In efforts to prevent melanoma cancer, Edmund G. Brown, Jr., California Governor, signed a law on October 9th that restricts persons under age of 18 from using indoor tanning devices. Not only will youngsters have to listen to their parents and dermatologist warnings, they will now have to obey the law, which will take effect starting January 1, 2012.

It is the first time in the U.S. when a state prohibits tanning bed use to minors. Tanning salons, regulated by the state Department of Consumer Affairs and the federal Food and Drug Administration, will have even further regulations as U.S. States continue to evaluate the dangers and to impose restrictions.

Research linking tanning devices and melanoma is behind these legal changes. In 2002, The United States Department of Health and Human Services reported that,

“ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and artificial sources (tanning beds and sun lamps) is a carcinogen”.

Dr. Dale Abadir, dermatologist Westchester, New York, reports that melanoma is sometimes not discovered until they have spread beyond the skin, making them potentially deadly cancers. It is estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during the lifetime.

Although the recent law passed in California is intended to protect minors from harm, the risks of tanning beds apply to all ages. The UV lights in tanning beds have been linked to malignant melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma.

The main idea of tanning is to look better, however, over time it will actually leave your skin looking older. While tanning beds are still legal for the time being for adults, we are left to decide if it is really worth it.

If you are concerned about melanoma, you should see your dermatologist. Given the time sensitivity of the cancer, Dermatologist Westchester County, Ababir Associates, recommends melanoma screenings for all ages.