blocking UVB rays. But
meanwhile, they're being
exposed to hundreds of times
more cancer-causing UVA
rays than they'd be able to
tolerate if they weren't using
sunscreen. Bottom line:
Whatever your latitude, you
need to practice sun-safety
measures.
7. You're not fooling
anyone with your tanningbed habit — especially your
skin: Despite what the salon
receptionist may say, there's
no evidence that browning
yourself in a bed is any safer
than doing it at the beach.
"Even though there are
federal guidelines for the
amount of time someone
should spend in a tanning
bed, we know these are not
always followed," says
Michael J. Franzblau, M.D.,
clinical professor of
dermatology (emeritus) at the
University of California, San
Francisco. The numbers tell
the story: People who
Joy feelings magazine
frequent tanning salons are
2.5 times more likely to
develop squamous cell cancer
and 1.5 times more likely to
develop basal cell. If you're
still an indoor sunbather — a
recent survey shows that over
15 percent of women in their
40s and 10 percent in their
50s and early 60s use tanning
beds — stop now. But even if
you've given up the habit,
you could be in trouble.
Exposure to tanning beds
before age 35 significantly
increases your risk of
melanoma. Protect yourself
by being vigilant about
monthly self-exams and
yearly derm checks.
8. Like children, skin
cancers don't always follow
rules: The ABCDE rules for
melanoma have been well
publicized, but not all
melanomas conform. One
type, amelanotic melanoma,
for example, has no brown or
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