content-header__accreditation\" data-testid=\"ContentHeaderAccreditation\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderDek-bCXPyE hNoQnF\">Research from Northwestern and the University of California, San Francisco confirms that tanning beds &#8220;biologically shift your cells toward cancer.\u201d<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderByline-jXtKQj jgXynP\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderBylineContent-dkwwFS fRKSvg\">\n<div data-testid=\"BylinesWrapper\" class=\"BylinesWrapper-vmGrt cZzmZD bylines ContentHeaderBylines-cTXqro ljGzhW\"><span class=\"BylineWrapper-jRoBEm dflWou byline bylines__byline\" data-testid=\"BylineWrapper\"><span class=\"BylineNamesWrapper-jrdaOa fXeqQN\"><span data-testid=\"BylineName\" class=\"BylineName-kqTBDS dDLLkB byline__name\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE BylinePreamble-itSxDZ deqABF cFJkIM jcgMlx byline__preamble\">By <\/span>Kara Nesvig<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><time data-testid=\"ContentHeaderPublishDate\" datetime=\"2025-12-12T02:00:00-05:00\" class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE ContentHeaderPublishDate-eNTYkb deqABF lnzeTN eFanim\">December 12, 2025<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderLeadAsset-hVxhYG cWpFgv lead-asset ContentHeaderLeadAssetWrapper-gQBTSl HTnib lead-asset--width-small\" data-testid=\"ContentHeaderLeadAsset\">\n<figure class=\"ContentHeaderLeadAssetContent-kyKlgP eGZaQl\">\n<div class=\"ContentHeaderLeadAssetContentMedia-bwiUDr keSRCn lead-asset__content__photo\"><span class=\"SpanWrapper-zEXFr koTknX responsive-asset ContentHeaderResponsiveAsset-cgZUtS eHMjwb\"><\/p>\n<div data-testid=\"aspect-ratio-container\" class=\"AspectRatioContainer-bEozCe gBbeIJ\">\n<div class=\"aspect-ratio--overlay-container\"><source media=\"(max-width: 767px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.allure.com\/photos\/693b24ce616a80a79a55de32\/1:1\/w_120,c_limit\/tanning%20beds%20cause%20dna%20damage%20study.jpg 120w, https:\/\/media.allure.com\/photos\/693b24ce616a80a79a55de32\/1:1\/w_240,c_limit\/tanning%20beds%20cause%20dna%20damage%20study.jpg 240w, https:\/\/media.allure.com\/photos\/693b24ce616a80a79a55de32\/1:1\/w_320,c_limit\/tanning%20beds%20cause%20dna%20damage%20study.jpg 320w, https:\/\/media.allure.com\/photos\/693b24ce616a80a79a55de32\/1:1\/w_640,c_limit\/tanning%20beds%20cause%20dna%20damage%20study.jpg 640w, https:\/\/media.allure.com\/photos\/693b24ce616a80a79a55de32\/1:1\/w_960,c_limit\/tanning%20beds%20cause%20dna%20damage%20study.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"100vw\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"CaptionWrapper-jYrTxZ gVBkjw caption ContentHeaderLeadAssetCaption-ifsaEE cSYNPH\" data-testid=\"caption-wrapper\"><span class=\"BaseWrap-sc-gzmcOU BaseText-eqOrNE CaptionCredit-eowWKH deqABF lnzeTN gxwcqg caption__credit\">Getty Images<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-attribute-verso-pattern=\"article-body\" class=\"ArticlePageContentBackGround-dcEtzE kUtTlG article-body__content\">\n<div class=\"ArticlePageChunksContent-enJWmu ilcJfn\">\n<div data-testid=\"ArticlePageChunks\" class=\"ArticlePageChunks-fwcPjP cAlDKu\">\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf cxzKYj grid grid-margins grid-items-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP lnoYVP grid-layout--adrail narrow wide-adrail\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV kCPYUp grid--item grid-layout__content\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv HDJd body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p>We all already know that tanning beds are bad and that soaking up faux sunshine puts you at higher risk for skin cancer. Those of us who participated in the tanning salon craze of the 2000s (guilty), have been reckoning with that for years. But a new study from Northwestern Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco reveals that the cancer risk from tanning beds is even worse than we ever knew\u2014uniquely bad, in fact.<\/p>\n<p>Let&#8217;s start with what we already knew: If you&#8217;ve used a tanning bed at any point in time, you&#8217;ve increased your risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of cancer. Before now, the belief was that indoor tanners were 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors, and that just one session in a tanning bed could increase the risk by 20 percent. But this new research suggests that tanning bed usage actually triples the risk of skin cancer\u2014a 200 percent increase. It also offers new insights on the alarmingly unique way tanning beds cause cancer.<\/p>\n<p>The study analyzed thousands of medical records, comparing melanoma rates in tanning bed users versus non-users. Researchers also used single-cell DNA sequencing to investigate 182 skin biopsies from tanning bed users and control subjects on a cellular level. Its findings show that the UV light from tanning beds mutates skin cells and causes \u201cmelanoma-linked DNA damage across nearly the entire skin surface.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s already a known fact that indoor and outdoor tanning alike can cause DNA damage, but what these new findings tell us is that the DNA damage caused by tanning beds is on a wholly different level compared to regular sun exposure. \u201cThis study is interesting in that it shows more mutations and unique mutations associated with tanning beds [than previously known],\u201d says Caren Campbell, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in San Francisco. \u201cGenetics put us at risk, and then high-risk behaviors put us at risk for cancers. At a DNA level, [tanning bed use] is a high-risk behavior, which we knew, but this proves\u2026 it&#8217;s changing the DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to Mona Gohara, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical professor at the Yale School of Medicine Department of Dermatology, a cell mutation is a \u201cpermanent mistake\u201d in a cell\u2019s DNA. \u201cThink of DNA like a spell-check for your skin: when tanning beds hit cells with intense UV radiation, they introduce typos. Most typos are harmless, but some land in dangerous places\u2014genes that control growth\u2014and that\u2019s where cancer can begin,\u201d she says. \u201cThis study shows tanning bed users had twice as many of these dangerous typos as non-users, which helps explain why their melanoma risk is so much higher.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"PullQuoteEmbedWrapper-sc-TKIUW kKNLCl\" data-testid=\"pullquote-embed-center\">\n<div class=\"PullQuoteEmbedContent-sc-lixSTo cQciWx\">\n<p>\u201cThe takeaway is simple: tanning beds don\u2019t just age your skin, they biologically shift your cells toward cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>As we know, skin cancer is generally identified via moles and other skin lesions, but the study found that DNA changes among tanning bed users were present in areas of the skin that looked entirely normal. \u201cEven in normal skin from indoor tanning patients, areas where there are no moles, we found DNA changes that are precursor mutations that predispose to melanoma,\u201d Pedram Gerami, MD, a professor of skin cancer research at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and one of the study\u2019s authors, shared in a press release. \u201cThat has never been shown before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf cxzKYj grid grid-margins grid-items-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP lnoYVP grid-layout--adrail narrow wide-adrail\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV kCPYUp grid--item grid-layout__content\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv HDJd body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<p>It\u2019s an unsettling finding, Dr. Gohara says. \u201cIt means tanning beds don\u2019t just damage the skin you expect, like spots with visible sun exposure or moles; they quietly alter the DNA across nearly the entire skin surface, even in areas that look unaffected.\u201d And, of course, when there\u2019s nothing notable or suspicious happening on the skin\u2019s surface, cancer is more difficult to detect, diagnose, and therefore treat. \u201cSecond, it reinforces why full-body skin exams matter so much,\u201d Dr. Gohara adds, \u201cCancer doesn\u2019t always announce itself where you\u2019re watching\u2014it can start backstage long before it shows up under the spotlight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Tanning in the sun, of course, still presents skin cancer risk, but the study findings show that there\u2019s a significant difference between the effects natural sunlight and the artificial light of a tanning bed. \u201cFor years, the tanning industry argued that beds were no worse than sunlight,\u201d Dr. Gohara says. \u201cThis research irrefutably shows that indoor tanning causes broader, more intense DNA damage than everyday sun exposure.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The study also noted that tanning bed users were more likely to develop melanoma in places that aren\u2019t typically impacted by everyday sun exposure, like the buttocks and lower back, because most tanning bed users tan naked or in their underwear. \u201cIn my dermatology practice, I see multiple skin cancers every single day,\u201d says Laurel Geraghty, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in Oregon. \u201cI&#8217;ve seen a handful of melanomas on the buttocks of young women\u2014every one of them has used tanning beds.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Many of us have given up the tanning bed habit, but that doesn\u2019t mean tanning beds are a thing of the past; people still tan despite knowing the (many, many) risks. If you\u2019re one of those people, consider Dr. Gohara\u2019s input: \u201cThe takeaway is simple: tanning beds don\u2019t just age your skin, they biologically shift your cells toward cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"GridWrapper-cFSKbf cxzKYj grid grid-margins grid-items-2 ArticlePageChunksGrid-hkPQhP lnoYVP grid-layout--adrail narrow wide-adrail\" data-journey-hook=\"grid-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"GridItem-beYvyV kCPYUp grid--item grid-layout__content\">\n<div class=\"BodyWrapper-kzyFNv HDJd body body__container article__body\" data-journey-hook=\"client-content\" data-testid=\"BodyWrapper\">\n<div class=\"body__inner-container\">\n<hr>\n<p><strong>More news to know:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I Hate to Break It to You, But We Never Had Mandatory Asbestos Testing for Talc to Begin With<\/li>\n<li>A First-of-Its-Kind Hair Loss Pill Could Be on Its Way<\/li>\n<li>The FDA Sent Warning Letters to Over a Dozen Companies Selling Botox Knockoffs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr>\n<p><strong>Now, here&#8217;s what to know before your first cosmetic procedure:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><em>Follow<\/em> Allure <em>on<\/em>\u00a0<em>Instagram<\/em><em>and<\/em>\u00a0<em>TikTok, or<\/em>\u00a0<em>subscribe to our newsletter<\/em><em>to stay up to date on all things beauty.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p> Source URL: https:\/\/www.allure.com\/story\/tanning-bed-cancer-risk-dna-study<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TOTALLY COOKED A New Study Proves That Tanning Beds Are Far Riskier Than We Ever Knew Research from Northwestern and the University of California, San Francisco confirms that tanning beds &#8220;biologically shift your cells toward cancer.\u201d By Kara Nesvig December 12, 2025 Getty Images We all already know that tanning beds are bad and that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-1048822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-allure-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1048822","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1048822"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1048822\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1048822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1048822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1048822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}