Researchers found that tanning beds can cause serious DNA damage across almost all of the skin, helping explain why they sharply raise the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Dr Pedram Gerami, who leads a melanoma program at Northwestern University, noticed over many years that many women under 50 with multiple melanomas had a history of using tanning beds.
To study this, his team reviewed medical records of about 3,000 people who had used tanning beds and compared them with around 3,000 similar people who had never used them. Melanoma was found in 5.1 percent of tanning bed users, compared with 2.1 percent of non-users. Even after accounting for other risk factors, tanning bed use was linked to nearly three times higher melanoma risk.
The researchers also found that tanning bed users were more likely to develop melanoma on areas such as the lower back and buttocks, which are normally protected from the sun, suggesting that tanning beds cause more widespread skin damage than natural sunlight.
To confirm this, the team used advanced genetic testing on individual skin cells. They examined pigment-producing cells from people who regularly used tanning beds and from those who never did. They found that cells from tanning bed users had almost twice as many genetic mutations and more cancer-related changes. These mutations were also found in skin areas that are usually covered.
The researchers advised that people who used tanning beds often in the past should get a full-body skin check and discuss regular monitoring with a dermatologist.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.